KPQ (AM)

KPQ (560 AM) is a News/Talk formatted radio station, licensed to Wenatchee, Washington, United States and serving the North Central Washington region. The station is owned by Cherry Creek Media.

KPQ
CityWenatchee, Washington
Broadcast areaWenatchee, Washington
Frequency560 kHz
BrandingNewsradio 560 KPQ
SloganThe News & Talk Station
Programming
FormatNews Talk Information
AffiliationsABC Radio , Premiere Radio Networks
Ownership
OwnerCherry Creek Media
(CCM-Wenatchee IV, LLC)
KPQ-FM
History
First air date
1926 (as KGCL Seattle); December 28, 1929 (in Wenatchee)
Former call signs
KGCL (1926-1928)
Technical information
Facility ID71715
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
47°27′12″N 120°19′43″W
Links
WebcastListen Live
WebsiteKPQ.com

Programming

KPQ features programming from ABC Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, and CCM's Washington Ag Network.[1] Don West hosts a daily three-hour Sports Talk show, and the station carries Seattle Seahawks and Washington State Cougars football broadcasts. The station provides regional news for Central Washington and along the Columbia River Basin up to the Canada–US border, and reception has been verified as far as Norway. KPQ has the region's largest News/Ag Department with Program Director Dave Bernstein and News Director Kevin Rounce. Laura Gooch is VP Market Manager, and Robb Reel is the Operations Manager.

History
Former logo.

KPQ was first licensed in Seattle, with the sequentially assigned call letters KGCL, on September 3, 1926, to Louis Wasmer.[2] Local radio engineer Francis J. Brott built KGCL's original 15 watt transmitter, which began broadcasting from the Brott Radio Laboratories building. The station's initial schedule was a single one-hour weekly program on Wednesday nights from 8 to 9 o'clock, announced by Brott and sponsored by the Hopper Kelly Music Company.[3]

Louis Wasmer lived in Spokane, and he soon took on Archie Taft as a local partner.[4] Station operations were transferred to the Piper & Taft building, site of a sporting goods store that had expanded into retail radio receiver sales. Beginning in June 1927 KGCL was assigned to 1300 kHz, sharing this frequency with KPCB (now KIRO), owned by the Pacific Coast Biscuit Company.[5]

In 1928, KGCL's call sign was changed to KPQ.[6] The station continued to be operated by Piper & Taft and to share time with KPCB. At the time of its debut as KPQ, the schedule was announced as Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons starting at 4:30 p.m.[7] On November 11, 1928, under the provisions of the Federal Radio Commission's General Order 40, KPQ and KPCB were reassigned to share 1210 kHz.[8]

In late 1929, it was announced that the recently formed Wescoast Broadcasting Company had purchased both KPCB and KPQ,[9] as part of a plan to form a regional radio network along with KVOS in Bellingham and KXRO in Aberdeen. Included with the purchase were plans to relocate KPQ from Seattle to the Cascadian Hotel in Wenatchee.[10][11] KPQ's first broadcast from Wenatchee occurred on December 28, 1929.[12]

In early 1930, KPCB and KPQ were reassigned to 1500 kHz,[13] although shortly thereafter KPCB moved to another frequency, giving KPQ unlimited broadcasting hours. In March 1941, as part of the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, most stations on 1500 kHz, including KPQ, were moved to 1490 kHz.[14] On April 1, 1942, KPQ moved to 560 kHz,[15] where it has been located ever since.

In 2007 Wescoast Broadcasting, which had been KPQ's licensee for 78 years, was sold to Cherry Creek Radio, and KPQ's studios were moved from Mission Street to Wenatchee Avenue.[16]

References
  1. "KPQ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. "New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, August 31, 1926, page 3.
  3. "F. J. Brott Is Radio Pioneer", Seattle Daily Times, October 3, 1926, page 1.
  4. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, December 31, 1926, page 8.
  5. "Broadcasting Stations" (Effective June 15, 1927), Radio Service Bulletin, May 31, 1927, page 9.
  6. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, May 31, 1928, page 7.
  7. "KPQ, New Radio Station, To Begin Operation Today", Seattle Daily Times, March 19, 1928, page 10.
  8. "Broadcasting Stations, By Wavelengths" (effective November 11, 1928), Commercial and Government Radio Stations of the United States (June 30, 1928 edition), page 174.
  9. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, October 31, 1929, page 9.
  10. "Radio", Seattle Daily Times, November 8, 1929, page 15.
  11. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, January 31, 1930, page 9.
  12. "History of KPQ" by Wescoast Broadcasting, 1999.
  13. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, February 28, 1930, page 23.
  14. List of Radio Broadcast Stations, Alphabetically by Call Letters as of March 29, 1941, page 26.
  15. Notice (untitled), Broadcasting, April 6, 1942, page 16.
  16. "Changes afoot at KPQ with new ownership" by Travis Hay, Wenatchee World, October 20, 2007.
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