[BC] KOB - Was: WLW--when it was 500 kW

[PeterH5322@aol.com]

>Actually it was WABC that lost, in my humble opinion.  Once that 770 
>matter was "cleared up" it allowed for power increases by the stations in 
>Minneapolis, St. Louis, Miles City etc.

It woud be years before the clears were opened up to such stations.

>From 1965 (KSWS was then the first Class II-A to break down the clears) 
and for quite a number of years thereafter, only two stations could exist 
on a U.S. Class I-A channel: the Class I-A in the east, and the Class 
II-A in the west.

Class II-As were a new type of station, supposed to be "of the Class I 
type", but without requiring modification of the international 
agreements. (These agreements were later modified, thereby breaking down 
foreign clears as well).

Later, Class II-Bs could be added in under-served areas, anywhere, 
usually with 10 kW day max and 1 kW night max, but there were notable 
exceptions in the west, where 50/5 or 50/10 or 50/20 could be found. Many 
of these fifty-somethings were rimshots to major cities.


And, WABC "won" as it retained Class I-A status, whereas KOB, which had 
no legitimate historical claim to 770, anyway, was assigned Class II.

The SCOTUS determined that since New Mexico already had a "station of the 
Class I type", namely KSWS, there was no need for an additional station 
of the Class I type in New Mexico.

Hence, KOB should have been reduced in class from Class I-B (de-facto, in 
Limbo) to Class II-B (in-fact), although through some very careless 
paperwork handling withing the FCC, Class II-A was assigned to KOB, not 
Class II-B.

This became the only exception to the "Class II-A List" ... the FCC's 
basic blueprint for providing the underserved west with additonal, and 
required, stations of the Class I type.