KROQ (1500 AM)
former radio station in Burbank, California, United States
KROQ (1500 AM) was a radio station licensed to Burbank, California, serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area. 1500 AM is a clear-channel frequency in the United States.
History
KBLA
The station began broadcasting on June 21, 1952, with the call sign KBLA. It originally operated at 1490 kHz and transmitted at 250 watts.
In 1958, the owners obtained a construction permit to change frequency to 1500 kHz, with a power upgrade to 10,000 watts 24 hours a day. However, the station encountered several obstacles before completion. Hubbard Broadcasting's KSTP in St. Paul, Minnesota, contested the proposal based on interference that it believed would occur within its nighttime coverage area. The Glendale, California, city council and zoning board also rejected KBLA's proposed tower site. KBLA filed suit against Glendale and its mayor Cal Cannon, alleging that Cannon, who was general manager of KIEV, conspired to influence the zoning board to deny KBLA's permit. The station ended up operating at 1,000 watts at night using a directional array, protecting KSTP but shrinking the coverage area of the station.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “KROQ (1500 AM)” is former radio station in Burbank, California, United States. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through KROQ, former and radio, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “former radio station in Burbank, California, United States” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6330629. Authority coordinates are 34.030, -118.099. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1500, 1952, 1490 and 1958.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “KROQ (1500 AM)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow KROQ (1500 AM) primary sources, KROQ (1500 AM) archive and KROQ research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “KROQ (1500 AM)”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “KROQ (1500 AM)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.