I previously lamented the demise of Idaho Falls radio station KID. The station’s tower was accidentally toppled by a farmer, which ultimately put it out of business. I recently found out that a similar fate spelled the end of KWAL in Wallace.
KWAL went on the air in 1938 at 1450 on the AM dial. It started out as a 250-watt station, but in 1948, it boosted power to 1KW and changed its frequency to 620. The little station served the community for years, eventually becoming known for one little quirk. It was the only station in the country with an interstate highway running through its antenna array. One tower was on the north side of I-90, and the other was on the south side.
That distinction ended on April 9, 2016, when a pickup backed into a guy wire for the north tower, causing it to topple. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave KWAL authority to use the remaining tower, operating at 250 watts overnight. The FCC gave the owners a couple of years to rebuild the north tower. That was an expensive proposition. Rather than incur that expense, the station surrendered its license to broadcast on November 4, 2019.
KWAL went on the air in 1938 at 1450 on the AM dial. It started out as a 250-watt station, but in 1948, it boosted power to 1KW and changed its frequency to 620. The little station served the community for years, eventually becoming known for one little quirk. It was the only station in the country with an interstate highway running through its antenna array. One tower was on the north side of I-90, and the other was on the south side.
That distinction ended on April 9, 2016, when a pickup backed into a guy wire for the north tower, causing it to topple. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave KWAL authority to use the remaining tower, operating at 250 watts overnight. The FCC gave the owners a couple of years to rebuild the north tower. That was an expensive proposition. Rather than incur that expense, the station surrendered its license to broadcast on November 4, 2019.
KWAL. (2024, February 27). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWAL
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