Blasterz spotted this AM radio station in 2019, as we were exploring Deer Lodge MT, home of a really cool Prison Museum. This was part of a 4700 mile (not making that up) road trip that took us through 12 US states and the southern sections of three Canadian provinces over 17 days.
We were in Deer Lodge MT on 29 July 2019, which is when we spotted this station. Unfortunately, the station went off the air in Deer Lodge in 2021 afrer a storm damaged the transmitter. When its owner died the next year, the heirs stopped repairs, sold the land and frequency, then surrendered the station's license to the FCC.
From Wikipedia: (
visit link)
"KBCK
KBCK
Deer Lodge, Montana
Frequency 1400 kHz
Branding The River
Programming
Format Defunct (was Classic Country)
Ownership
Owner Robert Cummings Toole
Sister stations KQRV
History
First air date 1964
Last air date April 11, 2022
Former call signs
KDRG (1964-2002)
KBCK (2002-2022)
Call sign meaning: BuCK (previous branding)
Technical information
Facility ID 670
Class C
Power 1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates 46°24'52?N 112°43'16?W
KBCK (1400 AM, "The River") was a radio station licensed to serve Deer Lodge, Montana. The station was last owned by Robert Cummings Toole. It last aired a Classic Country music format.
The station was assigned the KBCK call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on June 20, 2002.
Its license was surrendered to the FCC and cancelled on April 11, 2022 following the death of its owner; it had been off the air due to storm damage since August 2021.
Ownershuip
In November 2006, Butte Broadcasting reached an agreement with Jimmy Ray Carroll to acquire KBCK as part of a three-station deal worth a reported $500,000.
Robert Cummings Toole immediately reached an agreement to acquire KBCK from Butte Broadcasting for a reported cash price of $100,000.
References
"Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
"Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01.
"FCC Report 4/17: From Acquisition to License Surrender in 102 Days".
"Deals". Broadcasting & Cable. 2006-12-11.
"Transaction: Nov. 3, 2006". Radio Monitor. 2006-11-03.
External links
FCC Station Search Details: DKBCK (Facility ID: 670)
FCC History Cards for KBCK (covering 1961-1981 as KDRG)"