KUAM (AM)

KUAM (630 AM) Isla 63 was a radio station broadcasting from the village of Dededo, in the United States territory of Guam. The station's format was Chamorro music and Talk radio. Isla63 now broadcasts as an online radio station.

KUAM
CityHagåtña, Guam
Broadcast areaGuam
Branding"Isla63"
SloganGuam's Favorite
Frequency630 kHz
First air dateMarch 14, 1954 (1954-03-14)
Last air dateMay 1, 2020 (2020-05-01)
FormatChamorro music/Talk (Online Only)
Power10,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates13°26′53″N 144°45′22″E
Call sign meaningGUAM
Former frequencies610 kHz (1954–1978)
612 kHz (1978–2007)
OwnerPacific Telestations, LLC
Sister stationsKUAM-FM, KUAM-TV
Websitehttp://www.kuam.com

History

The station was owned by Pacific Telestations, LLC (a company of the local conglomerate Calvo Enterprises, Inc.) and was Guam's first commercial radio station, having signed on the air on March 14, 1954. When it started up, the Armed Forces Radio Service station that had operated at 1380 kHz since September 1949 ceased operations.[1] It was originally owned by Harry Engel and his Radio Guam; Engel started KUAM-TV (channel 8) three years later. The station was sold in 1964 to Pacific Broadcasting Corporation and to Pacific Telestations in 1977.[2]

Long known as "Isla61", KUAM changed its broadcast frequency from 612 kHz to 630 kHz in July 2007. This move enables most radios with digital tuners found locally (built for the Americas' ITU Region 2 interval of 10 kHz) to tune precisely to the station's frequency instead of being 2 kHz off (when tuned to 610 kHz).

After Typhoon Pongsona hit Guam on December 8, 2002, Isla61 was off the air for more than one year. Programs such as the morning talk "Positively Local" and the TV news simulcast were instead carried by sister station KUAM-FM, the only Pacific Telestations radio outlet during that time. The KUAM-TV nightly newscast at 6 p.m. is simulcast on Isla63.

On April 20, 2020, it was confirmed that KUAM Communications would conclude broadcasting after 66 years on the radio on May 1.[3] In filing to take the station temporarily silent, Pacific noted that it had discontinued operation of KUAM AM for economic reason.[4]

References
  1. Abcede, Jose C. (March 16, 1954). "AFRS, Pioneer Of Radio Broadcasting In Guam, Bows Out To A New Era". Guam Daily News. p. 4. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  2. Slavit, E. Max (November 27, 1988). "KUAM, what's in the future?". Pacific Sunday News. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  3. https://www.kuam.com/story/42023746/chamoru-radio-trailblazer-isla-63-am-to-cease-broadcasting-on-may-1
  4. "BLSTA - 20200504AAF Notification of Suspension of Operations / Request for Silent STA — KUAM (AM)".
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