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KMLB (1440 AM) is a former commercial radio station licensed to Monroe, Louisiana. It debuted in 1930, and was deleted in 2008.

History

The station was first licensed in 1930, as KMLB, to J. C. Liner at 512 South Grand Street in Monroe, for 50 watts on 1200 kHz. KMLB first signed on on July 1, 1930. It was founded by the Liner Family of Monroe. In July 1946, the station signed on an FM sister station, KMLB-FM, eventually broadcasting on 104.1 MHz (now KJLO-FM).

The station call letters were changed to KWEZ on March 3, 1986, to KJLO on February 28, 1989, and back to the original KMLB on January 18, 1991.

Expanded Band assignment

On March 17, 1997 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with KMLB authorized to move from 1440 kHz to 1680 kHz.

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters KBJE (now KRJO) on September 4, 1998. The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. However, this deadline was extended multiple times, and both stations continued to be authorized beyond the initial time limit.

Later history

In November 2006, the Noe family reached an agreement to sell KNOE on 540 kHz to Clay Holladay's Holladay Broadcasting. At the time, the FCC noted that "The conditional grant... required Holladay to surrender the license for the station that at the time bore call sign KMLB (AM) ('Old KMLB'), Monroe, Louisiana, prior to Holladay consummating its acquisition" of KNOE. Thus, the original KMLB on 1440 AM was taken off the air, with its license surrendered to the FCC on March 4, 2008. Thirteen days later, the call letters on 540 AM were changed from KNOE to KMLB, and programming previously on 1440 AM was consolidated to the transferred KMLB.

References

1. "KMLB" (advertisement), Broadcasting, January 17, 1949, page 55.
2. "New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, May 31, 1930, page 5.
3. "Louisiana Radio: Monroe: KMLB, Broadcasting Yearbook, 1977 edition, page C-90.
4. FCC Call Sign History (1440 AM) (Facility ID: 48636)
5. ^ "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations" (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.
6. FCC Call Sign History (1680 AM) (Facility ID: 87167)
7. "DA-11-99", FCC record (January 3—January 28, 2011), January 20, 2011, page 397
8. FCC Station Search Details: DKMLB (Facility ID: 48636)
9. FCC Call Sign History (540 AM) (Facility ID: 35249)

External links

• FCC History Cards for KMLB 1440 AM (covering 1930-1979)
• FCC Station Search Details: DKMLB (Facility ID: 48636)

• Radio stations established in 1930
• Radio stations disestablished in 2008
• Defunct radio stations in the United States
• 1930 establishments in Louisiana
• 2008 disestablishments in Louisiana
• Defunct mass media in Louisiana
• Mass media in Monroe, Louisiana