Thought it would be interesting to track how power levels grew from the beginning of commercial Oregon radio, to the AM & FM power caps. Today many stations have the maximum power allowed but there was a time when one could claim to be "Oregon's Most Powerful Station."

5 watts - KDZJ - 832.7kc - by Aug 2, 22 - EUGENE * @
10 watts - KQP - 832.7kc - May 24, 22 - HOOD RIVER * @
15 watts - KFJI - 1220kc - by Dec 26 - ASTORIA @
20 watts - KFCD - 832.7kc - by Aug 23 - SALEM @
50 watts - KGW - 832.7kc - Mar 25, 22 - PORTLAND * @ +
100 watts - KGN - 832.7kc - Mar 31, 22 - PORTLAND * @ +
250 watts - KMED - 1310kc - by June 31 - MEDFORD @
500 watts - KGW - 749.4kc - Nov 18, 22 - PORTLAND @ +
1,000 watts - KQP - 1410kc - Jan 15, 26 - PORTLAND @ +
2,500 watts - KEX - 670.7kc - Dec 25, 26 - PORTLAND * @ +
5,000 watts - KEX - 1180kc - Dec 1, 28 - PORTLAND @ +
10,000 watts - KXL - 750kc - Oct 12, 41 - PORTLAND @ +
50,000 watts - KEX - 1190kc - Apr 8, 48 - PORTLAND @ #
54,000 watts - KGW-FM - 100.3mc - Apr 1, 48 - PORTLAND @ +
56,400 watts - KEX-FM - 92.3mc - Nov 25, 48 - PORTLAND * @ +
57,000 watts - KGW-FM - 100.3mc - Feb 1, 52 - PORTLAND @ +
68,000 watts - KGMG - 95.5mc - Sept 25, 60 - PORTLAND * @ +
70,000 watts - KWFS-FM - 96.1mc - Apr 22, 62 - EUGENE * @ +
100,000 watts - KOIN-FM - 101.1mc - Oct 1, 63 - PORTLAND @ +

All power levels for AM stations are daytime.
* = Initial sign on power.
@ = First commercial station assigned power level.
+ = Most powerful station at one time.
# = Most powerful AM station at one time.

In the 60's, 101.1 had a CP for 240,000 Watts.

The transmitter (and the power bill) would have cost a fortune!

I don't know about the 1960's but KOIN-FM had a CP for 210,000 watts in 1947. There's no evidence it was ever acted upon from newspaper accounts at KOIN-FM's premiere. No power was ever mentioned. I think if the CP had been built, something would have been said.

Also in 1947 CP KALE-FM (signing on as KPOJ-FM) had power set at 250,000 watts on 98.7mc. In late 1947 the CP power was reduced to 220,000 watts. Once again nothing was said in newspaper accounts leading me to believe KPOJ-FM began with just 44,000 watts.

I don't believe Portland ever had an "FM Super Power" station.

It looks like KGW held their early record for all of 6 days! Did stations have a choice in changing frequencies? KEX went from 2.5kw on 670 to 5kw @ 1180kc. That's hardly an advantage! Wasn't there a 25kw level years later on AM?

Radio Stations in the early days, as today were held to the same standard and could not change frequencies unless going through the same kind of government paperwork as today. Remember commercial AM back in the early 20's had less frequencies to choose from (550kc to 1350kc) and just about anyone could get a license and did! There weren't just a few in the beginning, it was a flood!

The KEX power and frequency changes shown were done on either side of 3 different frequency changes in the middle time period. This stemming from the FRC's actions, after KEX was caught using its transmitter at a full 20,000 watts on 670.7 in 1927. What you're seeing in the 1928 listing is a KEX frequency come back from lower classes. I should mention KEX was in good company using excess power or operating off frequency. Both KGW & KXL were also caught in the late 1920's.

Yes, 25kw was one of many power levels Oregon never used. Most of these power levels were abandoned in preceding years.

I wasn't referring to changing frequencies at a whim. I wondered if there was a requirement to change frequency.

Yes, The Radio Division, Bureau of Navigation began assigning stations off 360 Meters and placing them on their own frequency. You might think all stations liked the idea. The big stations did but the small ones now faced the challenge to fill an entire broadcast day of programming instead of just an hour or two a day.

This was at a time when radio advertising was looked down upon by the general public. The thought was, the air waves were owned by the public and should not be sold. The small stations not owned by Newspapers, Department Stores etc. had nothing to back them financially and many shut down in the mid 20's. This began changing in 1925 when advertising began to be more eccepted. By 1926 radio was back on track moving forward.

Not much in that direction until WEAF, as I recall(so to speak).

"This began changing in 1925 when advertising began to be more excepted"
I think you really mean "accepted". Or did you mean "expected"?

Yes, Thanks! That's what I get for answering a question on pdxradio while writing my radio show prep at the same time! I've corrected the error above.

Should be "A"ccepted, not "E"ccepted.

Semoochie,when you mentioned a requirement to change frequency,were you thinking of the overall realignment in 1941 when most stations moved about 30 Khz up the dial because of a continent-wide allocation plan growing out of an international conference of some type?

No

Just kidding! I was referring to KEX going from 2.5kw on 670 to 5kw on 1180kc in 1928. This would be under the Federal Radio Commission whose rules I'm not too familiar with.