Established in 1953 as KMAK, the station was locally owned for nearly four decades and had music formats in its early history, includingtop 40 for most of the 1960s andcountry from 1968 to 1986, before being atalk radio station from 1986 to 1996. The station has had its presentcall sign KCBL and sports format since December 16, 1996 and has been owned by iHeartMedia and predecessor companies since 1997.
The station was first licensed on July 23, 1953, licensed to the McMahan Company (later McMahan Broadcasting Company) with call sign KMAK and 250 watts of power.[3]
In 1962, McMahan Broadcasting sold KMAK for $172,000 to Fresno Broadcasters Inc.[4][5] KMAK became atop 40 station that year with personalities includingRon Jacobs andRobert W. Morgan, who would move on to Los Angeles stationKHJ.[6] By 1968, due to losing toKYNO in audience share, KMAK changed from top 40 tocountry music.[7][8] The McCarthy Broadcasting Company bought KMAK from Fresno Broadcasters in December 1971 for $800,000.[9]
McCarthy Broadcasting changed KMAK from country to news/talk in February 1986.[10][11] Then in August 1986, McCarthy sold KMAK andKBOS-FM to Radio Fresno for a combined $6 million.[12] In contrast toKMJ's mostly local lineup, KMAK broadcast mostly national talk shows such asThe Larry King Show andThe Rush Limbaugh Show.[13]
On August 29, 1988, KMAK became KKAM, and the format changed to oldies on September 12.[14][13] Although the station was profitable, station management made this change due to poor ratings.[13] The playlist was sourced from theSatellite Music Network and covered the 1950s to 1970s.[13] KKAM later changed to KBOS, the same letters as its FM sister station, on February 1, 1992.[14] After being placed intoreceivership, the two stations were purchased for a combined $1.4 million by CenCal Broadcasting in June 1992.[15][16]
KBOS changed to its previous talk format in January 1993, with a focus on national programming such asThe Larry King Show; weekends had mostlyESPN Radio programs.[17] The call signs changed to KKTR on March 1, 1993.[14] Nearly four decades of local ownership ended in 1995 when Atlanta-based Patterson Broadcasting bought KBOS and KKTR from CenCal Broadcasting for $6.25 million total.[18]
On December 16, 1996, after simulcastingKRZR-FM for a week, KKTR changed its call sign to the present KCBL and format to sports, with branding "The Ball" and programming mostly from theOne on One Sports network (laterThe Sporting News Radio).[19] Beginning in 1997, KCBL became the Fresno affiliate for theLos Angeles Dodgers Radio Network.[20]
Capstar Broadcasting Partners bought KCBL and other Patterson Broadcasting stations in April 1997 for over $200 million.[21] Capstar merged with Chancellor Media in July 1999 to form AMFM Inc.[22]
In August 2001, KCBL/KVBL signed with the USC Football Radio Network to broadcastUSC Trojans football in Fresno/Visalia.[25] KCBL/KVBL did not return to the USC network after the 2001 season.[26]
Due to low ratings, specifically a 0.5 share in the first quarter of 2002, KCBL/KVBL switched its national network affiliation fromSporting News Radio toFox Sports Radio in September 2002.[27] Another program change in 2002 was the addition ofSacramento Kings basketball; KCBL/KVBL remained with the Kings until the 2006–07 season.[28][29]
In 2005, KCBL/KVBL rejoined the USC Trojans Radio Network.[30] Beginning in January 2006, KCBL's Visalia repeater changed call signs from KVBL to KEZL.[31] KCBL/KEZL then was part of theOakland Raiders Radio Network from 2006 to 2009.[32][33] After the 2006 season, KCBL/KEZL lost the USC rights toKFPT.[34]
KEZL became KRZR beginning October 2010.[14] The simulcast on AM 1400 in Visalia ended on January 1, 2013, when KRZR changed to a conservative talk format.[35]
In 2014, Clear Channel took on its current name iHeartMedia.[36]
In June 2021, KCBL became the new flagship station for theFresno State Bulldogs, leading a network of iHeartMedia stations throughout Central California.[37]
KCBL is a Class C AM station broadcasting with 1 kW non-directional signal.[38] Its studios are located in northern Fresno nearState Route 41 and Shaw Avenue.[39]
^Briggs, Eddie (April 13, 1968)."Tubb Returns to Triumph"(PDF).Record World. Vol. 22, no. 1088. p. 46. RetrievedJune 19, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"Changing Hands"(PDF).Broadcasting. Vol. 82, no. 1. January 3, 1972. p. 26. RetrievedJune 19, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"Fresno"(PDF).American Radio. Vol. 9, no. 1. Spring 1986. p. 128. RetrievedJune 19, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^Rathbun, Elizabeth A. (July 19, 1999)."Chancellor makes change to AMFM"(PDF).Broadcasting & Cable. Vol. 129, no. 30. p. 77. RetrievedJune 20, 2023 – via World Radio History.
^"Format Changes & Updates"(PDF).The M Street Journal. January 1999. RetrievedJuly 23, 2023 – via World Radio History.
