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I remember reading some old Portland radio history that there was a station located on the dial at 102.7 FM back in the 1960s. Does anybody has any info on that station? I think it used to be owned by KGW before it went dark.
In September 1960, Market-Casters of Oregon (a subsidiary of Market-Casters of Washington, owner of FM station KCMS in Seattle) was given a construction permit for a Portland FM station on 102.7 mHz. They eventually were assigned the call letters KMCP but I don’t think the station ever got on the air.
Slight correction- the Seattle station co-owned by Market-Casters was 98.9 KMCS (Market-Casters Seattle.) Not KCMS 105.3, which back in those days was called KBIQ, and blasted 115kW from a not particularly high location. You better have liked multi-path from that station LOL! (Though I understand they had some PDX area listeners.)
I picked up KBIQ with my giant Radio Shack antenna, along with other Seattle FMs plus Bellingham, Vancouver B.C. and Eugene to the south.
I know there were early frequency changes but when it finally settled down, this is all there was before 1968: 91.5, 92.3, 93.7, 95.5, 97.1, 98.7(They later moved back), 100.3 and 101.1 103.3 was delayed by the court cases of KISN, the presumptive occupant of the frequency, who had previously applied.
The Seattle FM Market still comes in well into the Northern Oregon coast, especially the stuff on Cougar Mt. Tiger Mt tx sites are not as good. 105.3 is still a pretty good powerhouse here. 95.7 KJR is the strongest here in HD. Portland has always been weaker.
I had a friend who lived on the hill in Astoria in the 60s and he had a large window facing North. We had a lot of the Seattle FMers in like locals even in those days and everyone was not 100KW. The Couger Mt stuff has always none well.On a another note, does anyone know what is going on with KOMO 97.7? Until recently their signal was a powerhouse. Now the past several days, barely audible on the car radio. Even at home with my Yagi only 2 bars out of 4. Much weaker than in the past.
KOMO-FM is not a Seattle station per se. It’s in the Olympic Peninsula and as such is on South Mountain, as is its primary auxiliary site. They have a secondary auxiliary location at Capitol Peak, also in the Olympic Peninsula. Locating at either Cougar or West Tiger would be short-spaced to 97.3 and 98.1.
I figured as much, but I would think KOMO 97.7 does get into the Puget Sound area. But something is going on, as their signal is in the mud on the car radios. I may call KOMO to see what is going on. The Olympics are a bit closer than Cougar or Tiger too. But still KJR 95.7 is stronger (now) that KOMO is.
I’m sure that South Mountain and Capitol Peak are farther from Seattle than Cougar or West Tiger but are within 60dbu of most of the Seattle area and have generally good line of sight to the downtown area, among others.
KOMO’s Main & one of the Aux are at the same site. You’ll note the Main is lower than the Aux but slightly more power.
The other Aux is West of Tacoma and low low power.I remember speaking with the CE of 96.5 (KYAC) in the 70s. It was late Sunday night early Monday morning. This was on the phone from Warrenton. I told him the signals from Cougar Mt were very good. So he asked if I was on KYAC. I said yes. So he decided to try something. My old Magnavox receiver did not have a signal meter unfortunately. He said he was going to start dropping power and to let him know when the signal was gone. After a bit, he asked if I was losing KYAC. I said Nope. He finally got it down to something like 1KW ERP and said he could not drop it anymore. The signal seemed the same and even the Stereo pilot was even on, no background noise. I think the power in those days was like 19 KW ERP. Before all the directional antennas on Cougar like KNHC. It really surprised me to say the least. Since then a lot moved over to Tiger Mt which it not nearly as good.
It is possible KOMO is operating from the site West of Tacoma with 1 KW. I can still get it at home well enough with 2 bars on my Sony HD radio, but it is really rough on the car radio, not listenable. They were a full 4 bars.On another note, it looks like KBKW Aberdeen has their new translator on 103.5. There goes my reception of CHQM Vancouver. I still have others, but QM had a good signal. It is still in there, but the translator is much stronger. I have not checked but they may to on Cosi Hill.
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