The owner of a group of Black Hills radio stations has applied to move an FM translator to one of the region’s best-known transmission sites to relay an AM station.
An application submitted June 25 would move Riverfront Broadcasting’s K278AM/103.5 (Spearfish) to the tower of Riverfront’s KDDX/101.1 on Terry Peak, where it would relay KDSJ/980 (Deadwood) with 250 Watts at 458m.
The antenna height would give K278AM a coverage area almost equivalent to a Class A station; in fact, the application’s engineering packet uses a theoretical 6kW/100m Class A facility as an example to show that there are no prohibited contour overlap issues.
K278AM currently operates with a much smaller coverage area in Spearfish relaying KDDX. Riverfront also operates a translator relaying KDDX on 103.5 in Rapid City.
KDSJ carries a Full Service Classic Hits format. Riverfront bought KDSJ last year; its previous owners did not seek an FM translator during the FCC’s AM Revitalization efforts.
Riverfront also owns five stations targeting the Rapid City market, including two which transmit from Terry Peak (KDDX and KZZI/95.9).