27 Facts About KFI

1.

KFI is a radio station in Los Angeles, California, owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc It began operations in 1922 and became one of the first high-powered, clear-channel Class A stations.

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2.

KFI is licensed by the U S Federal Communications Commission to broadcast in the HD formatl; however, it was reported that KFI turned off its HD signal as of August 12,2015.

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3.

KFI was first licensed on March 31,1922, to Earle C Anthony, Inc in Los Angeles, for operation on the 360 meter entertainment wavelength.

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4.

The KFI call letters were randomly assigned from a roster of available call signs.

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5.

KFI was originally located at Anthony's home, using a 50 watt transmitter Anthony had personally constructed on a kitchen table.

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6.

In mid-May 1922, KFI was assigned 1:45 to 2:30 and 4:30 to 5:00 p m weekdays.

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7.

In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming, and KFI was assigned to this more exclusive wavelength, joining KHJ on a timesharing basis.

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8.

In joining this network, KFI had the advantage of NBC's vast entertainment and news resources.

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9.

One of the first NBC programs to originate on the West Coast, and KFI, was the broadcast of the 1927 Rose Bowl Game from Pasadena, California, with announcer Graham McNamee.

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10.

KFI was allowed to operate with a non-directional antenna at the highest allowable power of 50,000 watts, while other stations on the frequency were required to protect KFI's signal from interference.

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11.

KFI was part of the Orange group, along with KGO in Oakland, KGW in Portland, KOMO in Seattle, and KHQ in Spokane.

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12.

In July 1931, KFI increased its transmitter power from 5,000 to 50,000 watts, becoming the first U S station west of Chicago to broadcast with that power.

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13.

KFI was an affiliate of the NBC Red Network, while KECA carried programming from the Blue Network.

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14.

On November 29,1944, KFI officials broke ground on Mount Wilson for construction of a new FM and TV facility.

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15.

KFI-FM began broadcasting with its first test program on 105.

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16.

That same year KFI-TV was sold to the General Tire and Rubber Company.

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17.

NBC radio affiliates like KFI had to decide whether to reduce or eliminate their network connections in order to maintain profits.

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18.

KFI became a disc jockey station oriented station, with live hosts playing phonograph records.

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19.

Between 1968 and around 1975, KFI's programming alternated between streamlined MOR and full-service programming, dropping most long-form NBC programming.

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20.

KFI programming transitioned during this period from block programming, often featuring 15-minute programs, to a full service middle of the road format.

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21.

KFI was the flagship station for the Los Angeles Chargers professional football team during its inaugural year in the American Football League in 1960, when the team was based in Los Angeles, before spending the next five decades in San Diego.

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22.

KFI aired all the games as well as feeding the play-by-play broadcasts to other stations in the Southwest.

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23.

KFI moved the music to more of a soft gold-based AC and began to play less of it.

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24.

In summer 2004, KFI became the most listened to talk radio station in the United States, beating New York City's WABC in cumulative audience during the rating period.

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25.

KFI served as the flagship station of the Los Angeles Chargers, carrying all of the team's game day broadcasts from the team's return to the Los Angeles market in 2017 until 2020, when games were moved to co-owned 98.

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26.

KFI was relatively late to convert from a horizontal to a vertical antenna: same-market Class A KNX converted to a vertical in 1938, and same-state Class As KGO and KPO converted to verticals in 1941 and 1949, respectively.

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27.

KFI's signal was knocked off the air for approximately one hour.

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