KQED-FM

The San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian group, began broadcasting with station KXKX in April 1963 (1963-04).[6] The new 110,000-watt station signed on two years after the seminary received a construction permit from the FCC in August 1961.[7] In addition to Christian radio programming, the station's subcarrier broadcast theology courses to receivers at 44 Bay Area churches.[8]

When agencies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) could no longer support the station, KXKX signed off at midnight on the evening of June 29, 1967.[9]

In July 1968, the San Francisco Theological Seminary filed to sell KXKX to the Bay Area Educational Television Association, owner of public television station KQED (channel 9).[7] FM 88.5 returned to the air as KQED-FM in mid-1969,. It originally used studios at 286 Divisadero Street inherited from the seminary.[7] The founding manager was Bernard Mayes, who later went on to be executive vice president of KQED television and also co-founder and chairman of NPR.

The first programming of KQED-FM included news, 'street radio' broadcast live from local street corners, drama and music. In its third year on the air, KQED-FM became one of the first 80 network affiliates of National Public Radio, one of five in California. It aired the first edition of All Things Considered. Later, due to reduced funding, Mayes opened the air to 'Tribal Radio' - productions by local non-profit groups, some in their own languages.

In 2003, KQED Radio expanded to the Sacramento metropolitan area by purchasing KEBR-FM at 89.3 MHz. The station is licensed to the suburban community of North Highlands. It signed on the air on February 21, 1992 (1992-02-21).[10]

KEBR-FM 89.3 was originally owned by Family Radio, a Christian broadcaster based in Oakland at the time.[11][12] The KEBR-FM call letters and format moved to a more powerful FM station at 88.1 MHz in Sacramento. KQED Radio changed the call sign on 89.3 FM to KQEI-FM. It became a full-time simulcast of KQED-FM in San Francisco.

In July 2017, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that KQED-FM and KQED-TV were the victims of a massive ransomware attack. Computer experts determined it began on June 15, 2017.

During the attack, the station's email was shut down, hard drives were locked, and prerecorded programs were lost.[13] More than a month later, many critical systems were still offline.