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KCBX (90.1 FM) is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to San Luis Obispo, California. The public radio station is a member station of NPR and airs a wide variety of programming, including All Things Considered, Democracy Now!, and jazz and classical music.

KCBX has a network of repeaters and translators that enable the station to be heard throughout the Central Coast of California. Full-power repeater is KNBX (91.7 FM), licensed to San Ardo, California.

KCBX itself broadcasts in HD Radio.

History

KCBX first signed on July 27, 1975 and began airing a variety of NPR programming, plus jazz, classical music, and foreign-language shows.

KSBX, a full-power repeater of KCBX in Santa Barbara, began broadcasting April 1, 2003.

From the 1970s through the end of 2012, KCBX broadcast live meetings of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. In its decision to drop coverage of meetings, the station cited a lack of interest in the radio broadcast as county residents can stream meetings online.

Repeaters

KCBX operates two full-power repeater stations: KSBX on 89.5 MHz in Santa Barbara, California and KNBX on 91.7 MHz in Monterey County. The station also operates several low-power FM translators scattered throughout the Central Coast. KSBX was shut down on December 31, 2022, with KCBX citing that tropospheric ducting had brought in unacceptable interference from KPBS-FM in San Diego, an issue it had tried and failed to address through a failed relocation to 89.9 FM. The KSBX license was surrendered and cancelled on February 13, 2023.

Translators

KPBS-FM interference problem in Santa Barbara

In parts of the Santa Barbara area, sometimes during atmospheric ducting, co-channel KPBS-FM in San Diego can override or interfere with the KSBX signal. At one time, KSBX was a 9-watt translator on 89.9 MHz; later, another station began using that translator. Eventually a deal was reached that would vacate that frequency. In 2006, KCBX applied for a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) construction permit to move back to 89.9 MHz and increase the effective radiated power from 50 watts to 350 watts. As part of the application, the station enclosed copies of numerous letters and emails from listeners complaining about the signal override or interference from KPBS. In support of the frequency change, a consulting broadcast engineer was hired to analyze the situation, make signal strength measurements during ducting, and fully explain the technical causes of the problem to the FCC. Making the interference problem worse is the fact that the KPBS signal travels completely over water.

In 2010, KPBS-FM was granted a construction permit to increase its effective radiated power from 2,700 watts to 26,000 watts. The consulting engineer explained to the FCC that if KSBX's frequency change was not granted, this would worsen the interference problem. In February 2012, the FCC dismissed the construction permit application from KCBX. KPBS started broadcasting with the new 26,000 watt signal on October 1, 2012.

KCBX announced on December 20, 2022, that it would close down KSBX by the end of the year, stating that climate change had increased the ducting and its related interference.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for KCBX". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1976. p. C-26. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
3. "Directory of Radio Stations in the United States" (PDF). Broadcasting and Cable Yearbook 2003-2004. New Providence, New Jersey: R.R. Bowker. 2003. p. D-66. ISBN 1-56056-022-3. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
4. Cuddy, Bob (July 27, 2012). "KCBX to stop broadcasting Board of Supervisors meetings". The Tribune. San Luis Obispo, California. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
5. "License Cancelled". Federal Communications Commission Licensing and Management System. February 13, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
6. Venta, Lance (December 20, 2022). "KCBX To Shut Down Santa Barbara Signal Citing Climate Change". RadioInsight. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
7. "KCBX to end broadcast into Santa Barbara". KCBX. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
8. Fausey, Callie (January 11, 2023). "KCBX Loses the Fight for the Right to Frequency". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved January 14, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 33705 (KCBX) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KCBX in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 51720 (KNBX) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KNBX in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• Facility details for Facility ID 33701 (K215AF) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• K215AF at FCCdata.org
• Facility details for Facility ID 33703 (K215AG) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• K215AG at FCCdata.org
• Facility details for Facility ID 33699 (K215AH) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• K215AH at FCCdata.org
• Facility details for Facility ID 33700 (K216AG) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• K216AG at FCCdata.org
• Facility details for Facility ID 83032 (K236AF) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• K236AF at FCCdata.org
• FCC History Cards for KCBX

• HD Radio stations
• Radio stations in California
• NPR member stations
• 1975 establishments in California
• Radio stations established in 1975