Posted by David Burke on February 25, 2008 at 11:21:01:
A move for more power by a suburban Chicago broadcaster could mean a new AM radio station in the Quad-Cities.
Kovas Communications, the owner of Aurora, Ill.-based WKKD, is moving the station's 1580 AM frequency to Silvis, Ill., according to Tim Disa of AirTime Media, a Chicago-based radio broker.
That will allow the station's 1590 AM frequency in Evanston, Ill., to increase its power, Disa said.
The Federal Communications Commission granted a construction permit for the station, with a three-year window for completion.
"Is that imminent? Will it happen by next month? Nope," Disa said.
WKKD currently airs national programming from the Health Radio Network.
Disa said Kovas likely will sell the license before the station construction is completed.
"Either they will sell it to a company that does want another radio station or someone who wants their first station in this market," he said.
When the station eventually broadcasts, it will bring the 1580 AM frequency back to the Quad-Cities. It was the former home of KFQC, which broadcast urban music before signing off in the late 1990s.
The station has FCC authority to broadcast at 1,000 watts of power during the daytime and 1,400 watts at night. In comparison to other Quad-City AM stations, WOC-AM 1420 and WKBF-AM 1270 broadcasts at 5,000 watts and WFXN-AM 1230 and KJOC-AM 1170 have 1,000 watts.
"It's a nice opportunity for someone else to add a radio station to their group or get their first radio station," Disa said. "Who that'll end up being, I have no clue."