Townsquare Media has permanently shut down KBOB (1170 AM) and its associated FM translator K281DB (104.1) in Davenport, filing cancellation requests for both signals with the FCC on July 14.
The move comes roughly three months after the stations went off the air. Townsquare did not explain the decision, though earlier FCC filings cited economic pressures when requesting temporary authority to remain off the air in March.
KBOB was the sole AM outlet in Townsquare’s Quad Cities portfolio. Its FM translator operated under an AM revitalization condition requiring it to simulcast KBOB exclusively.
The 1170 facility transmitted at 1 kW around the clock, using a four-tower daytime and six-tower nighttime directional pattern. The station’s history dates back nearly eight decades, debuting in 1946 as KSTT on 750 kHz before relocating to its longtime frequency of 1170 kHz in 1951.
Over the years, the station cycled through multiple identities and formats. KSTT was a major Top 40 outlet during the peak of AM radio. Launching the careers of many, including Spike O’Dell, who went on to WGN in Chicago.
Later call signs included KKZX and KJOC, the latter of which was tied to a sports format in the 1990s. In 2014, the KJOC calls migrated to FM, and 1170 adopted KBOB, a brand previously associated with local FM frequencies. Its most recent programming featured ESPN Radio.
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