Quad Cities Radio: Townsquare Returns 2 Licenses To FCC

Townsquare Media has surrendered the broadcast licenses for two stations in Davenport, Iowa: KBOB (1170 AM) and its associated FM translator K281DB (104.1 FM), effectively shutting them down permanently. 

The company filed cancellation requests with the FCC this week, following a period of silence that began approximately three months earlier. The stations had been off the air since early March 2025, with Townsquare citing economic pressures in FCC filings as the reason for the initial temporary suspension of operations. 

No specific explanation was provided for the permanent license surrender, but the earlier filings noted market-related financial challenges. KBOB, which operated at 1 kW with a directional antenna pattern, had a history dating back to 1946, originally as KSTT on 750 kHz before moving to 1170 kHz in 1951.

The FM translator was required to simulcast KBOB exclusively under FCC AM revitalization rules. This move aligns with a broader trend of Townsquare and other media companies, like Cumulus, shutting down underperforming AM stations, particularly those failing to generate sufficient revenue, even with FM translators.