Former logos
103.5 The Game logo (January 2019-March 2021)
| Broadcast area | Eastern Washington - Northwestern Idaho |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1510 kHz |
| Branding | Fox Sports Radio 103.5/1510, The Game |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | Fox Sports Radio Gonzaga Bulldogs Spokane Chiefs Spokane Indians |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KBBD, KDRK-FM, KEYF-FM, KJRB, KZBD | |
| History | |
First air date | February 4, 1927 |
| Technical information [1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 11234 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 50,000 watts days 45,000 watts critical hours 540 watts nights |
| Translator(s) | 103.5 K278CY (Spokane) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 1035thegame.com |
KGA (1510 AM) is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. Owned by Stephens Media Group, it broadcasts a sports radio format. KGA's studios and offices are on East 57th Avenue. Most of the programming comes from Fox Sports Radio. The station carries broadcasts of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team, the Spokane Chiefs junior ice hockey team, and teams fielded by Gonzaga University. Going on the air in 1927, it was one of the earliest radio stations in Washington.
By day, KGA is powered at 50,000 watts non-directional, the maximum for commercial AM stations. But to reduce interference to other stations on 1510 AM, during critical hours the power is lowered to 45,000 watts. And at night, power is greatly reduced to 540 watts. The transmitter site is on East Stutler Road near U.S. Route 195 in Spangle, Washington. [2] Programming is also heard on 99-watt FM translator K278CY at 103.5 MHz in Spokane.
KGA signed on the air on February 4, 1927. Its original owner was Louis Wasmer. KGA's first studios were in the old Radio Center Building across the street from the Davenport Hotel. Its transmitter was on the northside of Spokane where the Lidgerwood Elementary School is now located.
In the 1930s, KGA was powered at 5,000 watts, broadcasting at 1470 kilocycles. [3] It moved to 1510 after the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) took effect in 1941. KGA was an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, airing its dramas, comedies, variety shows, news and sports during the "Golden Age of Radio." That network later became ABC Radio. As network programming moved from radio to television in the 1950s and 60s, KGA switched to a full service, middle of the road (MOR) format, airing popular adult music, news and sports.
KGA played Top 40 hits from January 1968 until June 1969, featuring disc jockeys Shane Showtime (Gibson) and Joe Fialla. It was more successful as a country music outlet from 1969 until 1994. But by the 1990s, most people listening to country music were switching to the FM band.
KGA flipped to a news/talk format in 1994. It relied mostly on nationally syndicated talk shows from commentators such as Bill O'Reilly, Laura Ingraham and Michael Savage, along with several local programs. Former Los Angeles police detective and author Mark Fuhrman, who lives in nearby Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, hosted a local morning show on weekdays until his program was discontinued in November 2007. In April 2008, KGA's news/talk format moved to sister station 790 KJRB, with KJRB's sports format switched to KGA.
KGA has had several owners (including Gonzaga University in its early history), has changed frequency several times, and has had its studio and transmitter site relocated over the years. But it has retained the same three-letter call sign from its founding. No other station in Spokane has kept its call letters over so many decades.
KGA was a 50,000-watt clear-channel Class A station for most of its life, and could be heard after sunset around the Pacific Northwest, plus part of Western Canada. On July 15, 2008, KGA reduced its nighttime power from 50,000 watts to 15,000 watts, surrendered its status as a Class A, downgrading to Class B, and changed its directional antenna system.[ citation needed ]. Class A stations have the widest coverage areas and best protection from interference from other stations.
All of this was done so that its then-sister station, KPIG (AM) in Piedmont, California, could increase its nighttime power from 230 watts to 2,400 watts and gain nearly a million potential listeners in the San Francisco Bay Area. [4] KGA received a construction permit to simplify its antenna system to a single tower with non-directional operation (FCC.gov AM Station Query). It was granted a nighttime power reduction, to 540 watts, with a slight power reduction just after sunrise and just before sunset critical hours to 45,000 watts.[ citation needed ]
In January 2019, after adding a new translator in Spokane on 103.5 FM, the station dropped Fox Sports Radio and flipped to urban contemporary as 103.5 The Game. While playing hip hop music and other rhythmic contemporary hits, the station retained its existing contracts to broadcast sports play-by-play. [5] [6] It began using the slogan "Sports and Hip Hop."
On September 30, 2019, the station was sold to Stephens Media Group after it acquired most of the properties of former owner Mapleton Communications. On March 19, 2021, the station dropped its urban format and returned to being a full-time network affiliate of Fox Sports Radio. [7]
KVNI is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, serving the Spokane metropolitan area of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. It is owned by Morgan Murphy Media, with the license held by QueenB Radio, Inc. Morgan Murphy owns seven radio stations and a TV station in the Spokane area.
KZFS is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. It broadcasts a classic hip hop radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its branding originates from its 250 watt FM translator K268DL at 101.5 MHz.
KJRB is a commercial radio station in Spokane, Washington. KJRB is owned by Stephens Media Group, through licensee SMG-Spokane, LLC, and airs a mainstream rock radio format. It calls itself "94.1 The Bear".
WMEX is a commercial radio station licensed to Quincy, Massachusetts, and serving the Greater Boston media market. It is owned by L&J Media, headed by Tony LaGreca and Larry Justice. WMEX broadcasts an oldies format of hits from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, as well as full service features including local DJs, news, traffic and weather. Late nights and weekends, it carries MeTV FM, a syndicated music service. The station's studios and offices are on Enterprise Drive in Marshfield.
KARR is a silent AM radio station licensed to Kirkland, Washington, United States. It broadcast to the Seattle metropolitan area and was last owned by James A Dalke.
KWPN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Moore, Oklahoma, and serving the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a sports format. While Cumulus owns three sports stations in Oklahoma City, WWLS-FM and WKY have mostly local shows on weekdays, while KWPN carries mostly syndicated programming from ESPN Radio. The studios and offices are on NW 64th Street in Northwest Oklahoma City.
KFNN is a commercial radio station licensed to Mesa, Arizona, and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. News Talk Radio in Phoenix, it airs a financial news and talk radio format, broadcasting from studios in North Scottsdale. KFNN is owned by CRC Broadcasting Company, Inc., headed by Ronald Cohen. The company also owns sports radio 1580 The Fanatic KQFN, as well as KJJZ 102.7 The Fanatic in the Palm Springs area, and a financial expo called Financial Fest. KFNN has a lineup of local and national money related programs, with some nationally syndicated conservative talk show hosts. KFNN says it had the first full-time financial format of its kind in the U.S., starting in 1988.
WTMP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Egypt Lake, Florida, and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by Neal Ardman of NIA Broadcasting, Inc., and it airs an urban oldies radio format. Its studios are on Howard Avenue in West Tampa.
WLOR is a radio station licensed to Huntsville, Alabama, United States, that serves the greater Tennessee Valley area. WLOR is part of the Black Crow Media Group and the broadcast license is held by BCA Radio, LLC, Debtor-in-Possession. Its studios are located off University Drive in Huntsville, and its transmitter is located north of the city.
KLSQ is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish sports radio format. Licensed to Whitney, Nevada, it serves the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The station is owned by the Latino Media Network. Under a local marketing agreement (LMA), it was programmed by previous owner TelevisaUnivision's Uforia Audio Network until 2024.
WBTP is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a classic hip hop format. Licensed to Sarasota, Florida, it serves the Sarasota / Bradenton / Tampa Bay Areas. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., with studios on West Gandy Boulevard in Tampa.
KPDQ is a commercial AM radio station in Portland, Oregon. It is owned by Salem Media Group and serves the Portland metropolitan area, with a Christian talk and teaching radio format known as "True Talk 800." The studios and offices are on SE Lake Road in Portland. KPDQ is co-owned with KPDQ-FM, also a Christian talk and teaching station. Each station runs its own schedule.
WBLQ is a radio station licensed to serve Westerly, Rhode Island. The station is owned by DiPonti Communications. Its programming is also carried on FM translator W276DF (103.1).
WLSS is a commercial radio station in Sarasota, Florida. It is owned by Salem Communications and airs a talk radio format. It is the oldest and most powerful AM station in the Sarasota-Bradenton radio market. The studios are on West Laurel Street in Sarasota.
WCAT was a commercial radio station licensed to Burlington, Vermont, United States, and serving the Burlington-Plattsburgh area. The station was last owned by Radio Broadcasting Services, Inc., part of the Champlain Media Group. It aired a mainstream rock radio format, simulcast from co-owned WWMP in Waterbury.
KTTO is an AM radio station in Spokane, Washington, serving the Spokane metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Sacred Heart Radio, Inc. It airs a Catholic radio format with most programming provided by the EWTN Radio Network.
WURN is a commercial AM radio station Miami, Florida. The station airs a Spanish news/talk radio format. WURN is owned by Actualidad Media Group.
WLOU is a radio station broadcasting an urban adult contemporary music format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Louisville, KY-IN market area. Its studios are located west of downtown and the transmitter is on the city's westside near I-264. WLOU utilizes an FM translator: W284AD 104.7 FM covering most urban parts of Louisville and the southern Indiana suburbs of New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville. The Louisville, KY-IN radio market has approximately 200,000 African-American citizens, 170,000 aged 6+ years.
WNVR is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Vernon Hills, Illinois, and serving the Chicago metropolitan area. WNVR is one of eight stations owned by Polnet Communications. It simulcasts a Polish language radio format with sister station WRDZ. The studios and offices are located at 3656 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.
KSFN is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish Regional Mexican music radio format. Licensed to Piedmont, California, the station serves the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is currently owned by Alfredo Plascencia's Lazer Broadcasting, through licensee Lazer Licenses, LLC. KSFN's transmitter is in an industrial section of West Oakland, California.
The contingent KPIG(AM) power increase would enlarge its nighttime coverage area from 214,000 persons to 2,100,000 persons, an increase of 1,886,000 persons
1. Harms, William. Radio Station KGA. 2005. Philco Bill || Radio Station KGA
2. Scott, Xen. Transcription of FCC microfiche files KGA, November 11, 1994.
3. McGoldrick, Jim. Early Memories of Radio in Spokane; letter to Thorwald Jorgenson, about 1981. Used by permission of Dean Carriveau, Spokane, Washington