Us old times still refer to the station as KOB. We are very thankful that nobody was injured! KOB has such a rich history! See at the very bottom of this report as I share some of that history with you. I was manager of the Sports Animal radio station and KOB FM at one time back in the late 90’s which was owned by Citadel at that time.
Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — One of KKOB’s AM radio towers was knocked down this morning when a hot air balloon struck it. No one was hurt and the damaged balloon landed safely. A witness says he was there 20-years ago when another balloon hit our tower on 2nd Street, northwest of Balloon Fiesta Park. Advanced Tower Service came on scene shortly after the accident and says it’s lucky no one was hurt or killed when the tower came down. Another witness said it was the blue balloon with the moon on it that had the accident. More Here
KOAT TV REPORTS:
A radio tower owned by KKOB Radio collapsed on Friday after a hot-air balloon hit the tower.
The tower collapsed shortly after balloons lifted off for Friday’s Special Shapes Rodeo and competition flying.
>>> MORE: What we know about the tower collapse
Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue officials say homes near the tower were evacuated as a precaution while they worked to ensure power was cut to the tower.
KOB TV: Survivor recalls the Smokey Bear balloon crash 20 years later
AI
- Licensing: The federal government licensed the station as KOB on April 5, 1922.
- Timesharing: In 1940, KOB’s timesharing partner, KEX, moved to 1160 kHz, allowing KOB to operate at night without limits.
- Dispute with WABC: From 1941, KOB was involved in a 38-year dispute with New York City station WABC over the use of the 770 kHz frequency.
- Sale to Citadel Broadcasting: In 1994, Citadel Broadcasting purchased KKOB AM and FM for $7.8 million.
- Simulcasting: In 2016, KKOB began simulcasting its programming over translator station K233CG (94.5 FM) in Sandia
- This is the KOB History section of The Broadcast Archive
