Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby radiofan » Fri Jul 15, 2011 11:41 am

Everett’s Newest Radio Station, AM 1520-KKXA is up and “On The Air”

July 15, 2011

You can now tune in to another radio station that calls Everett home. After more than a decade of planning, legal battles and engineering challenges, Andy Skotdal has flipped the switch on KKXA at AM 1520. Currently the station is playing a loop containing snippets of songs with the word “radio” in the lyrics. According to the KRKO Facebook page they are still three weeks away from deciding on a format with three choices under consideration. The station is actually licensed to the city of Snohomish but will broadcast from the studios of KRKO in Everett. They refer to the station on Facebook as KXA which are the call letters of an old Seattle station that used to be at 770 on the radio dial. No website, format or staff yet but if you like hearing the word “radio” sung over and over and over, tune in.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/KXA/248523911825316

http://myeverettnews.com/2011/07/15/eve ... n-the-air/

http://www.facebook.com/KRKO1380
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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Re: Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby Tape Splicer » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:50 pm

KKXA was heard in the over night hours in the Comox valley. The signal seamed as strong as the vancouver stations that were heard. The announcement does ask listeners help the station choose the stations format. Some of the station's personalities are also introduced.
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Re: Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby CKNF » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:19 pm

Tape Splicer wrote:KKXA was heard in the over night hours in the Comox valley. The signal seamed as strong as the vancouver stations that were heard. The announcement does ask listeners help the station choose the stations format. Some of the station's personalities are also introduced.


Hmm...not sure what the strategy for that is, but it seems to me that they are launching an AM station without a clear path of direction...brutal.

Don't get me wrong, I still think it's kinda cool but...sure glad it isn't my money that's financing this. I wish them all the best though.
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Re: Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby skyvalleyradio » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:49 pm

Tape Splicer - I've had a few email conversations with Andy Skotdal the owner of KRKO and KKXA 1520 after noting 1520 blasting into Salt Spring Island mid-afternoon. His reply was that there is a strong lobe at 309 degrees bearing which would account for the strong signal up & down the 'big island' and Goofy Islands. Viewing the radiation pattern for the daytime array on the FCC AM Query site bears this out too.
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Re: Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby radiofan » Sat Sep 17, 2011 7:52 pm

Friday night KKXA was booming into Vancouver with the montage of radio songs and little or no interference from Oregon City.

Tonight as I was scanning the dial at the A&W in Hinton, AB, they were solid with a Washington Cougars football game. I caught the legal ID shortly after
8PM MDT.

Also picked up a Mariners game of KONP 1450 Port Angeles among other things.
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Re: Everett's KKXA 1520 is testing

Postby skyvalleyradio » Wed Sep 21, 2011 2:33 pm

According to the 'KXA' Facebook page, owner Andy Skotdal says most of the technical hurdles have been solved and a 'soft launch' date for KKXA 1520 will soon be announced. KKXA has received approval from the FCC for regular operation. However, the format is still a tightly guarded secret. :glasses7:
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