| Broadcast area | Coachella Valley |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 920kHz |
| Branding | Alternative Talk Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KWXY | |
| History | |
First air date | October 29, 1956; 68 years ago (1956-10-29) (as KDES) |
Former call signs | KDES (1956–1984) KKAM (1984–1987) KDES (1987–1994) KESQ (1994–1995) KDES (1995–1997) KPSI (1997–2017) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67355 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000watts daytime 1,000 watts nighttime |
Transmitter coordinates | 33°51′29″N116°29′39″W / 33.85806°N 116.49417°W /33.85806; -116.49417 |
| Translator(s) | 99.1 K256CU (Palm Springs) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
KKGX (920kHz) is acommercialAMradio stationlicensed toPalm Springs, California, and serving theCoachella Valley. The station is owned by Louie Comella through licensee IVOX MEDIA, LLC, and it broadcsts atalk radioformat. Both KKGX and sister stationKWXY have theirstudios in the original KWXY Broadcast Center building inCathedral City.
By day, KKGX transmits with 5,000watts; in order to protect other stations on920 AM from interference, it reduces power to 1,000 watts at night. It uses adirectional antenna with a four-tower array.[2] Programming is also heard on 54-wattFM translatorK256CU at 99.1MHz in Palm Springs.[3]
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The station was originally issued thecall sign KGEC when it was aconstruction permit. But as it was being built, it took the call sign KDES on September 6, 1956.[4] KDESsigned on the air on October 29, 1956; 68 years ago (October 29, 1956).
The station was assigned the callsign KKAM on October 15, 1984; on August 17, 1987, the station changed its call sign back to KDES. The station became KESQ on June 1, 1994, but returned to the KDES call sign on November 1, 1995. On September 1, 1997, the call letters were changed to KPSI.[5] The callsign KPSI, which stood for "Keeping Palm Springs Informed", was previously used on 1450 AM (laterKCOD).
As a talk station, KPSI's lineup includedRush Limbaugh,Glenn Beck,Dennis Prager,Mark Levin,Dennis Miller,Michael Savage and local host Rich Gilgallon. KPSI was also a member of theLos Angeles Dodgers andLos Angeles Lakers radio networks.
On August 12, 2016, KPSI and sister stationKWXY wentsilent. The stations were put up for sale. In October 2016, Desert Broadcasters agreed to acquire KPSI and KWXY from Ric and Rozene Supple's R&R Radio Corporation.[6]
The call letters were changed to KKGX on February 2, 2017.[5] On March 14, 2017, both KKGX and KWXY returned to the airstunting. The on-air moniker of ‘KGX’ (a truncation of the legal ‘KKGX’ call sign) was a mash-up and homage to legendary three call-letter California radio stations KGO, KNX and KGB. KGX debuted a conservative talk format branded "Real Talk" on March 16.[7] The purchase by Desert Broadcasters was consummated on March 31, 2017.
Effective June 9, 2021, Desert Broadcasters sold KKGX, KWXY and two translators to Louie Comella's IVOX MEDIA LLC for $105,000 as part of a larger package deal. The sale included the old KDES (AM) tower site in Palm Springs for $220,000 and the original KWXY "Broadcast Center" building for $550,000. The 920 AM tower site on its 28.4 acres (11.36 ha) will be expanded to become the new home of the IVOX+ streaming platform as well as a future independent motion picture studio lot and theater venue, although the property lacks public road access.[8]
Both stations were off the air for four months beginning in August. At noon on December 12, 2021, they returned to the air with a four-hour special, "Frank Sinatra: Remembering An American Legend," hosted byWink Martindale. Following the special, both stations began playingChristmas music. On December 27, KKGX relaunched as "Alternative Talk Radio", abandoning the unique 'KGX' branding, and using only the legal callsign 'KKGX' on-air.[9]
Under the previous ownership, the original 1964 "KWXY" neon lettering on the building's façade was replaced by modern, back-lit LED lettering identifying the station as "KGX". The neon letters are presently undergoing restoration and will be relocated to the façade once completed.
