KZTD (1350 AM, "La Konsentida 1350") was a radio station licensed to serve Cabot, Arkansas, United States. The station was owned by New World, LLC. KZTD served Arkansas' rapidly increasing Hispanic population with music, news, and sports. Launched in 1980 as KBOT, the station also operated for a decade (1985–1995) as KYXZ, then eight more years as KBBL, before becoming KZTD in 2003. Its license was cancelled on June 2, 2020.

KZTD
Broadcast areaLittle Rock, Arkansas
Frequency1350 kHz
BrandingLa Konsentida 1350
Programming
Language(s)Spanish
FormatDefunct (was Regional Mexican)
AffiliationsESPN Deportes Radio
Ownership
OwnerNew World, LLC
History
First air date
1980
Former call signs
KBOT (1980-1985)
KYXZ (1985-1995)
KBBL (1995-2003)[1]
Call sign meaning
KonZenTiDa
Technical information
Facility ID25861
ClassD
Power2,500 watts (day)
73 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
34°59′59″N 92°01′41″W / 34.99972°N 92.02806°W / 34.99972; -92.02806

Programming edit

KZTD broadcast a Spanish-language Regional Mexican music format to the greater Little Rock, Arkansas, area.[2] KZTD was one of several radio stations in Arkansas that aired weather warnings in Spanish.[3] KZTD also carried select sporting events, also in Spanish, as a game-day affiliate of ESPN Deportes Radio.[4][5]

History edit

The beginning edit

Cabot Broadcasting received this station's original construction permit for a new 500-watt daytime-only AM station broadcasting at 1350 kHz from the Federal Communications Commission on July 22, 1980.[6] The new station was assigned the call letters KBOT, chosen to match the "Cabot" community of license.[1] KBOT received its license to cover from the FCC on December 10, 1980.[7]

KBOT applied to the FCC in September 1982 for authorization to increase its signal power to 2,500 watts.[8] The FCC issued a new construction permit to allow the station to make this upgrade on March 15, 1983.[8]

In July 1984, Cabot Broadcasting announced an agreement to sell this station to Douglas Norman Schneider. The deal was approved by the FCC on October 1, 1984, and the transaction was consummated on December 7, 1984.[9]

Switch to KYXZ edit

In March 1985, Douglas Norman Schneider filed an application to transfer the broadcast license for this station to a corporation he created called KBOT, Inc. The transfer was approved by the FCC on April 8, 1985, and the transaction was consummated on April 29, 1985.[10] While the transfer was pending, the station applied for new call letters and was assigned KYXZ by the FCC on April 1, 1985.[1]

KBOT, Inc. announced a deal to sell this station to Texar Communications, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 31, 1990, but ultimately fell through after station owner Douglas Norman Schneider died, so control of KYXZ remained with KBOT, Inc.[11] In February 1990, an application was filed with the FCC to involuntarily transfer control of KBOT, Inc. from the deceased Douglas N. Schneider to Herbery B. Wittenberg, acting as the executor of Schneider's estate.[12] The FCC approved the transfer of control on May 7, 1990.[12]

In August 1991, KBOT, Inc. reached a new agreement to sell this station, this time to Hall Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 23, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on October 22, 1991.[13]

The KBBL era edit

The station applied for and was assigned the call sign KBBL by the FCC on January 3, 1995.[1] The KBBL call letters are perhaps better known as belonging to the fictional radio station on The Simpsons.[14]

In October 1998, Hall Broadcasting, Inc. reached an agreement to sell KBBL to Equity Broadcasting Company (Larry Morton, president) for a reported price of $75,000.[15] The deal was approved by the FCC on December 11, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on May 7, 1999.[16]

As part of an internal corporate reorganization, Equity Broadcasting Company filed an application with the FCC to transfer the broadcast license for KBBL to its Cabot Radio, Inc. subsidiary. The transfer was approved by the FCC on September 3, 1999, and the transaction was consummated on September 15, 1999.[17]

KZTD today edit

In preparation to sell the station, KBBL's owner applied to the FCC for a new call sign, and the station was assigned KZTD on September 18, 2003.[1] In late September 2003, Equity Broadcasting Corp. (Gordon W. Heiges, VP) through its Cabot Radio, Inc. subsidiary reached an agreement to sell this station to Searcy Broadcasting, Inc. (Ken Madden, president) for a reported $55,000.[18] The deal was approved by the FCC on November 20, 2003, and the transaction was consummated on November 26, 2003.[19] At the time of the sale, KBBL broadcast a Spanish-language sports radio format.[18]

In November 2006, Searcy Broadcasting, Inc. reached an agreement to sell this station to New World LLC (Arik Lev, member/president) for a reported cash price of $190,000.[20] The deal was approved by the FCC on January 10, 2007, and the transaction was consummated on February 2, 2007.[21] At the time of the sale, KZTD played a Regional Mexican music format.[20]

The FCC cancelled the station's license on June 2, 2020, due to a failure to file a license renewal application.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database. Retrieved May 8, 2009.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  3. ^ Fox, Sarah (August 16, 2004). "Hispanic newcomers add tornado sirens to things-to-learn list". The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
  4. ^ "Estaciones afiliadas a ESPN Deportes Radio en EE.UU". ESPN Deportes Radio. November 10, 2008.
  5. ^ "Hispanic Sports Business: News in Brief for April 17, 2009". Hispanic Market Weekly. April 17, 2009.
  6. ^ "Application Search Details (BP-19790821AF)". FCC Media Bureau. July 22, 1980.
  7. ^ "Application Search Details (BL-19801023AC)". FCC Media Bureau. December 10, 1980.
  8. ^ a b "Application Search Details (BP-19820921AB)". FCC Media Bureau. March 15, 1983.
  9. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19840724FI)". FCC Media Bureau. December 7, 1984.
  10. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19850311FR)". FCC Media Bureau. April 29, 1985.
  11. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19890925EA)". FCC Media Bureau.
  12. ^ a b "Application Search Details (BTC-19900227EC)". FCC Media Bureau. May 7, 1990.
  13. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19910809EG)". FCC Media Bureau. October 22, 1991.
  14. ^ Fay, Liam (March 12, 2006). "Pure unadulterated Channel 6". The Sunday Times. Of course, as Springfield's premier local radio station, KBBL is actually a satirical send-up of contemporary media from the writers of The Simpsons.
  15. ^ Holmes, Alisa (November 2, 1998). "Changing Hands - 1998-11-02l". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19981023GL)". FCC Media Bureau. May 7, 1999.
  17. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-19990630GF)". FCC Media Bureau. September 15, 1999.
  18. ^ a b "Changing Hands - 2004-01-26". Broadcasting & Cable. January 25, 2004.
  19. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-20030926AAU)". FCC Media Bureau. November 26, 2003.
  20. ^ a b "Deals - 2007-02-24". Broadcasting & Cable. February 25, 2007.
  21. ^ "Application Search Details (BAL-20061116ABK)". FCC Media Bureau. February 2, 2007.