KKLF

KKLF (1700 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Richardson, Texas. Although the station's signal covers portions of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, it mainly serves areas of North Texas that are north and east of the Metroplex. This station broadcasts on the AM expanded band. It is owned by Claro Communications, Ltd., with Gerald Benavides as the licensee. It broadcasts a Tejano radio format, using the monikers "Jalapeño Radio". The DJs speak both Spanish and English.

KKLF
Broadcast areaDallas-Fort Worth Metroplex/Sherman/Denison
Frequency1700 kHz
BrandingJalapeño 1700 AM
Programming
Language(s)Spanish and English
FormatTejano
Ownership
Owner
  • Claro Communications, Ltd.[1]
  • (Gerald Benavides)
History
First air date
1951 (1951) as KDSX[2]
Former call signs
  • KDSX
  • KTBK (1998–2005)
Call sign meaning
From its former AM sister station KLIF
Technical information[3]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID86684
ClassB
Power5,000 watts day[1]
1,000 watts night[1]
Transmitter coordinates
33°25′23″N 96°39′45″W (day)
33°7′17″N 96°34′55″W (night)
Translator(s)K239DA (95.7 MHz, Richardson)[4]
Links
Public license information
Websitewww.jalapenoradio.com/listen-to-kklf-jalapeno-radio-dallas/

KKLF transmits with a daytime power of 5,000 watts, & a nighttime power of 1,000 watts to avoid interfering with other stations on 1700 AM. The transmitter is off West Forest Grove Road in Lucas, Texas.[1] KKLF is licensed by iBiquity for digital HD Radio transmission but is not currently transmitting a digital signal. Because the license to broadcast HD Radio is perpetual, the station could resume digital broadcasts at any time. Programming can also be heard on 60-watt FM translator K239DA at 95.7 MHz in Richardson.[4]

History

KKLF originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band.

KDSX was first licensed in 1948 to the Grayson Broadcasting Corporation in Denison, originally for daytime-only on 1220 kHz. In 1951, the station moved to 950 kHz, and in 1954 its community-of-license was changed to Denison-Sherman.[2] KDSX first aired a Top 40 format. It also spawned FM station KDSX-FM in 1967 (now KYDA in Azle, Texas).

On March 17, 1997 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with KDSX authorized to move from 950 to 1700 kHz.[5]

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters KTBK on June 1, 1998.[6] The FCC's policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency.[5] It was ultimately decided to transfer full operations to the expanded band station, and on January 10, 2006 the license for original station on 950 kHz, after successively changing its call letters to KKLF, KYNG and KZRA, was cancelled.[7]

In 2005, the station on 1700 AM changed its own call letters to KKLF, and also relocated to Richardson.

In 2011, Cumulus Media put KKLF and 11 other stations into a trust run by Scott Knoblauch (via Volt Radio, LLC) in preparation for Cumulus' acquisition of Citadel Broadcasting.[8] As a result, the station's simulcast of KLIF ended in favor of an all-comedy format via the 24/7 Comedy Radio network.[9] Originally, the current format would have launched on February 1, 2012, but it was delayed due to numerous missteps. KKLF officially changed formats to all-comedy on February 14.

In November 2013, KKLF was sold to Claro Communications through licensee Gerald Benavides, who previously owned DFW low-powered station KVFW-LD; the purchase was consummated on March 5, 2014 at a price of US$1.25 million. On March 14, 2014, the station flipped from Comedy to Tejano music as "Kick 1700". In November 2016, the station switched formats and started broadcasting classic hits, sports and news in Spanish with a new name as Banda 13 Radio.

In an application for STA filed with the FCC, Claro stated that a residence is near the KKLF night tower. The night tower site is the site for a proposed daytime operation with 10000 watts with the same 90 degree tall tower as is used for night operations. Because of the residence, KKLF has been granted an STA authorizing 1000 watts unlimited operation.

References
  1. "KKLF-AM 1700 kHz Richardson, Texas". Radio-Locator. n.d. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  2. "FCC Actions". Broadcasting-Telecasting. 22 October 1951. p. 96. ISSN 1068-6827. Retrieved 3 March 2021 – via Internet Archive. KDSX Denison, Tex - Granted CP to change from 1220 kc 1kw, day to 950 kc 500w DA-2, change transmitter location and install DA.
  3. "Facility Technical Data for KKLF". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  4. "K239DA-FM 95.7 MHz Richardson, Texas". Radio-Locator. n.d. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  5. "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.
  6. FCC Call Sign History (Facility ID: 86684)
  7. FCC Station Search Details: DKZRA (Facility ID: 50028)
  8. "Cumulus files to divest 14 stations, to complete its $2.4B purchase of Citadel". Radio-Info.com. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011.
  9. Wilonsky, Robert (25 January 2012). "The New Library of Laughs: George Gimarc's All-Comedy Station Hits Dallas Radio February 1". Media. Dallas Observer. ISSN 0732-0299. Says Gimarc, the deal in Dallas isn't necessarily permanent, at least not yet. At present KKLF is a Cumulus station, but it must sell the station following its acquisition of Citadel; the chain simply has too many local frequencies. And KKLF's an interesting spot on the AM dial: Originally licensed in Richardson it's not easy to pick up south of, say, LBJ. "We're bringing Comedy to North Dallas," Gimarc says. "Inside your building, I doubt you could pick up the signal because it doesn't have that much oomph. It's more of a McKinney-Sherman-Allen-Addison area kind of thing." Ah, The Golden Quadrangle.
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