KVEC
KVEC (920 AM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to San Luis Obispo, California, United States and serves the Central Coast of California. The station is owned by American General Media and broadcasts a news/talk radio format featuring a variety of nationally syndicated talk shows as well as a program hosted by Dave Congalton.
Broadcast area | San Luis Obispo County, California |
---|---|
Frequency | 920 kHz |
Branding | "News Talk 920" |
Programming | |
Format | News/talk |
Affiliations | ABC News Radio CBS News Radio Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
KKAL, KKJG, KSTT-FM, KZOZ | |
History | |
First air date | 1937 |
Former frequencies | 1200 kHz (1937-1941) 1230 kHz (1941-1946) |
Call sign meaning | Valley Electric Company (original owner) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 10870 |
Class | B |
Power | 1,000 watts day 500 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°17′58″N 120°40′24″W |
Translator(s) | 96.5 K243CL (San Luis Obispo) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | 920kvec.com |
KVEC is rebroadcast on FM translator station K243CL on 96.5 MHz in San Luis Obispo.
History
KVEC first signed on in 1937[1] on the 1200 kHz frequency. The station originally was owned by Valley Electric Company (hence its call sign), headed by Christina M. Jacobson.[2] In March 1941, under the terms of the NARBA Havana Treaty, KVEC was relocated to 1230 kHz.[3] The station changed frequencies once more in 1946 to 920 kHz.[1][4]
In April 1956, Jacobson sold KVEC and its television sister station KVEC-TV (channel 6) to The Valley Enterprises Company for $450,000. The media company, headed by John C. Cohan, was the owner of KSBW-AM-TV in Salinas, California.[5] Cohan took sole ownership of KVEC and its TV counterpart, then known as KSBY-TV, the following year.[6] In November 1965, Cohen sold KVEC and its three-year-old FM sister station (now KZOZ) to West Coast Broadcasters Inc., majority owned by James L. Sephier, for $360,000.[7] On January 6, 1975, West Coast Broadcasters sold KVEC to Century Broadcasting Company for $500,000.[8]
The 1980s and 1990s saw KVEC face a series of financial troubles and ownership changes. In 1985, Five Cities Broadcasting Inc. purchased the station from the Century Broadcasting Company Liquidating Trust for $500,000 and paired it with KPGA (95.3 FM).[9] However, the following year, Five Cities defaulted on a loan, leading to the involuntary transfer of both stations' licenses to U.S. Media Company.[10] In August 1989, U.S. Media sold news/talk-formatted KVEC to Chorro Communications Inc. for $300,000;[11][12] KPGA was divested separately a month later. In September 1991, Richard Mason sold his 70% stake in Chorro Communications to partner Francis Sheahan for $353,900, granting the latter full control of KVEC. Portions of the proceeds were used to settle a debt owed to Mason and to pay taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.[13]
In November 2000, Clear Channel Communications purchased KVEC from Chorro for $950,000 as part of a nationwide station buying spree.[14] In July 2007, the station was among 16 Clear Channel outlets in California and Arizona that were sold to El Dorado Broadcasters for $40 million.[15] In early 2016, El Dorado began selling off its Central Coast stations. These divestitures included KVEC, sold to Bakersfield, California-based American General Media for $450,000 that May.[16]
References
- "Directory of Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1948 Broadcasting/Telecasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1948. p. 92. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1938 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1938. p. 60. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1942. p. 112. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "FCC History Cards for KVEC" (PDF). FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Cohan Buys KVEC-AM-TV; KITO, KAKC Buys Concluded" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. April 23, 1956. p. 92. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Wrather-Alvarez Buy Of KERO-TV Approved" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. July 22, 1957. p. 88. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 8, 1965. p. 49. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. January 20, 1975. p. 67. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- "Five Cities Buys KVEC, KPGA" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 12, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "California station sale challenged" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 23, 1987. p. 48. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. August 28, 1989. p. 55. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Cole Rolls Into Springfield, MO; Pays $5.25 Million For KWTO-AM & FM" (PDF). Radio & Records. August 25, 1989. p. 10. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- "Dugger Deals $2 Million For Jacksonville Combo" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 27, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- "SBS Grabs Foursquare Gospel's L.A. Gem" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 10, 2000. p. 6. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- "Price For 16 AZ, CA Clear Channel Stations: $40 Million". All Access. All Access Music Group. July 11, 2007. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- Venta, Lance (May 13, 2016). "Station Sales Week Of 5/13". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
External links
- Official website
- KVEC in the FCC AM station database
- KVEC on Radio-Locator
- KVEC in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- K243CL in the FCC FM station database
- K243CL on Radio-Locator
- K243CL in Nielsen Audio's FM station database