KCVM was originally broadcast on 96.1
MHz from its inception in 1997 until July 2010. However, due to the need to protect several other stations in nearby markets from interference, the station had broadcast at an
effective radiated power of 6
kilowatts with an extremely
directional antenna pattern to avoid
co-channel interference to stations such as
KNWM in
Madrid (
Des Moines),
KQPR in
Albert Lea, Minnesota, and
KMXG in
Clinton (
Quad Cities). KCVM was also required to protect
KCHA-FM (95.9 MHz) in
Charles City from
adjacent-channel interference. On June 4, 2010, it was announced that KCVM would be moving from 96.1 to 93.5 and by July 22, KCVM had made the switch to 93.5 MHz; a frequency which allows the station to better serve the
Cedar Valley since there are fewer stations on and near the 93.5 frequency that require protection from interference.
Signal upgrade application KCVM currently has an application on file with the
FCC to upgrade its signal again. This time, the plan is to change the
city of license from Hudson to
Evansdale, and to upgrade from a Class A license to a Class C3 license, with a boost in power from its current 6 kilowatts up to 24.5 kilowatts, at an antenna
height of 81.8 meters. Also, the proposed antenna pattern is non-directional. The new transmitter would be located east of Waterloo and north of Evansdale, on East Big Rock Road between Crane Creek Road and North Raymond Road (County Highway V49) in
Black Hawk County. The proposed upgrade would add outlying Cedar Valley communities such as
Waverly,
Oelwein, and
Independence to KCVM's 60 dBu protected/city grade coverage coutour for the first time ever, as those communities have always received anywhere from marginal to poor reception from KCVM, especially on the previous 96.1 frequency (Oelwein and Independence would often receive KMXG in addition to KCVM back when KCVM was on 96.1; especially during times of
tropospheric propagation). ==HD Radio==