KGST
Encyclopedia
KGST is a radio station serving Fresno, California
and Vicinity as an ESPN Deportes Radio
affiliate. This station operates on AM
frequency 1600 kHz and is under ownership of Lotus Communications Corporation
.
KGST, known for much of its history as "La Mexicana," started out as a mixed-format "international" station in 1949, with programs hosted by brokers who paid for airtime. It featured programming in languages including Armenian, Portuguese, Serbian, Italian, Japanese and Spanish-language. It was the first radio station in the San Joaquin Valley with Spanish-language programming, and one of the earliest stations in California with full-time programming in Spanish.
Juan Mercado, who got his start as the Spanish-language programming director at a Visalia station, was one of the most popular deejays at the station, becoming so successful that he was able to buy the station in 1959. Mercado died just two years later and the station was bought by a couple of men who were at the time running KLOK out of San Jose.
In 1988, KGST was bought by Lotus Corporation, which owned several stations in Arizona, California and Nevada.
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
and Vicinity as an ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio
ESPN Deportes Radio is a Spanish language sports radio network created and produced by Disney-owned ESPN. Programming includes call-in talk shows and commentary from hosts about a full range of sporting events, including soccer, American football, baseball and boxing.The network has stations in 13...
affiliate. This station operates on AM
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
frequency 1600 kHz and is under ownership of Lotus Communications Corporation
Lotus Communications Corporation
Lotus Communications Corp. is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the company's President and CEO is Howard Kalmenson.-Radio:Lotus...
.
KGST, known for much of its history as "La Mexicana," started out as a mixed-format "international" station in 1949, with programs hosted by brokers who paid for airtime. It featured programming in languages including Armenian, Portuguese, Serbian, Italian, Japanese and Spanish-language. It was the first radio station in the San Joaquin Valley with Spanish-language programming, and one of the earliest stations in California with full-time programming in Spanish.
Juan Mercado, who got his start as the Spanish-language programming director at a Visalia station, was one of the most popular deejays at the station, becoming so successful that he was able to buy the station in 1959. Mercado died just two years later and the station was bought by a couple of men who were at the time running KLOK out of San Jose.
In 1988, KGST was bought by Lotus Corporation, which owned several stations in Arizona, California and Nevada.