KFEQ was first licenced on February 16, 1923. The contemporary issues of the Radio Service Bulletin list the station’s location as Oak, Nebraska. By 1927, it had moved to St. Joseph, broadcasting on 1120 kHz. Even after the move to St. Joseph it was owned by the Scroggin & Co. bank.
The publishers of the St. Joseph News-Press, the Bradley family, joined with Barton Pitts to buy the station May 15, 1936.
Pitts acquired majority control in 1942 (approved by the FCC May 19, 1942). Pitts brought television to St. Joseph, starting CBS affiliate KFEQ-TV (now KQTV, an ABC affiliate) September 27, 1953.
In the 1950s and 60s, the stations changed hands several times. KFEQ radio and television were sold to Kemper Brown and Bing Crosby December 31, 1955 and subsequently to the Jesse D. Fine family September 19, 1957. They were sold again, this time to Panax Corp., on August 30, 1963. KFEQ radio was separated from KFEQ-TV (now KQTV) by its sale to KAYS, Inc. March 1969, predecessor of present owner, Eagle Radio.
As part of the FCC’s AM revitalization initiative, the FCC opened a window in 2018 for certain AM stations to apply for a new FM translator to simulcast AM stations. Eagle Radio applied for a new translator for KFEQ on 107.9 MHz. The permit was granted in November of 2018 and given the call sign K300DV, and a licence to cover was granted in May of 2019.
Technical Facilities
KFEQ: 5 Kilowatts day and night, with different directional patterns. Transmitter located along I-29 just north of Holt- Buchanan County line on the north side of St. Joseph
K300DV: 230 Watts ERP at 145 m (476 ft). Transmitter located near the intersection of Supplemental Route O and SE 50th Road southeast of St. Joseph
Technical History
First licenced February 16, 1923. Initial listing in the Radio Service Bulletin showed facilities 833 kHz with 200 W from Oak, Nebraska. By February, 1924, power decreased to 150 W. By July, 1924, listed at 1120 kHz with 100 W, still in Oak, Neb.
By January, 1927, KFEQ was listed as being in St. Joseph on 1120 kHz with 1000 Watts. Requested 2500 watts on 830 kHz in March, 1927; licenced to stay on 1120 with power increased to 1500 watts April 21st, then moved to 1300 kHz with 1000 watts on June 1, 1927.
In October 1928, KFEQ applied for an increase in power to 2500 watts. Instead, they were moved to 560 kHz with 2000 watts daytime only, sharing time with WOI Ames, Iowa.
KFEQ moved to its present 680 kHz frequency on November 27, 1929, still a daytimer but no longer sharing time with WOI. It received limited nighttime operation with 500 watts, protecting KPO [now KMBR] San Francisco, on March 20, 1939.
KFEQ was able to obtain full nighttime operation, and increasing power to 5000 Watts, by implementing a directional antenna. The construction permit was granted on September 30, 1941 and a licence to cover granted February 3, 1943.