Misplaced Pages

#553446

34-725: Don W. Burden, then the sales manager of radio station KWIK in Pocatello, Idaho , was part of a group that acquired Omaha radio station KOIL (1290 AM) from the Nebraska Rural Radio Association , a cooperative of farmers and ranchers, in 1954. Burden acquired KWIK outright in 1957. Star grew into a group in 1958 when Burden acquired KMYR (710 AM) in Denver. A year later, he acquired KVAN in Vancouver, Washington , opposite Portland, Oregon , for $ 580,000; Burden relaunched it as KISN ,

68-541: A country music format, and later an urban adult contemporary format. It became a Christian radio station in September 1979, and changed its call sign to KCRO. In 2005, the station was bought for $ 3.1 million by the Salem Media Group . In July 2018, Hickory Radio agreed to purchase KCRO, co-owned talk radio station KOTK , and two translators from Salem Media. The purchase was consummated on October 31, 2018, at

102-457: A 57 station deal with a total reported sale price of $ 74.78 million. What eventually became GapWest Broadcasting was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010; Townsquare, in turn, sold its Idaho Falls– Pocatello stations to Rich Broadcasting in 2011. This article about a radio station in Idaho is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . KCRO KCRO (660 kHz )

136-547: A Portland station. In 1962, the FCC assessed a $ 2,000 fine against it for improper station identifications. Three years later, the commission ordered KISN to cease and desist from linking itself to Portland on its air, and fined the station $ 20,000. At the time that WIFE received its first short-term renewal, Star had planned to purchase 1240 AM in Charlotte as part of a deal that would have seen WIST (the station on that frequency) buy out

170-562: A hearing in January 1982 on the application, which was eventually approved. Burden, who owned 49 percent of KPEN, served as its general manager; the station was sold in 1984. Burden died of lung cancer in San Mateo, California , on May 12, 1985, at 56 years of age. The Star Stations group owned five radio stations whose licenses were revoked. It had additionally owned two stations that were sold in 1959 and 1961. KWIK KWIK (1240 AM )

204-640: A hearing into potential illegal Burden involvement at WPDQ in Jacksonville, Florida , with whose owner Burden held a management agreement. Burden vigorously fought the hearing, unsuccessfully appealing to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a bid to stop it. In November 1972, the FCC Broadcast Bureau recommended denial of all five license renewals, finding against

238-585: A new radio station on 1310 kHz, WIFE's AM frequency, in a direct challenge to Burden. In late October 1970, John McLaughlin , then the Republican candidate for United States Senator from Rhode Island against incumbent John Pastore , called for an ethics investigation into one of Pastore's aides, the chief counsel of the Senate communications subcommittee, who received a silver set and other gifts from Burden while his licenses were up for renewal. On December 2, 1970, after

272-505: A nine-month internal review, the FCC put all five Star Stations' license renewals up for hearing in a consolidated proceeding with the Indianapolis Broadcasting application. The commission would cover 22 issues in the hearing, including charges of illegal gifts of air time and coverage to Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana during his 1964 reelection campaign and a contribution to Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon in 1966 and directed

306-488: A successful company. In 1968, it opened a new, $ 1.5 million headquarters building on Omaha's west side, also housing KOIL-AM-FM; at the open house, William Shatner was the doorman. Its three AM stations-KISN, KOIL and WIFE-were top-rated Top 40 success stories known for their aggressive promotions. KISN held a contest to "give away" station personality Tom Murphy, but the winner received Tom Murphy-an Irish setter. Each station, at one point, had an on-air personality using

340-467: Is a brokered time radio station, where hosts pay Hickory Radio for 15 to 30-minute blocks of time, and may use their shows to seek donations to their ministries. Most hours begin with world and national news from Salem Radio Network . The station signed on the air on April 19, 1922, making it among the oldest radio stations in Nebraska. By the 1930s, it was operating on AM 660 at 500 watts. However, it

374-646: Is a clear channel frequency (reserved for 50,000- watt Class A WFAN in New York City ), KCRO must greatly reduce power to 54 watts at night to avoid interference. It uses a non-directional antenna at all times. Programming was additionally heard on 60-watt FM translator station K293CJ at 106.5 MHz. The translator has since been moved to Lincoln , and changed frequencies to 106.7 FM. KCRO airs national religious leaders such as Jim Daly , Chuck Swindoll and David Jeremiah as well as local preachers. On weekends, KCRO 660 airs southern gospel music. KCRO

SECTION 10

#1732847621554

408-595: Is a commercial AM radio station in Omaha, Nebraska . KCRO is owned by Hickory Radio and airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format . The studios are located on Burt Street (near North 120th Street and Dodge Road in West Omaha), while the transmitter is located behind Roncalli Catholic High School near Sorensen Parkway in Northwest Omaha. KCRO operates with 1,000 watts power during daytime hours. Because AM 660

442-481: Is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format serving the Pocatello, Idaho , United States, area. The station is currently owned by Rich Broadcasting and licensed to Rich Broadcasting Idaho LS, LLC. The station features programming from Fox News Radio , Compass Media Networks , and Premiere Networks . In October 2007, a deal was reached for KWIK to be acquired by GAP Broadcasting II LLC (Samuel Weller, president) from Clear Channel Communications as part of

476-606: The Federal Communications Commission . In 1964, the FCC handed WIFE a short-term license renewal over misrepresentations of the results of an audience survey commissioned by the Indianapolis station. WIFE used incomplete tabulations of a rating survey conducted by C. E. Hooper and Company in sales pitches to potential advertisers. After receiving a second short-term renewal in 1965, the FCC designated WIFE's license for hearing in 1966 over two contests conducted over

510-577: The "death sentence" raised First Amendment concerns. Burden's appeal was rejected when the Court of Appeals affirmed the FCC's decision on December 12, 1975. The news director of KOIL resigned in March 1976 after refusing to play a tape critical of an applicant seeking interim authority to operate the Star Omaha stations. On June 1, operation of WIFE AM transferred to the new Indianapolis Broadcasting license, retaining

544-437: The 1950 edition of Broadcasting Yearbook , KOWH said it was "The Toast of The Midwest." It claimed a broadcast area of 215 miles in diameter, and offered advertisers "more coverage." It touted 660 AM as a "clear channel frequency," but neglected to say that a New York City station owned the clear channel status, and KOWH had to sign off at night. KOWH played an important role in U.S. radio programming history. In May 1952,

578-411: The Denver station, by then known as KICN, in 1961; the station had lost its fight against formidable competitor KIMN . The company made its final two expansions in the early 1960s. Star's first FM was purchased in 1960: KCOM, a standalone Omaha station that had signed on the previous September. KCOM became KOIL-FM, which briefly was separately programmed before becoming a simulcast of KOIL, then adopting

612-638: The KICN call letters after the Denver station was sold. In 1963, the Star Stations made their final acquisition: the WISH radio stations in Indianapolis, as owner Corinthian Broadcasting opted to focus on their television station chain. WISH-AM-FM became WIFE-AM-FM after the sale; the AM station relaunched January 1, 1964, amid heavy promotion. In the early 1960s, activities at several Star stations resulted in disciplinary actions from

646-567: The Star Stations on all 22 issues in the hearing; in the decision, the bureau noted that it expected a high level of performance when it granted the six-month renewal to the WIFE stations in 1969 and did not get it. Compared to prior years, Star fared better at the FCC in early 1973. In March, Administrative law judge Chester Naumowicz recommended that the WIFE AM license be denied, with the frequency awarded to competing applicant Indianapolis Broadcasting, with

680-508: The Star stations in those markets to promote those candidates. The hearing designation order also touched on claims that Burden had wiretapped witnesses in prior WIFE hearings and a gift of a $ 444 tractor to the president of C. E. Hooper. One issue struck at the heart of political corruption: according to the order, on the day in 1966 that county commissioners in Multnomah County, Oregon , overrode

714-671: The call letters and format of the Burden station which had months before been separated from WIFE-FM, which went by the on-air name "CB-108" in its final months of broadcasting to avoid confusion. After the Supreme Court of the United States declined to review the Court of Appeals decision in May 1976, the FCC ordered all Star Stations to cease broadcasting on September 2. With the exception of WIFE AM, which continued under Indianapolis Broadcasting using

SECTION 20

#1732847621554

748-553: The company flagship in Omaha, was roiled by competition from WOW and growing strife between staff and management. On January 31, 1975, by a 5-1 vote, the FCC ruled against the Star Stations on all counts, denying all five licenses and approving the Indianapolis Broadcasting application for a new station to replace WIFE AM. The commission concluded that Burden was in on the Hartke promotion scheme; Burden immediately announced an appeal. The action

782-604: The first Top 40 radio station in Portland, on May 1, 1959. The launch of KISN was highly promoted; after 24 hours of playing "terrible music" on KVAN and asking listeners, "Do you want a revolution?", it began with a $ 40,000 promotion blitz. Later that year, a second studio, the "KISN Corner", opened at 10th and West Burnside streets in Portland, featuring a street-level studio where passersby could look in. Burden exited Pocatello in 1959 by selling his interest in KWIK to other parties. He sold

816-633: The format in December 1959. At the end of the decade, however, a new and ultimately fatal scandal broke out at the Star Stations. Along party lines, in November 1969, the House Commerce Committee voted to cite FCC chairman Rosel H. Hyde for contempt of Congress, a day before his retirement, over Hyde's refusal to produce confidential documents related to the WIFE license renewal hearing. Months later, Indianapolis Broadcasting, Inc. (IBI), filed to build

850-483: The name Roger W. Morgan. A billboard near the Indianapolis airport greeted travelers with the message, "We've been spending all night and day with your WIFE"; similar billboards were erected in Omaha and Portland. The Omaha station stole listeners from KOWH , which, though owned by Top 40 pioneer Todd Storz , could not broadcast at night; though Storz downplayed this flaw when Burden told him about it, ratings had shifted for several years after KOIL launched, and KOWH exited

884-494: The other stations' licenses renewed; the basis of the denial for WIFE AM rested on the Hartke issues, but Naumowicz found that Burden was not aware of them and pinned the blame on the general manager of that station. The commission ordered a review of the WIFE AM portion of the decision in April, and placed an additional character qualification question against rival IBI. Naumowicz, however, stuck by his ruling against WIFE. Meanwhile, KOIL,

918-400: The planning commission to approve a new KISN transmitter site, Burden asked an employee to send him $ 10,000, in $ 100 bills, for the purpose of contributing to the commissioners that had supported the measure. Rounding out the order were additional questions over harassment of former employees, supervision of on-air contests, and lack of candor with the FCC. At the same time, the commission opened

952-447: The same call letters, the stations each signed off at 12:01 a.m. local time. After the closure of the four remaining Star Stations, listeners waited several months for a replacement in Omaha and as long as eight years in Indianapolis. An interim operator, Beneficial Broadcasting, was appointed to continue broadcasting of the Star Omaha stations, which returned to the air in December 1976; adjudication of KOIL and KEFM to permanent licensees

986-451: The station became what is considered the first Top 40 station. It was owned and operated by radio pioneer Todd Storz , who crafted a radio format that played the top hits every couple of hours, using high-energy disc jockeys , aimed at young listeners. KOWH's success encouraged the spread of Top 40 stations across the country. As contemporary music listening switched to the FM band, KOWH carried

1020-520: The station in late 1964. The FCC Broadcast Bureau initially recommended a denial in 1967; WIFE ultimately received a renewal of its license through to 1970; in November 1969, Burden took out a full-page advertisement in the Indianapolis Star newspaper, titled "WIFE tells it like it really was", seeking to dispel the bad reputation that the troubles had caused. Star's regulatory troubles at Vancouver stemmed from KISN's constant attempts to identify as

1054-574: The superior facilities of WAYS (610 AM) . However, the FCC rejected Burden as a buyer, prompting both purchases to collapse. WIFE was taking the teen market of Indianapolis by storm. Soon, there was no other station to listen to for my friends and me and seemingly 99 percent of all the other teens in town. Which meant that my parents were in great company because 99 percent of the parents of teens in Indianapolis also were going bananas. Bob Williams, looking back in 1983 on WIFE's cultural impact Even as these proceedings were under way, Star remained

Star Stations - Misplaced Pages Continue

1088-412: Was a landmark for the commission, as it was the first time a commercial broadcaster had been stripped of all of its licenses at once and was termed as the biggest denial action in FCC history; although he "reluctantly" concurred, commissioner James H. Quello called the action "harsh in the extreme". Syndicated columnist James J. Kilpatrick adopted the view of FCC commissioner Robert E. Lee, fretting that

1122-456: Was not resolved until 1982. Two frequencies remained silent until being filled by new stations: a new station on 910 at Vancouver did not begin until April 1, 1980, while the FM frequency left open in Indianapolis did not return until WTPI signed on October 15, 1984. Burden would make a return to broadcasting in 1980 with an agreement to purchase KPEN in Los Altos, California . The FCC slated

1156-482: Was originally a daytimer required to go off the air at sunset. The station's call sign was WAAW and it was owned by the Omaha Grain Exchange, broadcasting agricultural reports and crop prices. In 1939, the call sign were switched to KOWH. In 1946, KOWH put one of the first FM stations on the air in Omaha, KOAD (later KTGL ). By the 1950s, the owner was Mid Continent Broadcasting. In an advertisement in

#553446