KBLL (AM)

KBLL
City of license Helena, Montana
Branding Newstalk 1240
Frequency 1240 kHz
First air date 1937
Format Silent, was News/Talk
Power 1000 watts
Class C
Facility ID 27515
Transmitter coordinates 46°36′43″N 112°03′13″W / 46.61194°N 112.05361°W
Former callsigns KPFA (1937–1945)
KXLJ (1945–1961)
Owner Cherry Creek Radio
Sister stations KBLL-FM, KCAP, KBMI-FM, KHGC, KZMT
Website KBLL Online

KBLL (1240 AM, "Newstalk 1240") is a radio station licensed to serve Helena, Montana. The station is owned by Cherry Creek Radio. It airs a News/Talk format.[1]

The station was assigned the KBLL call letters by the Federal Communications Commission.[2]

Notable syndicated programming on the station includes shows hosted by Rush Limbaugh, Michael Medved, and Jerry Doyle. The station is also one of the most active in Montana for local sports broadcasting, featuring Capital high school football and basketball, plus American Legion baseball. The sports "voice" and news director is former Chicago White Sox, Bears, and Blackhawk broadcaster Jay Scott. The station is also a leader in web-streaming its sports broadcasts. In 2008, Jay Scott was presented the "Montana Newscast of the Year" award by the Montana Broadcasters Association, after two runner-up awards the previous two years. He was the runner-up for "Montana Sportscaster of the Year" in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

KBLL went silent on November 4, 2014 after losing its transmitter site.[3] Its programming, as well as the programming of sister station KCAP (1340 AM), was then moved to KMTX (950 AM), which Cherry Creek Radio purchased and relaunched as a new KCAP.[4]

Ownership

In April 2004, a deal was reached for KBLL to be acquired by Cherry Creek Radio from Holter Broadcasting Corp. (Jan Holter-Lambert, president) as part of a 2 station deal with a total reported sale price of $2.8 million.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Winter 2008 Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  2. ↑ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. ↑ "Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ Venta, Lance (November 4, 2014). "Cherry Creek Buys One In Helena; Takes Two Dark". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Changing Hands 4/19/2004". Broadcasting & Cable. 2004-04-19.

External links