KWXY-FM
Encyclopedia
KWXY ia a Class C commercial AM radio station licensed to Cathedral City, California
, USA. The station was founded in 1964 on 1340 AM and had broadcast on 98.5 MHz FM between 1976 and 2010. It is one of the area's "heritage" stations and is one of the very few remaining beautiful music
stations in the country. On February 2, 2010, the station returned to its original frequency of 1340 AM and is also being streamed in Stereo at http://www.KWXY.com Additionally, the station has launched an official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/KWXY/201437313228652
KWXY-FM was one of four Class B 50 kW FM stations serving the market; the others were contemporary country music
-formatted KPLM-FM
Palm Springs
at 106.1 MHz, 1960s and 1970s oldies
-formatted KDES-FM Palm Springs at 104.7 MHz, and contemporary album-oriented rock
-formatted KCLB-FM
Coachella
at 93.7 MHz. KDES-FM vacated the 104.7 MHz frequency on February 2, 2010 and now operates on 98.5 MHz.
was the area's first Air America Radio
affiliate; that network went bankrupt October 13, 2006 but had resumed operation under new ownership until it ultimately shut down in January 2010 and filed for liquidation.
KWXY not only had the same format since its inception in October, 1964 but the same owner as well. KWXY was owned by veteran broadcaster Glen Barnett, a broadcast engineer who actually built and wired the studios and transmitter and most recently was the station's general manager.
KWXY (AM) began as a 24-hour, 250-watt AM station. Power was increased to 500 watts in 1968 and again to 1 kW in 1973, where it remains today. FM operations began in 1969 at 103.1 MHz with a 3 kW signal. The move to 98.5 MHz and a boost to 50 kW occurred in 1976. Today, the 103.1 allocation is used by CBS Radio
-owned KEZN
.
Both full-time residents of the Coachella Valley
as well as seasonal visitors made KWXY one of the most successful stations in the area both in demographics
as well as revenue. In addition, the on-air lineup boasted Dave Hull
, named one of the top ten greatest broadcasters in Los Angeles
radio history, and his KFI
colleague Scott Ellsworth.
In January 2010, it was announced that KWXY-FM would cease broadcasting on 98.5 FM and return to the 1340 AM frequency. Dave Hull signed off the FM station at 11:59 pm February 1. KDES
, another R&R Broadcasting station originally broadcasting at 104.7, has taken over the 98.5 frequency allocation and will continue with its oldies programming. Licensing of the 104.7 frequency has moved from Palm Springs to Riverside.
KWXY's programming originates at its Palm Springs studio under the supervision of Program Director Ford Michaels, a radio broadcaster since 1970, and an air personality and program director in the Coachella Valley since 1986.
Cathedral City, California
Cathedral City is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 51,200 at the 2010 census. Sandwiched between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, it is one of the cities in the Coachella Valley of southern California...
, USA. The station was founded in 1964 on 1340 AM and had broadcast on 98.5 MHz FM between 1976 and 2010. It is one of the area's "heritage" stations and is one of the very few remaining beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
stations in the country. On February 2, 2010, the station returned to its original frequency of 1340 AM and is also being streamed in Stereo at http://www.KWXY.com Additionally, the station has launched an official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/KWXY/201437313228652
KWXY-FM was one of four Class B 50 kW FM stations serving the market; the others were contemporary country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-formatted KPLM-FM
KPLM-FM
KPLM is one of four Class B FM radio stations serving the Palm Springs, California, area and one of only two 50 kW stations. The others are 1960s and 1970s oldies-formatted 42 kW KDES Palm Springs at 104.7 MHz; contemporary album-oriented rock-formatted 26.5 kW KCLB Coachella at...
Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
at 106.1 MHz, 1960s and 1970s oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
-formatted KDES-FM Palm Springs at 104.7 MHz, and contemporary album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
-formatted KCLB-FM
KCLB-FM
KCLB-FM is a commercial album-oriented rock radio station in Coachella, California, broadcasting to the Palm Springs, California, area on 93.7 FM.KCLB's studio headquarters are in 1321 Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs...
Coachella
Coachella, California
Coachella is a city in Riverside County, California; it is the easternmost city in the region collectively known as the Coachella Valley...
at 93.7 MHz. KDES-FM vacated the 104.7 MHz frequency on February 2, 2010 and now operates on 98.5 MHz.
History
The station previously simulcast on 1340 AM, but sold the AM frequency to R&R Radio Corp. of Palm Springs, who flipped the format to progressive talk on August 7, 2006 and changed the call letters to KPTR. KPTRKPTR
KPTR is a radio station broadcasting a Talk/Personality format. Licensed to Cathedral City, California, USA, it serves the Palm Springs, California, area...
was the area's first Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
affiliate; that network went bankrupt October 13, 2006 but had resumed operation under new ownership until it ultimately shut down in January 2010 and filed for liquidation.
KWXY not only had the same format since its inception in October, 1964 but the same owner as well. KWXY was owned by veteran broadcaster Glen Barnett, a broadcast engineer who actually built and wired the studios and transmitter and most recently was the station's general manager.
KWXY (AM) began as a 24-hour, 250-watt AM station. Power was increased to 500 watts in 1968 and again to 1 kW in 1973, where it remains today. FM operations began in 1969 at 103.1 MHz with a 3 kW signal. The move to 98.5 MHz and a boost to 50 kW occurred in 1976. Today, the 103.1 allocation is used by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
-owned KEZN
KEZN
KEZN, also known as EZ-103, is a 1.9 kW Class A soft rock radio station serving the Palm Springs, California, USA market at 103.1 MHz. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of CBS Radio and is that company's smallest station in terms of market size....
.
Both full-time residents of the Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
as well as seasonal visitors made KWXY one of the most successful stations in the area both in demographics
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
as well as revenue. In addition, the on-air lineup boasted Dave Hull
Dave Hull
Dave Hull, aka "The Hullabalooer", is a Los Angeles radio personality voted one of the top ten LA radio personalities of all time. Born Jan. 20, 1934, he admits to being 77 with his personal addition herewith dated Mar. 3, 2011....
, named one of the top ten greatest broadcasters in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio history, and his KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
colleague Scott Ellsworth.
In January 2010, it was announced that KWXY-FM would cease broadcasting on 98.5 FM and return to the 1340 AM frequency. Dave Hull signed off the FM station at 11:59 pm February 1. KDES
KDES
KDES-FM 98.5 is an oldies and 1960s–1970s rock station in the Palm Springs area and the Coachella Valley of Southern California. It is owned by R&R Broadcasting, also the owner of KPSI AM 920, KPSI-FM 100.5, KPTR AM 1450 and KWXY AM 1340....
, another R&R Broadcasting station originally broadcasting at 104.7, has taken over the 98.5 frequency allocation and will continue with its oldies programming. Licensing of the 104.7 frequency has moved from Palm Springs to Riverside.
KWXY's programming originates at its Palm Springs studio under the supervision of Program Director Ford Michaels, a radio broadcaster since 1970, and an air personality and program director in the Coachella Valley since 1986.