KIKO (1340 kHz) is an

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmi ...

station licensed to serve

Apache Junction, Arizona Apache Junction (Western Apache: Hagosgeed) is a city in Pinal and Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,499, most of whom lived in Pinal County. It is named for the junction of the Apache Trai ...

, United States. The station is owned by 1TV.com, Inc.

History

KIKO was originally licensed to Miami, Arizona, and operated as a full-service station under Willard Shoecraft, who owned the station from its sign-on in 1958 until 1986, and again from 1988 until his death in 2000. The station remained in the Shoecraft family until it was sold to its current owner in 2008. It was assigned the KIKO call letters by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

. In December 2007, 1TV.Com (John Low, president) reached an agreement to acquire KIKO and KIKO-FM from Shoecraft Broadcasting for a reported $1.025 million. ''

Broadcasting & Cable ''Broadcasting & Cable'' (''B&C'', or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') was a telecommunications industry monthly trade magazine and, later, news website published by Future US. Founded in 1931 as ''Broadcasting'', subsequent mergers, acquisitions and ...

'' reported that the deal called for a $50,000 escrow deposit plus $725,000 cash at closing, then an additional $250,000 upon the FCC's issuance of a construction permit allowing 1TV.com to upgrade the facilities of KIKO-FM to Class C3. The FCC granted this voluntary transfer of license on February 19, 2008. In 2011, KIKO was issued a

U.S. Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains ju ...

(FCC)

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

to move to a new transmitter site, change the city of license to Apache Junction, Arizona and decrease night power to 930 watts. It will use a short (85 foot) low-efficiency fiberglass whip antenna. It commenced operations from this site in December 2014, simulcasting sister station KIKO-FM in Claypool until December 2015, when it temporarily went silent and came back with a brokered Spanish Christian format called "Voz y Visión Radio" on December 21, 2015 and added FM translator K247CF 97.3 (licensed to Payson, but broadcasts from Usery Mountain in east

Mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

), which experiences considerable interference from co-owned KIKO-FM, broadcasting on the same frequency. KIKO's license for its new facilities were granted on January 12, 2016. Voz y Visión Radio ended broadcasts over KIKO in late 2017, and was replaced by a temporary simulcast of KIKO-FM. In February 2018, the station changed formats to Classic Country calling itself "The Bull" and simulcasting on translator K246CH at 102.9 FM (licensed to Phoenix, but primarily serving Mesa). On May 7, 2018, the 102.9 translator was shut down, and KIKO programming moved back to K247CF 97.3. In 2019, K247CF switched program sources to co-owned KBSZ "Funny 1260".

References

External links

{{Country Radio Stations in Arizona IKO (AM) Mass media in Pinal County, Arizona Mass media in Maricopa County, Arizona Radio stations established in 1958 1958 establishments in Arizona Classic country radio stations in the United States