WKBF radio flips to Spanish format

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By David Burke | Friday, June 22, 2007 11:08 PM CDT | () comments

WKBF-AM 1270 was scheduled to switch to Spanish music and talk at midnight Friday, marking the fifth different format at the station in the past 3 1/2 years.

The station, which is owned by Wisconsin broadcaster Randy Melchert, converted from the Christian talk and music that had been on the frequency since December. Melchert is entering into a local marketing agreement with Juan Valenzuela, who will operate the station as La Pantera, Spanish for “The Panther.” Valenzuela will operate the station’s programming and advertising, with the license retained by Melchert.

Melchert’s Quad-Cities Media LLC purchased the station late last year, after changing FCC regulations forced the owner, Mercury Broadcasting, to sell it. It had been operated by Clear Channel’s Quad-City Radio Group.

Valenzuela has been involved in Hispanic entertainment since 1969, when he began a six-hour weekly show on Sundays on KWPC-AM 860 that ran for 20 years.

“People will be able to hear something of their culture,” Valenzuela said. “It’s something that has been missing in this area for a long time.”

Melchert said the Christian format on WKBF will remain through its Web site, Truth1270.com, which he said has gained a following on the Internet.

“We’ve also been looking to see if we could reach different audiences,” he said. “There are several different Christian stations, so we are looking at trying to focus more on our niche of more traditional music.”

Melchert said the Internet site has received response from “dozens of countries.”

“We felt we would be more effective this way,” he said.

Valenzuela said there is a potential audience of 55,000 Hispanics in WKBF’s coverage area. A 2005 census showed 23,172 in the Quad-City metropolitan statistical area, which includes Scott County in Iowa and Rock Island, Henry and Mercer counties in Illinois.

After two weeks of commercial-free music programming, “La Pantera” will begin its regular schedule, including a projected three to four hours of local programming a day. In early months, Valenzuela said, the programming would be broadcast from a studio at his home in Moline. The schedule also will include daily religious programming “Enfoque a la Familia” (“Focus on the Family”) and “Gracia a Vosotros” (“Grace to You”) from 6 to 7 a.m. weekdays.

He said the station has hired three Hispanic advertising representatives, and one “Anglo salesperson” to focus on non-Hispanic businesses.

Broadcasts of the minor league baseball games of the Swing of the Quad-Cities will continue. Melchert said negotiations would take place whether to continue play-by-play of Iowa State University sports.

A panther is the logical mascot for his new station, Valenzuela said.

“I like the growl of this animal,” he said. “When you say ‘Pantera,’ it says (roar). That signifies power to me.”

HISTORY OF 1270 AM

The radio station signed on in 1925 as WHBF, “Where Historic Black Hawk Fought.” In the 1930s, it moved to 1270 AM. Through the 1960s and ’70s, the station had a middle-of-the-road, adult standards format. From 1974 to 1995, the station was known as “Country Sunshine Radio,” with current and classic country music. Its call letters were changed to WKBF in 1987.

The station simulcasted former sister station WHTS-FM 98.9’s signal for a year, and in September 1996 began an adult standards and MOR format. The format changed to classic country in February 2004, and by April 2005, it changed to its format of liberal “Progressive Talk,” featuring personalities such as Al Franken from the Air America network.

David Burke can be contacted at (563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.