There was a big debate in the radio industry several decades ago that is now largely forgotten: Which stations would get to use the new AM expanded band?
The frequencies 1610 to 1700 were added to the AM band in the 1990s. With the rest of the band a complicated mess of stations operating with varying power levels and directional patterns, the FCC decided to keep it simple: almost all of the expanded band stations operate with 10kW day and 1kW night, non-directional.
(It’s worth noting that this wasn’t the first expansion of the AM band, only the most recent one.)
But who would get to use the new frequencies? It was decided that the expanded band should be used as a way of alleviating interference by relocating existing stations, which were chosen based on the greatest potential reduction of interference by silencing their old frequencies.
There was another problem: Radios going up to 1700 were only introduced to the market in the 1990s, and millions of existing radios couldn’t receive the new frequencies. So, it was decided that stations chosen to move to the expanded band could use both their old and new frequencies for up to five years.
Then, it was decided that the two frequencies didn’t have to carry the same programming. And as stations reached the five-year deadlines, the FCC granted waivers to let them continue broadcasting.
Decades later, about 25 remain. Each has stayed on the air with the FCC’s full knowledge and permission.
The FCC considered the issue in 2015 as part of the AM Revitalization effort, writing, “the 25 remaining such station pairs….negate the intent of Technical Assignment Criteria to reduce interference in the standard AM band, and their retention of both authorizations disserves the other licensees who complied with the relinquishment requirement.”
However, the FCC has not forced any stations to go off the air. Some were even granted FM translators during the AM Revitalization filing window.
The future of the dual-station operations remains in question to this day. RadioWorld reports that several AM group owners, including Mid-West Management in Madison, petitioned the FCC this summer to finally decide the issue once and for all.
Here are the Upper Midwest AM stations that moved to the expanded band in the 1990s, with a notation of what happened to the old frequency:
| Community of license | Old station | Expanded band station | Status |
| Cedar Falls, IA | 1250 KCNZ | 1650 KCNZ | Both frequencies still licensed; 1250 runs Oldies as KCFI (the frequency’s original callsign) |
| Des Moines, IA | 1390 KKSO | 1700 KBGG | Returned 1390 license; 1700 went silent in 2025 but remains licensed |
| Iowa City, IA | 1560 KCJJ | 1630 KCJJ | Returned 1560 license |
| Bellevue, NE | 1180 KOIL | 1620 KOZN | Both frequencies still licensed; 1180 runs Sports as KZOT |
| West Fargo, ND | 1550 KQWB | 1660 KQWB | Returned 1550 license |
| Madison, WI | 1480 WTDY | 1670 WOZN | Both frequencies still licensed; 1480 runs Spanish as WLMV |
| Sussex, WI | 1370 WKSH | 1640 WSJP | Returned 1370 license |
The history gets even more complicated: The FCC had actually developed two earlier lists of potential allotments but threw them out over computer errors. Some stations that were initially told they’d be able to move were ultimately not included when the third and final list was adopted.
Additionally, several stations that ultimately did get allotments didn’t pursue them, remaining on their old frequencies.
Here’s a timeline of which Upper Midwest stations were included on at least one of the three lists:
| Station | First list | Second list | Third and final list |
| KCFI/1250 (Cedar Falls, IA) | 1650 | 1650 | 1650 |
| KKSO/1390 (Des Moines, IA) | N/A | N/A | 1700 |
| KILR/1070 (Estherville, IA) | N/A | N/A | 1690* |
| KCJJ/1560 (Iowa City, IA) | 1630 | 1630 | 1630 |
| WEBC/560 (Duluth, MN) | 1680 | N/A | N/A |
| KKOJ/1190 (Jackson, MN) | 1670 | N/A | N/A |
| KBRF/1250 (Fergus Falls, MN) | N/A | 1680 | 1680* |
| KKAR/1180 (Bellevue, NE) | N/A | N/A | 1620 |
| KRGI/1430 (Grand Island, NE) | 1700 | 1690 | N/A |
| KLXX/1270 (Mandan, ND) | 1640 | 1640 | 1640* |
| KHRT/1320 (Minot, ND) | N/A | 1620 | 1620* |
| KDDR/1220 (Oakes, ND) | N/A | 1700 | N/A |
| KQWB/1550 (West Fargo, ND) | 1620 | 1660 | 1660 |
| KKLS/920 (Rapid City, SD) | N/A | 1650 | 1700* |
| WTDY/1480 (Madison, WI) | N/A | 1670 | 1670 |
| WKSH/1370 (Sussex, WI) | 1700 | 1640 | 1640 |
| WNNO/900 (Wisconsin Dells, WI) | 1660 | N/A | N/A |
N/A = no allotment
*not built
(A Wikipedia entry has a detailed list of which stations were ultimately chosen nationally.)
There were hundreds more stations that had expressed interest in moving to the expanded band. The 1996 FCC Public Notice lists these Upper Midwest stations as among the 688 that petitioned for the move but did not appear on any of the three lists:
KASI/1430 (Ames, IA)
KCIM/1380 (Carroll, IA)
KLNG/1560 (Council Bluffs, IA)
KDAO/1190 (Marshalltown, IA)
KBOE/740 (Oskaloosa, IA)
KYFR/920 (Shenandoah, IA)
KNEI/1140 (Waukon, IA)
KBEW/1560 (Blue Earth, MN)
KROX/1260 (Crookston, MN)
KDWA/1460 (Hastings, MN)
WCTS/1030 (Maplewood, MN)
KTCJ/690 (Minneapolis, MN)
KUOM/770 (Minneapolis, MN)
KYMN/1080 (Northfield, MN)
KRFO/1390 (Owatonna, MN)
KCUE/1250 (Red Wing, MN)
KRXX/980 (Richfield, MN)
KOLM/1520 (Rochester, MN)
KKCM/1530 (Shakopee, MN)
KAGE/1380 (Winona, MN)
KWOA/730 (Worthington, MN)
KNCY/1600 (Nebraska City, NE)
WJAG/780 (Norfolk, NE)
KOTD/1000 (Plattsmouth, NE)
KXRB/1000 (Sioux Falls, SD)
KOSZ/1570 (Vermillion, SD)
KSDR/1480 (Watertown, SD)
WBEV/1430 (Beaver Dam, WI)
WMBE/1530 (Chilton, WI)
WERL/950 (Eagle River, WI)
WTKM/1540 (Hartford, WI)
WKBH/1570 (Holmen, WI)
WLIP/1050 (Kenosha, WI)
WMIR/1550 (Lake Geneva, WI)
WHIT/1550 (Madison, WI)
WRJC/1270 (Mauston, WI)
WIXK/1590 (New Richmond, WI)
WJUB/1420 (Plymouth, WI)
WGLB/1560 (Port Washington, WI)
WKKV/1460 (Racine, WI)
WCWC/1600 (Ripon, WI)
WTRW/1590 (Two Rivers, WI)
WTTN/1580 (Watertown, WI)
WAUK/1510 (Waukesha, WI)
Keen-eyed observers may have noticed a pattern among those petitioning for the move: None of the stations is on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, or 1490. These are the “graveyard” frequencies reserved for Class C stations, which were not eligible for the move.
It’s also worth noting that a half-dozen Twin Cities-area AM stations sought moves to the expanded band. Ultimately, none were included in any of the three lists.