KFBK

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.

KFBK

Broadcast area	Sacramento, California
Branding	NewsTalk 1530 KFBK
First air date	February 2, 1922
Frequency	1530 kHz
Format	{{{format}}}
Power	50,000 watts
Class	A
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Website	[1]

KFBK AM ("NewsTalk 1530") is an AM radio station in Sacramento, California broadcasting on a frequency of 1530 kHz. KFBK is a class A clear channel station, formerly designated as a class "I-B" station, sharing 1530 with WCKY in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

1 History
2 Recent years
3 Radio Programs
4 External links

[edit] History

KFBK's history reaches back to station KVQ (first license issued: February 2, 1922), which shut down later that year after listener complaints about interference. KVQ's facilities were sold to the Kimball-Upson Music Store and the Sacramento Union newspaper.

Later, Kimball-Upson sold out to the The McClatchy Company, a local, family owned company which not only owned the Sacramento Bee newspaper, but other media outlets in the California Central Valley.

At one time, Sacramento market TV station KOVR 13 was also owned by McClatchy, along with newspapers and broadcast outlets throughout Central California. Because of its signal strength and location KFBK was for many decades the chief method by which Central Valley farmers obtained weather, prices and other vital farming information.

[edit] Recent years

KFBK is where syndicated talk radio host Rush Limbaugh first rose to prominence as a local midday host. Limbaugh's national program still airs on KFBK in the same time slot where he hosted locally.

KFBK has a long history of news programming which it is gradually shifting away from. They currently air extended news programming during the morning and afternoon drive, but have eliminated a long standing Noon News Hour and a Saturday morning drive news block. With new local management in 2005 also arrived changes in the form of redistribution of KFBK resources to sister stations in the market as part of a change in market strategy similar to one used by Entercom at Boston's WRKO AM where the entire (12 person) award-winning news division was elminated in early 2007. KFBK has likewise given up its two aircraft and lost a roster of long time and experienced journalists.

Clear Channel announced in 2006 that KFBK would be converted from a traditional AM broadcasting station to an HD2 facility (and eliminated the position of chief engineer - another budget move) and stepped up the practice of brokering time and selling on-air "interviews". Traffic reporting and other services have been spun off into separate, but Clear Channel owned vendors which provide services to KFBK and other stations in the market (including those not owned by or affliated with Clear Channel). A 100-thousand dollar "traffic center" was built in 2006. Former KFBK employees use the center to read the CHP traffic web sites and watch television monitors which are tuned to two local television stations that broadcast helicopter traffic reports on their air. Eventually the HD conversion will allow for KFBK-1, KFBK-2 and KFBK-3 together on the 1530 AM signal.

KFBK was a stand alone station until 1947, when KFBK-FM signed on. KFBK-FM became KAER in 1979 and later, KGBY (Y-92) in 1991.

[edit] Radio Programs

Rush Limbaugh (syndicated)
Thomas M. Sullivan (local)
Bruce Maiman (local)

[edit] External links

Official KFBK web site
KFBK history at The Broadcast Archive
Sacramento radio history
Query the FCC's AM station database for KFBK
Live web broadcast (only available in .wma format)

Sacramento AM radio stations (Arbitron #27)

By frequency: 650 | 710 | 830 | 950 | 1110 | 1140 | 1210 | 1240 | 1320 | 1380 | 1430 | 1470 | 1530 | 1580 | 1620 | 1690

Defunct stations: KGMS KNDE KROY KXOA

California Radio Markets

Bakersfield AM/FM · Chico AM/FM · Eureka · Fresno AM/FM · Imperial Valley AM/FM · Los Angeles AM/FM Merced · Modesto Orange County AM/FM · Oxnard-Ventura AM/FM · Palm Springs AM/FM · Redding AM/FM · Riverside-San Bernardino AM/FM · Sacramento AM/FM · San Diego AM/FM · San Francisco AM/FM · San Jose AM/FM · San Luis Obispo AM/FM · Santa Barbara AM/FM · Santa Cruz AM/FM · Santa Maria-Lompoc · Santa Rosa AM/FM · Stockton AM/FM Victor Valley · Visalia-Tulare AM/FM