KREM and successors

KREM - Brainchild of Cole E. Wylie

KREM was the brainchild of Cole E. Wylie in 1946 when he applied for a new broadcast station construction permit for a new 250-watt station in Spokane on 1340 kHz. Mr. Wylie had served as Vice President and General Manager of KPQ in Wenatchee, Washington from 1933 to September 1942, when he entered the U.S. Army. After the war he sold his interest in KPQ and KVOS Bellingham, Washington and moved to Hamilton, Bermuda where he was employed by the Bermuda Broadcasting Company, Ltd. to set up new 250-watt station on 1240 kHz. He was the general manager of this station when he applied for KREM's construction permit. Mr. Wylie built KREW in Sunnyside, Washington in the early 1950's. It is interesting to note that the last letter in KREW "W" is an upside "M" as in KREM.

First Transmitter - Downtown at Realty Building

After receiving the relevant permits from the Federal Communications Commission, Mr. Wylie built the station at Realty Building at 242 West Riverside Avenue in Downtown Spokane. KREM's license to cover the construction permit was granted on 7 Mar 1947. (License to cover) The station's transmitter was built on the roof top of the building. Tower was 190 feet above the roof. The counterpoise for the antenna consisted of wires strung between the top of the roof across streets and parking lots to other nearby buildings. The station's studio and business office were located inside the Realty Building. The building's name was changed to the DeLaney Building. The transmitter plant is still in place and is being used by radio station KSBN 1230 kHz. For more detailed information about this transmitter plant see this page.

First All Music Station in Spokane

According to Dick Dunning in a 1977 interview, "KREM was the first non-network, independent, all music station [in Spokane]." The application for license renewal from November 1949 states that the station broadcast 15.5 hours on Sunday, 18.5 hours Monday through Friday, and 20.5 hours on Saturday.

Move to Moran Prairie

In 1949, Mr. Wylie applied for a construction permit to move KREM to Moran Prairie at 4101 South Regal Street across the street from KHQ's transmitter site. KREM's new home had been occupied by KGA from 1942 to 1947. A license to cover the construction permit was granted on 26 October 1950.

KREM Use of KGA's Existing Towers

The shorter of the two current towers at South Regal site was one of the two towers previously used on KGA. The remains of the other KGA tower as well as the two pedestals that the two KGA towers stood on, are also still at the site. You can find more detailed information about this site at (KGA - and KREM).

KREM was owned by the Mrs. Bullitt's King Broadcasting of Seattle for many years. KREM in the late 1960's and into the 1970's was the chief rival of KJRB in the Top 40 format.
NOTE: MORE WILL BE WRITTEN ABOUT KREM AS INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. I am still spelunking in the FCC files found in the National Archives in College Park.

The station has had several call changes as follows:
KLHT
KZZU from 04/26/1985
KHIT from 10/16/1987
KTRW from 02/22/1988
KTTO from 09/29/2005

The current occupant of this frequency, KTTO, is part of the Sacred Heart Radio network. The local Spokane offices and studios are located at 4419 North Hawthorne Street in Spokane.

Compiled and edited by Bill Harms - updated 29 September 2008.

Survey Card - 14 June 1971
Survey Card - 30 July 1971
KREM Button
Promo Card for Murdoch in the Morning
Promo Card for Andy Barber

SOURCES:

  1. Dunning, Richard. Interview by Hugh Rundell for the "Washington State Association of Broadacasters Oral History Project." Mid-1977."
  2. Application for CP) 1340
  3. (Application for CP) 970
  4. License to cover CP 1340
  5. License to cover CP 970