KGME
Encyclopedia
KGME, branded XTRA Sports 910, is a sports radio
station located in Phoenix, Arizona
and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area
. KGME is owned by Clear Channel Communications
, the former owners of Mexican station XETRA in Southern California, where the XTRA name came from.
The station's weekday lineup is as follows: Dan Patrick
(7am-10am), Jim Rome
(10am-1pm), and "Bickley and MJ" with Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley and Mike Jurecki (2pm-6pm), along with Fox Sports Radio
at night and from 1pm-2pm. Fox Sports Radio also airs in most weekend and overnight timeslots. "Bickley and MJ" was named Sports Talk Show of the year in 2007 by Phoenix Magazine and Sports Talk Show of the year in 2007 by the Phoenix New Times
. KGME has been nominated in 2007 and 2008 for the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters
) Marconi Award for Sports Station of the year.
Since 2008-2009, KGME is the flagship station of the Phoenix Coyotes
.
The rest of KGME's play-by-play comes from Westwood One
, including primetime National Football League
games and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. It also airs NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series races.
TV affiliate), operating on 1230 from 1940-1949; the station moved to 910 in 1949. In 1971, it changed call letters to KJJJ as "Big Country KJ" until 1986, when it would become KFYI, being purchased by Fred Weber's Broadcast Group. KFYI implemented a highly successful talk format, and became the home to hosts that would go on to greater success, such as Tom Leykis
.
In 1999, Broadcast Group sold to AMFM, formerly Chancellor. On September 25, 2000, after AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications
, KFYI
moved to AM 550 to obtain a better signal, swapping frequencies with what is now KGME. Clear Channel rebranded KGME as XTRA Sports 910 to match the "XTRA" branding of their other sports-talk properties.
The KGME call letters and sports talk format had been operating on AM 550 under the branding "KGME Sports Radio 550," and had only jumped to 550 a year earlier (April 23, 1999) from AM 1360 in a three-way frequency swap involving heritage station KOY
. In KGME's 1360 days (1994-99), the station was Phoenix's only full-time sports station and branded itself "The Game." Mike Golic
was a show host on the station along with Tony Femino in 1994. Other hosts included Bruce Jacobs and Arnie Spanier
.
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...
station located in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
. KGME is owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, the former owners of Mexican station XETRA in Southern California, where the XTRA name came from.
The station's weekday lineup is as follows: Dan Patrick
Dan Patrick
Daniel Patrick Pugh , professionally known as Dan Patrick, is an American sportscaster, radio personality, and actor from Mason, Ohio...
(7am-10am), Jim Rome
Jim Rome
Jim Rome is an American sports radio talk show host syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, a subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications....
(10am-1pm), and "Bickley and MJ" with Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley and Mike Jurecki (2pm-6pm), along with Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
at night and from 1pm-2pm. Fox Sports Radio also airs in most weekend and overnight timeslots. "Bickley and MJ" was named Sports Talk Show of the year in 2007 by Phoenix Magazine and Sports Talk Show of the year in 2007 by the Phoenix New Times
Phoenix New Times
The Phoenix New Times is a free, weekly Phoenix, Arizona newspaper, put out every Thursday. It is the founding publication of the New Times Media , but The Village Voice is now the flagship publication of that company....
. KGME has been nominated in 2007 and 2008 for the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
) Marconi Award for Sports Station of the year.
Since 2008-2009, KGME is the flagship station of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
.
The rest of KGME's play-by-play comes from Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
, including primetime National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
games and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. It also airs NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup Series races.
Station history
910 was originally KPHO (now the call letters of the Phoenix CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV affiliate), operating on 1230 from 1940-1949; the station moved to 910 in 1949. In 1971, it changed call letters to KJJJ as "Big Country KJ" until 1986, when it would become KFYI, being purchased by Fred Weber's Broadcast Group. KFYI implemented a highly successful talk format, and became the home to hosts that would go on to greater success, such as Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis
Thomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
.
In 1999, Broadcast Group sold to AMFM, formerly Chancellor. On September 25, 2000, after AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, KFYI
KFYI
KFYI is an American news/talk radio station broadcasting in Phoenix, Arizona. KFYI is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KFYI transmits in both analog AM and digital HD Radio.The digital signal is also rebroadcast on KNIX-FM's HD2 channel....
moved to AM 550 to obtain a better signal, swapping frequencies with what is now KGME. Clear Channel rebranded KGME as XTRA Sports 910 to match the "XTRA" branding of their other sports-talk properties.
The KGME call letters and sports talk format had been operating on AM 550 under the branding "KGME Sports Radio 550," and had only jumped to 550 a year earlier (April 23, 1999) from AM 1360 in a three-way frequency swap involving heritage station KOY
KOY
KOY in Phoenix is the oldest radio station in the state of Arizona. It is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications.-KOY:KOY was the first radio station in the state of Arizona, signing on in 1921 as Amateur Radio station 6BBH on 360 meters . Earl Neilsen was the holder of the 6BBH...
. In KGME's 1360 days (1994-99), the station was Phoenix's only full-time sports station and branded itself "The Game." Mike Golic
Mike Golic
Michael Louis "Mike" Golic is a co-host of ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning and a former defensive lineman at Notre Dame and in the NFL. The NFL website lists him as and ....
was a show host on the station along with Tony Femino in 1994. Other hosts included Bruce Jacobs and Arnie Spanier
Arnie Spanier
Arnie Spanier is an American radio host for KRLD-FM 105.3 in Dallas, Texas. He was previously the weekday evening host on Sporting News Radio.Spanier was born in Bronx, New York and educated at the University of Arizona....
.