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WKBF (AM)
WKBF was a radio station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, which last carried a regional Mexican format. The station's frequency was 1270 kHz, and was broadcast at a power of 5 kW. It last broadcast in Autumn 2018, and its license was cancelled on June 1, 2020. Its transmitter was located on 22nd Avenue (Old Colona Road) in Moline, alongside the Moline–East Moline border just off 53rd Street and Avenue of the Cities.
The history of the station dates to 1925, when businessman Calvin Beardsley purchased an experimental radio transmitter that operated in Cambridge, Illinois. He took the equipment and set it up at the rear of his store in Rock Island.
The station was first licensed on February 20, 1925, with the call sign WHBF, and broadcasting with 100 watts at 1350 kHz. The call letters were randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs, however, they were said to stand for "Where Historic Blackhawk Fought"—a reference to Black Hawk, a Native American chief whose tribe lived in an area roughly corresponding to what became the Quad Cities.
Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard. On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WHBF, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it." However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed.
On November 11, 1928, the FRC implemented a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40. WHBF was assigned to 1210 kHz.
The station moved to the Harms Hotel in Rock Island in 1932. In November of that year, Beardsley sold interest in his station to the John Potter family, which operated the Rock Island Argus. In 1939, the station changed frequency to 1240 kHz, and increased power to 1,000 watts, 24 hours a day, with a directional array at night. In 1940, the station's power was increased to 5,000, with a directional array, day and night, and in 1941, with the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, WHBF changed frequency to 1270 kHz, where it remained for the balance of its existence.
WHBF was joined by a sister FM radio station - WHBF-FM, the first in the Quad Cities - in October 1947, and a television station went on the air in July 1950. By now, all three facilities were located in the Telco Building in downtown Rock Island.
WHBF underwent many format changes since the end of the Golden Age of Radio. During the 1960s and early 1970s the station aired a middle-of-the-road, adult standards format.
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WKBF (AM)
WKBF was a radio station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, which last carried a regional Mexican format. The station's frequency was 1270 kHz, and was broadcast at a power of 5 kW. It last broadcast in Autumn 2018, and its license was cancelled on June 1, 2020. Its transmitter was located on 22nd Avenue (Old Colona Road) in Moline, alongside the Moline–East Moline border just off 53rd Street and Avenue of the Cities.
The history of the station dates to 1925, when businessman Calvin Beardsley purchased an experimental radio transmitter that operated in Cambridge, Illinois. He took the equipment and set it up at the rear of his store in Rock Island.
The station was first licensed on February 20, 1925, with the call sign WHBF, and broadcasting with 100 watts at 1350 kHz. The call letters were randomly assigned from a sequential roster of available call signs, however, they were said to stand for "Where Historic Blackhawk Fought"—a reference to Black Hawk, a Native American chief whose tribe lived in an area roughly corresponding to what became the Quad Cities.
Following the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), stations were initially issued a series of temporary authorizations starting on May 3, 1927. In addition, they were informed that if they wanted to continue operating, they needed to file a formal license application by January 15, 1928, as the first step in determining whether they met the new "public interest, convenience, or necessity" standard. On May 25, 1928, the FRC issued General Order 32, which notified 164 stations, including WHBF, that "From an examination of your application for future license it does not find that public interest, convenience, or necessity would be served by granting it." However, the station successfully convinced the commission that it should remain licensed.
On November 11, 1928, the FRC implemented a major reallocation of station transmitting frequencies, as part of a reorganization resulting from its implementation of General Order 40. WHBF was assigned to 1210 kHz.
The station moved to the Harms Hotel in Rock Island in 1932. In November of that year, Beardsley sold interest in his station to the John Potter family, which operated the Rock Island Argus. In 1939, the station changed frequency to 1240 kHz, and increased power to 1,000 watts, 24 hours a day, with a directional array at night. In 1940, the station's power was increased to 5,000, with a directional array, day and night, and in 1941, with the implementation of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, WHBF changed frequency to 1270 kHz, where it remained for the balance of its existence.
WHBF was joined by a sister FM radio station - WHBF-FM, the first in the Quad Cities - in October 1947, and a television station went on the air in July 1950. By now, all three facilities were located in the Telco Building in downtown Rock Island.
WHBF underwent many format changes since the end of the Golden Age of Radio. During the 1960s and early 1970s the station aired a middle-of-the-road, adult standards format.