KXPA

KXPA
City Bellevue, Washington
Broadcast area Seattle metropolitan area
Frequency 1540 kHz
Format Brokered Time
Power 5,000 watts
Class B
Owner Multicultural Broadcasting
(Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Licensee, LLC)
Website KXPA.com

KXPA (1540 AM) is a radio station serving the Seattle metropolitan area. It is part of the much larger, nationwide Multicultural Radio Broadcasting network. It is one of 30 stations in owner Arthur Liu's empire of stations, which cater to minority and immigrant communities with programs in their native languages. Most of the stations have multi-language, "brokered" formats. That means they sell their airtime in "blocks," which are usually by the hour. The clients who buy time on the station are free to use it as they please, as long as it fits with federal regulations and restrictions.

History

The station first went on the air in 1965 as KBVU with a jazz format, later going dark in 1967, and then the 1540 frequency was purchased by Kemper Freeman in 1969 so his KFKF (then located at 1330 AM) could move to 1540 and be a 24-hour operation, instead of the daytime-only operation of 1330. It then became KFKF, and after an ownership change to Stewart Ballinger in August 1972, it became KBES, all with an MOR format, and was co-owned with 92.5 FM (which it simulcasted with most of the time, with the FM airing some separate programming to comply with FCC laws regarding simulcasting stations in major markets). In November 1974, when 92.5 FM flipped to progressive rock as KZAM-FM (and became the more prominent frequency), the AM followed suit and became KZAM-AM, while retaining a full FM simulcast. On May 19, 1978, after Sandusky bought the stations, KZAM-AM adopted a "Rock of the 80's" (new wave) format, the first of its kind in the Seattle market.[1] (The FM continued to air the progressive rock format until July 1983, when it flipped to adult contemporary.) Due to poor ratings, on February 23, 1981, KZAM-AM went back to simulcasting the FM until July 15th of that year, when the AM became all-jazz formatted KJZZ. On December 17, 1984, it became KLSY-AM, with a format that would now be called Hot adult contemporary, albeit automated, before becoming a complete simulcast of its FM sister a year later. In January 1992, due to Sandusky's purchase of KIXI, and the FCC's ownership limits enforced at the time, KLSY-AM was sold to new owners and became KBLV, with a classic country format as "Country Gold", and formed a network by simulcasting with KJUN and KJUN-FM in Tacoma, KENU in Enumclaw, KTOL in Olympia, and KWYZ in Everett.[2][3] In early 1996, the Country Gold Network discontinued operations due to financial distress, with all stations being put up for sale. KBLV would be sold to new owners and flipped to an Urban AC format that year. The format wouldn't last long; in late 1996, after the station was sold to Personal Achievement Radio, 1540 AM adopted an all-advice talk format from the "Motivation Talk Network."[4][5][6] The KXPA call letters would be adopted on January 31, 1997. It was later sold, and flipped first to the "Z-Spanish" radio network, and then, in October 2000, to its current multicultural format.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1980-12-20). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  2. ↑ "Entertainment & the Arts | Young, New And Kickin' Country -- A Trio Of Seattle Radio Stations Try To Corral A Larger Herd Of Country-Music Listeners | Seattle Times Newspaper". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  3. ↑ "Seattle FM Dial - 1981". Radio Discussions. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  4. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1996-06-01). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  5. ↑ "RADIO". web.kitsapsun.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  6. ↑ "1540 HISTORY". Radio Discussions. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  7. ↑ "Northwest Broadcasters - Recent News Archives 2001". nwbroadcasters.com. Retrieved 2016-04-09.

Coordinates: 47°35′29″N 122°10′56″W / 47.59139°N 122.18222°W / 47.59139; -122.18222


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