 | |
| Broadcast area | Lancaster—Palmdale, California |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 97.7MHzFM |
| Branding | 97-7 KTPI |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | RZ Radio LLC |
| KAVL,KTPI | |
| History | |
First air date | August 1, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-08-01) |
Former call signs | KDOL-FM (1967–1985) KAVS (1985–1990) KHXT (1990) KAVS (1990–2000) KVVS (2000–2007) KOSS (2007–2008) |
Call sign meaning | TehachaPI (city of license of KTPI-FM's original103.1 FM signal) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 2320 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 3,000watts |
| HAAT | 91 meters (299 ft) |
| Links | |
| Website | KTPIfm.com |
KTPI-FM (97.7FM, "97-7 KTPI") is acommercialradio stationlicensed toMojave, California and serving theAntelope Valley region ofSouthern California. It is owned by RZ Radio LLC and broadcasts acountry musicformat. It carries severalsyndicated shows:The Big D and Bubba Show in morningdrive time,Big Time with Whitney Allen evenings andAfter Midnite with Granger Smith overnight.
KTPI-FM is aClass A FM station with aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 3,000watts. Thetransmittertower is off Prospect Road at 20th Street in Mojave.[1] The studios are on East Avenue K-4 at 6th Street East inLancaster.
The stationsigned on the air on August 1, 1967; 57 years ago (August 1, 1967). The originalcall sign was KDOL-FM and the studios were inMojave. It aired aCountry music format as asimulcast ofAM sister stationKDOL.[2] In 1984, the simulcast ended and 97.7 FM began operating anautomatedTop 40 format branded "Hot 97".
In July 1985, Chambers Broadcasting purchased KDOL-AM-FM for $475,000. As Chambers also ownedKTPI (then on 103.1 FM). TheFederal Communications Commission (FCC) at the time limited radio station ownership to one AM and one FM station per market, so KDOL-FM was spun off to Antelope Broadcasting, which ownedKAVL610 AM.[3] Antelope retained the top 40 format but changed the call letters to KAVS.
KAVS flipped tomodern rock in September 1995.[4][5] In February 1997, KAVS began simulcasting withKYHT (105.3 FM) inYermo and both stations broadcast as "High Desert Modern Rock 97.7 & 105.3".[6]
In September 1998, Antelope Broadcasting sold its three stations — KAVS, KTPI, and KYHT — toJacor Communications for $4 million.[7] Jacor would be purchased byClear Channel Communications the following year. KAVS and KYHT dropped their modern rock programming and began simulcasting thetop 40 format of Clear Channel sister stationKIIS-FM (102.7 FM) in Los Angeles.[8] In the early days of Jacor/Clear Channel ownership, KAVS hosted many on-air events in the Antelope Valley andBarstow/Victor Valley areas.
Following the Jacor-Clear Channel merger, the new owners made drastic changes that produced a ripple effect across Southern California radio. The KAVS/KYHT simulcast was discontinued, and the latter's operations were transferred to Clear Channel'sVictorville office. KYHT continued with the KIIS-FM format for two years, after which it began simulcastingKZXY-FM (Y102) in Victorville. KFMS in Las Vegas dropped its KIIS-FM simulcast and "KISS-FM" branding, introducing all-local programming and eventually changing formats altogether. Meanwhile, KAVS changed its call sign to KVVS in August 2000. Under Clear Channel ownership, the station gradually reduced its local airstaff and community activity. Eventually, the station dropped all local content except advertisements and simulcast KIIS-FM full-time; the website for KVVS simply redirected to that of KIIS-FM.
On December 21, 2007, the KVVS call letters and the simulcast of KIIS-FM were moved to105.5 FM; that station was previously known as KOSS, "105.5 The Oasis".[9] The KOSS call letters relocated to 97.7 FM, as did the country format from the then-KTPI-FM on103.1 FM; that frequency then began simulcastingKYSR (Star 98.7) in Los Angeles. While the format of 97.7 FM was branded as "97-7 KTPI", the KTPI-FM call sign remained at 103.1 FM in Tehachapi temporarily. On January 2, 2008, KOSS and KTPI-FM swapped call signs, with 97.7 FM now becoming KTPI-FM. The station at 103.1 FM took on the KOSS call letters briefly, changing to KSRY on January 10, 2008.
As a condition of approving a plan by Clear Channel to become a privately held corporation, the FCC required the company to divest 194 stations in markets where it exceeded ownership limits by placing them into a trust until they are sold.[10] In January 2008, Clear Channel transferred KTPI-FM andsports radio outletKAVL to the Aloha Stations Trust.[11] In December 2011, RZ Media LLC, owned by Saul Rosenzweig, purchased KTPI-FM and KAVL from the trust, andKTPI (AM) from Clear Channel directly, for a total of $800,000.[12]
Weekday programming on KTPI-FM includesBig D and Bubba (syndicated fromNashville) in mornings. Justin Michael is in the weekday midday timeslot from 10am-2pm, which features "The 90s At Noon," a full hour of 90s country. Program Director Shannon Smith is on-air during afternoondrive time, followed by the syndicated showsBig Time with Whitney Allen Monday—Saturday evenings andCMT After Midnite withGranger Smith overnight. Weekends featureThe Crook and Chase Countdown and Ramblin' Ray.
34°58′44″N118°10′05″W / 34.979°N 118.168°W /34.979; -118.168