KGEO is a radio station

Radio station

Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...

 broadcasting a News/talk format. Licensed to Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....

, USA, it serves inland central California. The station was assigned the KGEO call letters by the Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 on May 18, 1981

1981 in radio

The year 1981 in radio involved some significant events.-Debuts:* September 22 - WCAU-FM in Philadelphia debuts a new Hot Hits format called "98 Now!" which sweeps the local ratings and inspires parent company CBS to look at converting its other FM stations to similar formats.* October — "The...

.

History

In the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s the station's call letters were KERO. It pre-dated and was later a sister station to KERO-TV Channel 10 and later Channel 23. At that time, it broadcast from the El Tejon hotel in Downtown Bakersfield. In the '60s, the call letters were changed to KGEE, and the station supported a mix of talk and popular music. Its moniker was "KGEE, the talk of the town". In 1981, it changed the call letters to KGEO, and became one of Bakersfield's first stations to program an "oldies" format, consisting of music from the first decade of Rock N Roll (1954–64). The station was known as "KGEOldies". It later expanded its playlist, including music from the late 1960s and early 1970s, before switching to an all talk format in the late 1990s. At that point KGEO experimented with "hot talk" carrying such syndicated programs as the "Phil Hendrie Show" and "the Tom Leykis Show". Until 2006, KGEO was an all-sports station

Sports radio

Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...

 and carried an extensive lineup from ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...

. KGEO is no longer the flagship station for the Bakersfield Blaze

Bakersfield Blaze

The Bakersfield Blaze are a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and are a farm team of the Cincinnati Reds. The Bakersfield Blaze play their home games at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark...

 of the California League

California League

The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...

 of Minor League Baseball

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 and the Bakersfield Condors

Bakersfield Condors

The Bakersfield Condors are a minor league ice hockey team based in Bakersfield, California. The team plays in the Pacific Division of the ECHL's Western Conference. The Condors join the Houston Aeros as an affiliate of the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League...

 in the ECHL

ECHL

The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...

. Imus in the Morning

Imus in the Morning

Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....

was heard on KGEO until its cancellation in April 2007, as was its replacement shows throughout the summer of 2007. KGEO also dropped "The Don and Mike" show just one week before radio legend Don Geronimo had planned to retire anyway. On Monday, March 31, 2008, KGEO affiliated with ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...

. KGEO is now branded as ESPN Radio 1230. On April 5, 2011, KGEO changed formats and is now a news/talk station known as "$mart Talk 1230".

Programming

Programming heard on KGEO includes the syndicated shows of Dennis Miller

Dennis Miller

Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...

, Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey

David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...

, Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs

Louis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...

, Clark Howard

Clark Howard

Clark Howard , is a popular U.S. talk radio host of the nationally syndicated consumer advocate program The Clark Howard Show. The show covers consumer and financial news, with advice on how to spend less, save more and avoid rip-offs...

, Wall Street Journal Radio

Wall Street Journal Radio

The Wall Street Journal Radio Network has provided radio news to its affiliates for over 25 years. It is a part of The Wall Street Journal, owned by Dow Jones....

, America's Morning News, and Red Eye Radio. Local programing heard on KGEO includes Your Radio Store and also Californian Radio with host Jeff Lemucchi and he's joined by hosts Richard Beene, Lois Henry, Robert Price and John Arthur.

External links

• Your Radio Store - A show carried on Smart Talk 1230