KOGN Is MIA On 1490

[David]

FWIW: I just noticed that KOGN is off the air after "broadcasting" nothing but dead air for approximately the past two weeks. I wonder if La Familia/Positiva Radio finally had to vacate the property on Gibson Avenue, and whoever bought the land is now ready to start the demolition process. I suppose time will tell, but it may be too late for Friendlee to find out if the old Western Electric transmitter is still in the studio building. 😥

[kenglish]

I noticed a very faint carrier and almost inaudible audio for the last week or so.
Right now, there is so much propogation fluctuation, I just hear a mish-mash of stuff on 1490....likely the 5 or 6 other stations in Utah and adjacent states on that channel.
I wonder if they are done?

BTW, I was thinking the other day. If people will buy AM transmitter sites, tear them down, and build storage units, why don't broadcasters just put up storage on their own sites, and stay on the air using the rental income?

[friendlee]

The antenna field really needs to be clear of stuff....whether it be trees (or an urban forest like at KOGN!), old cars, anything that can de-tune or couple capacitively or inductively to the tower. Storage bays would cause trouble not to mention RFR issues with tenants. A HUGE warehouse facility was built on the same land as KTNQ's 5-tower array in Southern California. Took major shielding and massive engineering to accommodate the ground system and the five tower "wells". Amazing but this was done long ago when a major AM in L.A was worth the multi-million investment.

I'm scared to call because I'm afraid it's either been vandalized or canabalized or worst of all......waiting for me to save it from the recyclers!

[CAwasinNJ]

I had the exact same thought as Friend about how tricky that can be, but mixed use of AM sites can and is done. See this page from Scott Fybush's Tower Site of the Week: www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-051125.html

[David]

I've been trying to access KOGN's public information file on the FCC site for several days now to see if an STA has been filed, and I keep getting an unexpected error message. I don't know if it's a problem with my ISP or the FCC database. KOGN has gone off the air for a few days several times in the past 2-3 years, so the station may just be having technical issues again. However, kenglish did say that the current license holder told him they'd been given about 30 days to vacate the property, and that was around the end of October. I did notice that 1490's tower was still standing when I went to work yesterday afternoon, so I'll have to watch and see if it's still in place after the holidays.

[CAwasinNJ]

The PIF access works fine here but I would suggest looking directly at the LMS and/or CDBS. I'm not sure if the entries under the PIF are updated automatically.


And no, there is no STA filed.

[commanderlumpy]

I am surprised that noone has posted about this. Tom Barbery died on Christmas Eve. www.sltrib.com/news/2021/12/24/outrageous-longtime-utah/

[David]

Dec 28, 2021 0:46:12 GMT -6 commanderlumpy said:

I am surprised that noone has posted about this. Tom Barbery died on Christmas Eve. www.sltrib.com/news/2021/12/24/outrageous-longtime-utah/

What does Mr. Barberi's death have to do with KOGN in Ogden being off the air? As noted previously, a thread about Tom's death was started three days ago in the "In Memoriam" section of this board. Please post your comments on the appropriate thread. Thank you.
talkingutahradio.proboards.com/thread/2195/rest-peace-tom-barberi

[CAwasinNJ]

Relax David. I think commanderlumpy just made a mistake.

[David]

I drove past the KOGN/KJQN studio building today, and I don't think it and the AM tower will be standing for much longer. As I mentioned on the thread about the structure fire at the old KVOG/KOET TV studio, the building at 1538 Gibson is already in the process of being demolished. Since the lot where KOGN was located is adjacent to the old TV studio, I think both lots are going to be cleared for new development. I'm still having problems retrieving information from the FCC database, but I suspect KOGN won't be broadcasting from Gibson Avenue again.

[friendlee]

Field trip day....the wreckage of human ambition.

Original KVOG/KVOG-TV/KOET/KSVN 1538 Gibson building - nothing but a pile of concrete rubble. All the cinderblock and wood is gone, all that's left today is broken-up foundation and floor. Looks like the building has been pretty much dropped and hauled off. So sad to think I once worked there. As long as the building was still standing, my radio past still seemed "relevant" in some way.

Later KVOG/KJQN/KOGN/et al 1506 Gibson building - still standing. Respectfully let myself in for the self-guided tour of mourning. The stereo-ized Raytheon console is in the garage (looks like someone is going to retrieve it...I sure hope they do!) The remains of the 1970-ish RCA BTA1 and Harris SX-1A transmitters are there. The RCA has been scavenged. The Harris might be usable. The WE 451A is not on site. The building is full of broken furniture and debris. Power is on in the building. Tower is still standing and plumb. All the above-grade ground system copper is gone including the strap from the relatively-new ATU to the tower. I'm sure the radials have long since corroded away. There is no transmitting happening from this site.

Reminds me of the day I "toured" KUTA, Blanding a year or so after Phil Mueller had to sign it off. The words in my head raged: "Let me in! I can turn it back on!" but reality was that if Phil couldn't keep it on, how would I? So sad to see the remains.

The wreckage of human ambition.

[David]

Thanks for the update, Friend. I've been meaning to drive by the KOGN building again recently, but I've been sick at home for the past few days and haven't had the strength to get out. I can't say that I'm surprised all of the above ground copper grounding material is gone. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if whoever caused the fire in the old TV studio also took the copper. That area has always been kind of sketchy since I moved to Ogden in the late 1980's, but that will probably change with the construction in the area. At least you were able to satisfy your curiosity about the old Western Electric transmitter.

I suspect that Arch and John Webb are turning over in their graves if they can see the ruins of KVOG radio. It's a sad ending for a station that's been a springboard for so many broadcasting careers in Utah. In fact, I was listening to a podcast of the "Let's Go Eat" show with Bill Allred this Friday, and he had Tom Greenleigh as his guest. Bill and Tom talked quite a bit about how Tom hired Bill for his first job in radio at KVOG in 1979, and how popular "15 KJQ" was in the early 1980's. They also discussed the popularity of the KJQ(N) alternative format in the mid to late 1980's. I believe Dan Jessop also worked at KVOG for awhile in the late 1960's or early 1970's, and several of the guys who were in the broadcasting program at Weber State with me in the early 1990's got started at 95.5 FM when it held the call KKBE, "The Killer Bee". 😥

[CAwasinNJ]

Jan 15, 2022 19:25:36 GMT -6 David said:

I suspect that Arch and John Webb are turning over in their graves if they can see the ruins of KVOG radio. It's a sad ending for a station that's been a springboard for so many broadcasting careers in Utah.

You are again making an assertation that I have yet to see any evidence corroborating. We simply do not know what the future plans (if any) for KOGN are. The fact that an assignment of the license was filed in September (and is still pending) suggests that there is at least some consideration being given to returning the station to the air. And no, nothing has been filed since September.

[David]

CA, I was referring to the abandoned KOGN studio building on Gibson and the now demolished former TV studio, not the radio station itself. 🙄 In my mind, that's where the history lies, as described in FriendLee's post.

[CAwasinNJ]

Ah. I understand now. Thanks.