- KBLA
Infobox Radio station
name = KBLA
city = Santa Monica,California
area =
branding =
slogan = "Radio Zion"
airdate =
frequency = 1580kHz
format =Spanish Variety
power = 50,000watt s night
50,000watt s day
erp =
haat =
class = B
facility_id = 34385
coordinates = coord|34|5|8.00|N|118|15|24.00|W|region:GB_type:city
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns =
owner = Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Licensee, LLC
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast =
website = [http://www.radiozion.net radiozion.net]
affiliations =KBLA (1580 Radio Zion) is a
radio station licensed toSanta Monica, California with an Spanish religious radio format. It broadcasts at 1580 kHz with 50,000watt s day and night. Most of this wattage is dumped over thePacific Ocean , however, in order not to interfere with other radio stations. Consequently, the station is heard on a regular basis inHawaii , via AM nighttime skip.Originally, the facility was daytime-only, first playing pop music, and then, in the 1960s, switching to a soul/R&B format. In the early 1970s, the station gained approval from the FCC to operate at night. At this time, it was featuring a pop-album rock format, designed by Bob Wilson, who would later launch the media magazine
Radio & Records . However, KDAY returned to its soul roots, and became a highly successful AM R&B radio station during the mid-to-late 70s, as "15-80 K-DAY."About two decades ago, the original
KDAY was the first radio station inLos Angeles area to play continuouship-hop music . As acts such asRun-DMC ,Grandmaster Flash , and theBeastie Boys became some of the most popular in theUnited States , KDAY brought their sounds to a new audience on the West Coast. In the early 1990s, it was the first station anywhere to playN.W.A , which would become one of the most famous rap acts of all time.In addition, Lee Marshall, known on-air as "King News," gave news and commentaries relevant to the
African-American andHispanic communities. He warned about the troubles caused by gang violence.By the mid-1990s, KDAY could no longer keep up with the FM stations that had co-opted the sound, so it became all-business KBLA. During this time, it was also the flagship station of the
Los Angeles Clippers pro basketball team.About 1997, KBLA ended that format and beginning selling air time to broadcasters of different ethnic backgrounds.
On
March 31 ,2004 , KBLA became the original West Coast affiliate ofAir America Radio , airing talk shows hosted byAl Franken ,Randi Rhodes , andJaneane Garofalo among others. But onApril 14 , the shows were no longer available, due to a payment dispute between Air America and KBLA's owner,Multicultural Broadcasting . Air America shows would not return to the L.A. area untilFebruary 1 ,2005 on KTLK AM 1150.KALI (AM)
Radio Zion, the current format, is simulcast on KALI AM 900 in the
San Gabriel Valley . Before it was Radio Zion, this station carriedadult standards music and some talk programming with hourly news updates fromNBC Radio . The station once billed itself as "AM 90 NBC."External links
* [http://www.radiozion.net/ 1580 Radio Zion AM]
*AMQ|KBLA
*AML|KBLA
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