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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Portland metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 970kHz |
| Branding | Freedom 970 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks Radio America Salem Radio Network Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KBFF,KINK,KUPL,KXTG,KXL-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | April 12, 1922 (102 years ago) (1922-04-12) |
Former call signs |
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Former frequencies |
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Call sign meaning | Previously used on KUFO (101.1 FM) |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 26926 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 45°30′56″N122°43′56″W / 45.51556°N 122.73222°W /45.51556; -122.73222 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
KUFO (970AM) is a commercialradio station licensed toPortland, Oregon. The station, owned byAlpha Media, calls itself "Freedom 970" and airs aconservative talkradio format. KUFO's offices and studios are on Southwest 5th Avenue in Portland, while the transmitter is located in Portland'sWest Hills.
KUFO features mostlynationally syndicated talk shows, includingBrian Kilmeade,Dave Ramsey,Sean Hannity,Mark Levin,Dana Loesch andLars Larson, who is also heard on co-owned 101.1KXL-FM. Weekends feature shows on money, health, cars and guns. Syndicated weekend hosts includeGuy Benson,Ben Ferguson,Jason Chaffetz andBret Baier. Some weekend shows are paidbrokered programming. Most hours begin with world and national news fromFox News Radio.
The station previously airedPortland State Vikingscollege football andbasketball games andPortland SteelArena Football League games. Some of those teams are now heard on co-ownedsports stationKXTG750 AM.
KUFO is among Oregon's earliest radio stations. It was first licensed on April 12, 1922; 102 years ago (April 12, 1922).[3] It was given the randomly assignedcall letters KQP, awarded to the Blue Diamond Electric Company inHood River, Oregon.[4]
KQP moved to Portland in the fall of 1925.[5] It made its Portland debut broadcast on November 9, 1925. It broadcast from a studio in the Portland Hotel that was connected by private telephone line to the transmitter located "one mile north of Sylvan".[6] In April 1926 the station was acquired by thePortland News, which changed the call sign to KOIN.[7] The station's studios were moved to theNew Heathman Hotel.[8]
KOIN was aCBS RadioNetwork affiliate, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports,soap operas,game shows andbig band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." It was also an affiliate of theDon Lee Network, based on theWest Coast. In March 1941, KOIN moved from 940 kHz to 970 kHz, following the enactment of theNorth American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA).
In 1948, KOIN added an FM station, KOIN-FM, which today is co-owned 101.1KXL-FM.[9] KOIN-FM mostlysimulcast the AM station until the late 1960s, when it began airingclassical music in the evening. In 1953, KOIN put a TV station on the air, Channel 6KOIN-TV.[10] Because KOIN Radio was a CBS Radio affiliate, KOIN-TV carried CBS TV shows.
In the 1950s, as network programming moved from radio to television, KOIN began airing afull servicemiddle-of-the-road format, featuring popular music, news, sports and talk. On May 12, 1977, the call letters changed to KYTE, featuring aTop 40 hits format. On September 4, 1979, it switched tocountry music as "97 Country".
In 1981, the station flipped toautomated "Music of Your Life"adult standards programming. On January 27, 1989, KYTE began playingclassical music, picking up that format when 101.1 KYTE-FM dropped classical forsmooth jazz as KKCY "The City." The classical format turned out to be short-lived on AM 970.
In 1990, the station changed call letters to KESI and aired a mostly instrumentaleasy listening format branded as "Easy 970." On May 1, 1991, the station again changed call letters to KBBT and beganstunting. 18 days later, the station began airing analternative rock format known as "970 The Beat." In July 1996, KBBT began simulcasting on KDBX 107.5 FM (nowKXJM), and tweaked its format toModern AC. On October 2, 1996, The Beat was moved to FM, while 970 changed call letters to KUPL and switched toclassic country (as "Straight Country 970").
On September 19, 1997,American Radio Systems, owner of six Portland radio stations, announced thatWestinghouse Electric, the owner ofCBS Radio, had bought all of its U.S. radio stations, including KUPL.[11] KUPL switched tooldies as "Cruisin' Oldies 970" on January 23, 2001.[12]
On August 1, 2001, KUPL changed its call letters to KUFO, and on August 7, switched to a newhot talk format, branded as "Extreme Talk 970." Hosts featured on "Extreme Radio" includeBob Rivers,Don & Mike,Opie & Anthony,The Sports Junkies andRon & Fez.[13] On October 11, 2002, after a briefsimulcast withactive rock KUFO-FM, 970 changed its call letters back to KUPL, returning toclassic country as "Straight Country 970."
AM 970 continued as KUPL until February 2, 2005.[14] At that point, it became KCMD, letters chosen to reflect its "all-comedy format." That same year, afterMAX 910 abandoned itshot talk format. CBS Radio decided to use 970 AM to pick up that format. Management switched KCMD to syndicated hot talk programming, includingTom Leykis,Phil Hendrie andDon & Mike, shows that had previously aired on MAX 910. At the same time, the station was renamed "Johnson 970".
By early 2006, CBS Radio askedRick Emerson to take over as program director and return on-air after being dropped from "MAX 910." Emerson was accompanied by on-air producerSarah X Dylan and newsmanTim Riley.[citation needed] Within months, Johnson 970 became "AM 970 Solid State Radio," and took on new syndicated talk shows from around the country, includingDennis Miller.[citation needed]
After the launch of "Solid State Radio", the station added a local weekend show (Miles Around Radio & Television), and became the affiliate forDr. Demento, The Mike O'Meara Show, and The John and Jeff Show, as well as picking upFox Sports Radio for some weekend hours.[citation needed]
On June 23, 2008, KCMD's slogan changed from "Solid State Radio" to "The Talker." On March 12, 2009,The Rick Emerson Show moved to KCMD's sister station KUFO-FM to replace the canceledThe Adam Carolla Show.[citation needed]
In August 2009, CBS Radio sold its Portland cluster, including KCMD, toAlpha Media in an effort to focus onmajor market stations. Alpha rebranded the station to "Freedom 970" on September 14, 2009. On May 24, 2010, Alpha changed its call letters to KXFD to reflect this branding. KXFD concentrated on mostlyconservative talk shows.
On March 22, 2011, the station switched its call sign to KUFO, which it had previously held from August 2001 to October 2002.[1] The call sign became available after co-owned 101.1 FM changed its call letters from KUFO toKXL-FM. KUFO 970 continued its conservative talk format.