| Broadcast area | Palm Springs, California |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 93.7MHz |
| Branding | 93.7 KCLB |
| Programming | |
| Format | Mainstream rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KCLZ,KDES-FM,KDGL,KKUU,KNWZ,KPSI-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | September 1, 1960 (as KCHV-FM) |
Former call signs | KCHV-FM (1960–1972) KVIM (1972–1983) KCHV-FM (1983-2/1988) KRCK (2/1988–6/1988) KCHV (6/1988–1991) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 12131 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 26,500watts |
| HAAT | 197 meters (646 ft) |
| Repeater(s) | 95.5KCLZ (Twentynine Palms Base) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 937kclb.com |
KCLB-FM (93.7MHz) is acommercialradio station inCoachella, California, broadcasting to thePalm Springs, California,radio market. It airs amainstream rockradio format. KCLB is owned byAlpha Media LLC, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC Debtor in Possession. Programming issimulcast onsister station 95.5KCLZ inTwentynine Palms Base, about 30 miles to the north of Coachella.
KCLB's studio and offices are on North Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs. Thetransmitter is located inIndio Hills, California. Its signal reaches as far west asBeaumont and far east asDesert Center and as far south as theImperial Valley.
On September 1, 1960, the stationsigned on the air asKCHV-FM.[2] It was owned by the Coachella Valley Broadcasting Company and it simulcast co-ownedAM 970 KCHV (nowKNWZ). The two stations mixedmiddle of the road music, news and talk. By the late 1960s, KCHV-FM was separately programmed with anautomatedcountry music format.[3]
In 1972, in response to the growingMexican-American community in theCoachella Valley, the station switched to aRegional Mexican music format, with the newcall signKVIM.[4]
Starting in 1974, both KCHV and KVIM changed their programming late nights to playprogressive rock from 10pm to 6am. Scott Roberts, later withKKRZ Z-100 inPortland, Oregon, worked the late night shift at KCHV/KVIM and was the firstdisc jockey to play afree form rock format in the Coachella Valley. Roberts left KCHV/KVIM in 1976.
In 1983, the AM and FM stations switched formats. AM 970 became Spanish-language KVIM, playing Regional Mexican music. FM 93.7 returned toKCHV-FM, airing middle of the road music, talk and news by day, and album rock at night.[5]
The station began calling itself The Rock and airing a more structuredAlbum Rock (AOR) format in 1985, based on playing the biggest selling rock artists. Program Director Cyrene Jagger was able to get KCHV-FM recognized as a reporting station forRadio & Records andFMQB radio industry magazines. She developed a complete rock music library and began coordinating live concerts and invited rock artists visiting the Coachella Valley to come on the air. Jagger remained as Program Director until 1989.
For six months in 1988, KCHV-FM had a brief call sign change toKRCK (standing for the word "Rock"). But theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) failed to recognize those call letters were already claimed by another radio station, so 93.7 returned toKCHV-FM.
KCHV-FM achieved some of its biggest success under Operations Manager Bill Todd from 1989 to 1991. Todd, who had worked at such stations asWIBG,Philadelphia;WRKO,Boston;KHJ, andKMET,Los Angeles; built up KCHV-FM into a major album rock station inSouthern California. Russell J. and Cyrene Jagger hosted mornings, Jim King in middays, John O. in afternoons with nights handled by Jimi "The Hitman" Hurley, Shawn The Trogg and Mitch Michaels (Jim Black). Other notable contributors of the time were Rhonda Todd (Music Director), Bobby Blue, Don James, Scott Canon, DJ Martin, Satch Miata, Angela Nixs, Michael Parks, Brian Ross, Shana, Guy Smith, Igor Smith, Jackson T, Jill West, Christy Wild, and Kate Willis.
In 1991, Bill Todd departed and the station switched its call letters toKCLB-FM. In the early though mid- and late-1990s, KCLB called itself "The Valley's Best Rock." Its program director was J.J. Jeffries; he was replaced by music director Ron Stryker, who guided the station the top of the Coachella Valley ratings.Disc jockeys during this time included Jeffries and Stryker, Katie Brock, John O, Tony Montana, Jon Pergl, Bill Royal, Christian Stiehler, Stevie Bowe, Kevin Gerard, Jeff Duran, Steve Inman, Steve Santogrossi ("The Night Manager") and Liz West.[6]
In June 1994, KCLB-FM aired a one-hour comedy segment titled "Men Are Scum." Female callers described men in humorous yet controversial ways and the segment made national headlines.[citation needed]
In 1998, KCLB-FM and AM 970 were bought by Morris Communications for $7 million.[7] The AM station switched to aSpanish Contemporary format, taking the call letters KCLB. Several years later, it moved to an English-language News/Talk format as KNWZ.
In 2014, Alpha Media, based inPortland, Oregon, acquired a number ofPalm Springs-area radio stations, including KCLB-FM and KNWZ, as well as 1140KNWQ, 1270KFSQ, 92.7KKUU and 95.5KCLZ.
33°48′06″N116°13′28″W / 33.801667°N 116.224444°W /33.801667; -116.224444