We humans love our machines. We polish and parade our cars. We line up hours ahead to buy a new smartphone, tablet computer, or video game processor.

Scottie Rice, staff engineer at KFMB AM and FM, gives homes to elderly AM radio transmitters.

His latest project was moving the RCA BTA-5F 5kW transmitter from KOGO, and I’ll let him pick up the story from here. Note that like a captain describing his ship at sea, Scottie refers to his inheritance as “she.”

Continue reading A Move for the Love of Big Iron →

KGTV named Bob Vaillancourt Director of Operations in late April after living and working in Honolulu for the previous seven years. He replaces Patrick Givans, who left recently to become Director of News Operations for KCBS/KCAL in Los Angeles.

You might remember that Bob was Director of Engineering at KNSD, but left in October 2007 to become DOE at KHON Fox 2 in Honolulu.

Bob says, “The move to Honolulu was a great experience as I was first tasked to upgrade the station’s automation and server playout system, replaced a very aged analog transmitter while at the same time relocate the DTV transmitter facility including antenna. When Lin Media took over the station from New Vision Television, a directive to move the station to full HD including the upgrade of infrastructure and news set was made and this allowed for me the opportunity to put KHON on the map with some of the best equipment and talent with the help of LIN corporate and cooperation. Finally, the remote satellite facility located approximately 16 miles from the studio was converted from an L-band, multi-channel fiber system to full IP interconnect with the cooperation of Hawaiian Telecom allowed for major cost savings over time with an immediate ROI compared to the older L-band interconnect.

“Although Honolulu and KHON was a fabulous experience which allowed us time to be with some of our family members who live on Oahu, San Diego was always considered ‘home’.

“Timing was perfect when KGTV offered the opportunity for me to join their excellent staff as Director of Operations. The bags were packed, the movers arrived, and we moved back to our home in San Diego.”

Bob’s known for his customer-service attitude and collaborative style learned in his early years with IBM. The staff at KGTV are enthused about his return to San Diego.

KNSN 1240kHz, with its self-supporting tower just southeast of downtown San Diego, applied to the FCC on May 22, 2014 for sale to Kiertron, the operating division of religious broadcaster Crawford, for $1.5-million. The current owner, Multicultural Broadcasting, purchased the station from Lincoln Financial in June of 2009 for $7.25-million.

Speculation is that this could set-up a San Diego relay for KBRT-AM 740kHz, which recently moved its transmitter location from Santa Catalina Island to Anaheim Hills.

You might remember that KNSN, previously known as KSON-AM, lost its tower in a storm December 29, 2004.

KYDO 96.1 MHz Campo completed its transition from Imperial Valley CHR powerhouse to satellite-sourced Christian broadcaster with FCC approval April 23 of a change to non-commercial status. The station, owned by the Educational Media Foundation, broadcasts “Air-1” format.

EMF bought KSIQ late in 2013 from Cherry Creek Broadcasting, who had in 2010 moved the station from Brawley to near San Diego to increase its listenership. The 25kW ERP transmitter site is north of Campo on a water tower. KYDO has a 700 watt booster atop Mt. San Miguel with its city of license Santee.