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| Broadcast area | Southern California |
| Frequency | 1070kHz |
| Branding | KNX News 97.1 FM |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | All-news radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
| Founded | September 10, 1920 (104 years ago) (1920-09-10) |
First air date | December 8, 1921 (103 years ago) (1921-12-08) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Randomly assigned. Abackronym explanation suggested it came from the Spring Street Arcade Annex.[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9616 |
| Class | A |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | |
| Repeater(s) | 97.1 KNX-FM (Los Angeles) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) |
| Website | www |
KNX (1070kHz) is a commercial AM radio station inLos Angeles, California. It simulcasts anall news radio format withsister station 97.1KNX-FM, both owned byAudacy, Inc. KNX is one of the oldest stations in the United States, having received its first broadcasting license, as KGC, on December 8, 1921, in addition to tracing its history to the September 1920 operations of an earlier amateur station. The radio studios and offices—shared withKNX-FM,KCBS-FM,KROQ-FM,KRTH andKTWV—are located onWilshire Boulevard, along Los Angeles'Miracle Mile.
KNX holds aclass A license as one of the original clear-channel stations. Its 50,000-wattnon-directional signal is heard throughout all ofSouthern California in the daytime. When conditions are right, it can be picked up at night throughout much of theWestern United States and parts ofMexico andCanada. The station is even received byDXers inHawaii and across thePacific Ocean. Thetransmitter site is inColumbia Park inTorrance, nearHawthorne Boulevard (California State Route 107) and 190th Street.[3] KNX is authorized to broadcast a digitalHD Radio signal.
KNX andKFI are the local primary stations for theLos AngelesEmergency Alert System. They are responsible for activation of the EAS whenhazardous weather alerts, anddisaster area declarations are issued.[4][needs update]
KNX-AM-FM broadcast "traffic and weather together" every ten minutes on the fives with traffic reports on the freeways and toll roads in the Greater Los Angeles area and weather forecasts for Southern California, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Local news coverage include the latest news from theLos Angeles City Council,Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and public safety. Business news fromBloomberg Radio and sports headlines are heard every half hour. Each hour begins with world and national news fromCBS News Radio. The two stations are branded as "KNX News 97.1 FM".[5]
Although KNX received its first broadcasting station license on December 8, 1921,[6] the station has traditionally dated its founding to September 10, 1920,[7] reflecting boadcasts conducted by Fred Christian over his amateur station, 6ADZ.[8]
Mr. Christian was trained as a shipboardradio operator. He lived at 5118½ Harold Way inHollywood, California. He was manager for the Electric Lighting Supply Company at 216 West Third Street, Los Angeles.[9][10] He once explained that he began the broadcasts in order to provide something to listen to for those customers who had constructed receivers from parts purchased for theirradio shack.[11] Christian began making broadcasts with a five-watt vacuum-tube transmitter, operating on the standard amateur wavelength of 200 meters (1500kHz).[12]
Initially there were no specific standards in the United States for radio stations making transmissions intended for the general public, and numerous stations under various classifications made entertainment broadcasts. However, effective December 1, 1921, the Department of Commerce, regulators of radio at this time, adopted a regulation that formally created a broadcasting station category, and stations were now required to hold a Limited Commercial license authorizing operation on wavelengths of 360 meters (833 kHz) for "entertainment" broadcasts or 485 meters (619 kHz) for "market and weather reports".[13] By the end of 1922 over 500 stations were authorized nationwide.
On December 8, 1921, the Electric Lighting Supply Company was issued a broadcasting station license with the randomly assigned call letters KGC, the second in the county afterKQL,[14] authorizing operation on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength. The station's location was listed as Fred Christian's Harold Way home.[15] The shared 360 meter wavelength required timesharing agreements between an increasing number of stations needing exclusive time periods. On May 4 theLos Angeles Times reported that a total of seven local stations were slated to make broadcasts that day, comprising a schedule that ran from noon to 9 p.m., with KGC assigned 2-2:30 and 7:30-8 p.m.[16][17]
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On May 4, 1922, the Electric Lighting Supply Company was issued a broadcasting license for a station with the randomly assigned call letters of KNX, also on 360 meters, and located at the company's Los Angeles store on West Third Street.[18] This was technically considered to be a second station in addition to KGC, however, after KGC was formally deleted on June 20, 1922, the Department of Commerce concluded that KGC and KNX were functionally the same station, andFederal Communications Commission (FCC) records list KGC's December 8, 1921, initial license date as KNX's "date first licensed".[19]
The new authorization coincided with preparations for a move to the California Theater, broadcasting live music, with Fred Christian continuing as station manager.[20] On June 12, 1922, theLos Angeles Times reported that "After more than two months of preparation, the new broadcast station at the California Theater had its opening program Saturday evening at 9:15, sending out a wavelength of 510 meters [588 kHz].[21] The station is said to be one of the best in the land, the call letters of which are KNX."[22] KNX's regular broadcast schedule on 360 meters was 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.[23] A week after it commenced operations from the theater, theTimes reported that "Numerous reports have come into The Times radio department commending the quality and audibility of material broadcast from KNX, the California Theater radiophone. This station differs from other stations in that it gives its listeners-in the music of the complete orchestra of the California Theater."[24]
KNX's power was raised to 100 watts in early August 1922.[25]
In the fall of 1924, Guy Earl Jr., owner of theLos Angeles Evening Express, arranged for the newspaper's purchase of KNX. TheExpress made significant upgrades, including increasing the power to 500 watts, and began broadcasting from the Paul G. Hoffman Studebaker building in Hollywood.[26] KNX was one of the last stations to remain on the original 360 meter wavelength, and the newspaper engineered a move to 890 kHz. It remained on this frequency until November 11, 1928,[27] when the station was reassigned to 1050 kHz, under the provisions of a major reallocation resulting from theFederal Radio Commission's (FRC)General Order 40.
In early 1928, Guy Earle sold his share of the Evening Express newspaper and reorganized KNX as the Western Broadcast Company.[20] In 1929, Earle moved the KNX studios to the Paramount Pictures lot,[20] signing a five-year contract, and the station's transmitter power was upgraded from 500 to 5,000 watts. In 1930, KNX became the first station to broadcast the Academy Awards.[20] In 1932, it increased to 10,000 watts. In 1933, the station moved its studios to the formerPeerless Motor Company building at 5939 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood,[28][29][11][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][20] after being granted permission by the FRC on June 7, 1932, to raise its output to 25,000 watts.[37] The following year, KNX's transmitting power was raised to the nationwide maximum of 50,000 watts, which the station continues presently.[38]
CBS purchased KNX in 1936, and began operating it as its West Coastflagship, which ended CBS's eight-yearaffiliation withKHJ.[39] In 1938, theCBS Columbia Square studios[40] were dedicated for KNX as well as West Coast operations for the entire CBS radio network. That October, the station carriedOrson Welles' celebrated version ofThe War of the Worlds. In March 1941, the station was shifted to 1070 AM as part of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement assignments, where it has been ever since.
Theatre legendJerome Lawrence got his start in radio writing at KNX in the late 1930s. Legendary performers from the "Golden Age of Radio" used KNX studios for their national broadcasts, includedJack Benny,Bing Crosby,George Burns,Edgar Bergen andGene Autry.[41]Steve Allen conducted a freewheeling late night show over KNX in the late 1940s, which opened the door to his national success. TVsituation comedy starBob Crane was KNX's morning host between 1957 and 1965 at the same time he was appearing as a featured supporting player on theABC television network seriesThe Donna Reed Show.[42]
On March 30, 1948, KNX added asister station. The original station with thecall sign KNX-FMsigned on the air, mostly simulcasting 1070 AM.[43] At first it was on the old FM band, but switched to 93.1 a few years later. Today that station isKCBS-FM, while a new version of KNX-FM exists today on 97.1 as a simlicast of the AM station.
In 1951, KNX gained a television cousin when CBS acquired KTSL channel 2 and rebranded it as KNXT.[44] It took on the currentKCBS-TV call sign in 1984. It traces its history back to 1930s experimental broadcasts and was originally owned by broadcast pioneerDon Lee.
KNX was a strong competitor in the Los Angeles market while Bob Crane was its morning personality, but began declining in popularity after he left to star in the CBS television seriesHogan's Heroes. Following the example of corporate sister stationWCBS in New York City, which had enjoyed success with an all-news format, KNX then became an all-news station in the spring of 1968.[45] By chance, its first major breaking news coverage was a major worldwide story that happened locally: theassassination ofDemocraticPresidential candidateRobert F. Kennedy, in theAmbassador Hotel in Los Angeles, on June 5 of that year.[citation needed]
In August 2005, KNX moved out of Columbia Square after operating there for 67 years, and began broadcasting from new studios in theMiracle Mile district onWilshire Boulevard.[41]
In 2009, KNX adopted the slogan "All news, all the time". It was previously used for 40 years byKFWB, KNX's historic rival in the news radio wars before both became sister stations through the 1995 merger ofWestinghouse Electric (KFWB's owner) and CBS. KFWB's format change tonews/talk in September 2009, left KNX as the only all-news outlet in the Los Angeles area, which is now emphasized in its alternate slogan, "Southern California's only 24-hour local news & traffic station".
In 2017, KNX won its first ever national Edward R. Murrow award for "Breaking News". The station was also nominated for two 2017 NAB Marconi awards, Legendary Station of the Year and News/Talk Station of the Year.
On February 2, 2017, CBS agreed to merge CBS Radio withEntercom, then the fourth-largest radio broadcaster in the United States. The sale was conducted tax-free using aReverse Morris Trust. While CBS shareholders retained a 72% ownership stake in the combined company, Entercom was the surviving entity, separating KNX from KCBS-TV andKCAL-TV.[46][47] The merger was approved on November 9, and was consummated 8 days later.[48][49]
On March 30, 2021, Entercom announced that the company changed its name to Audacy.[50]
On December 6, 2021, KNX announced that it would be adding an FM simulcast. KNX's all-news programming would also be heard on sister station KNOU, replacing theTop 40 format on the station that began in 2009. KNOU changed its call letters toKNX-FM on December 21, 2021, to match its AM simulcast partner.
The station's antenna array features a 494-foot (150m) mainantenna. The original main tower (circa 1936) was destroyed by vandals on September 14, 1965. An unused 365-foot (111m) tower was brought in from KFAC (nowKWKW) and was used while the new main antenna was constructed. This antenna was formerly in what is now a residential area to the south of the main antenna.
The 365-foot tower now serves as KNX's emergency antenna. It was later relocated when much of the site was dedicated as apark in Torrance. It is now north of the main antenna, within the park.
Only one antenna is active at a time. An experiment in the late 1960s, using both antennas in adirectional setup during the daytime was abandoned.
The 494-foot main antenna is 0.53λ, or 193.5 electrical degrees. It has an efficiency of 400.73 mV/m/kW at 1 km.[51] This is much better than average for a Class A station's main antenna. The FCC's minimum efficiency requirement is 362.10 mV/m/kW at 1 km.[52]
The 365-foot emergency antenna is 0.40λ, or 145.5 electrical degrees. It has an efficiency of about 343 mV/m/kW at 1 km.[53] This is much better than average for a Class A emergency antenna but is inadequate for the main antenna.
The Motion Picture Museum and Hall of Fame, about 1932. Photo courtesy of Marc Wanamaker, Bison Archives.......Young millionaire Harry Crocker, Charlie Chaplin's personal assistant, opened the Museum of Motion Picture History at 5935-5945 Sunset Blvd. in what was originally the luxurious Peerless Automotive Showroom
Eventually, we opened another Bingo parlor, known as the Vogue. ... Our experience in Reno, Nevada, with our Bingo-Tango game was a touch-and-go situation.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, various Hollywood churches and civic organizations . yesterday were again victors In their battle against having "tango games in that area when the police commission denied a second applicant a permit. Request by F. W. Babcock of 323 North Broadway to' open a "tango parlor" at 6525 Hollywood boulevard was turned down "without prejudice by the commission, which said he might seek some other location. Last week a similar application by W. H. Weaver was denied.
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| National | |
