The station, then called KPAL, was founded in 1974 by Los Angeles radio personality Magnificent Montague, whose trademark shout, "Burn!" was expanded to "Burn, baby, burn" during the 1965 Watts riots. The construction permit for the station was the first issued to an African-American in four decades. Call sign "KPLM" became available in 1979 when a local television station was purchased by Esquire magazine. Today, that same TV station retains the call letters of KESQ-TV, although Esquire no longer owns it.
1996 saw new parent company RM Broadcasting expand its market share with the acquisition of financially troubled, Palm Desert-based KLCX, only on the air for a brief time at 102.3MHz under a classic rock format. KLCX was immediately reformatted into KJJZ, a pioneering smooth jazz radio station. Studios for both stations are in the same Palm Springs location.
A third station, KAJR at 95.9MHz, took to the air as a fully automated Jack FM affiliate beginning in August 2007.
KPLM has the distinction of covering a greater terrestrial area than any other Palm Springs station coupled with a worldwide audience via the internet as of November 30, 2006. KPLM's transmitter is on a mountain along the edge of Joshua Tree National Park. As a result, the station not only blankets the Coachella Valley but reaches northward to the Mojave Desert, southward to Imperial County and northern Baja California and westward via two repeaters to the San Gorgonio Pass cities of Banning, Temecula and Hemet. The first is located on Snow Peak above Banning; the second is within the city of Hemet.
The station also plays an active role in bringing major country acts to the area; indeed, the station is the most active of all Palm Springs stations in sponsoring major concerts. Concerts in 2007 included Vince Gill with wife Amy Grant, Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire. Superstar duo Montgomery Gentry concluded the 2007 calendar in October at the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs. 2008 concluded with Wynonna Judd who appeared for a holiday concert at the McCallum Theatre in December; 2009 began with Josh Turner at the McCallum and Brooks & Dunn at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, both in February.
Other key on-air personnel include news director Jeff Michaels, production manager and nighttime talent Nick Summers, promotions manager Kory James and program director Al Gordon. (Nick Summers is now at the Alpha Media cluster in Palm Springs)
The Coachella Valley is an arid rift valley in the Colorado Desert of Southern California in Riverside County. The valley has been referred to as Greater Palm Springs and occasionally the Palm Springs Area due to the historic prominence of the city of Palm Springs. The valley extends approximately 45 mi (72 km) southeast from the San Gorgonio Pass to the northern shore of the Salton Sea and the neighboring Imperial Valley, and is approximately 15 mi (24 km) wide along most of its length. It is bounded on the northeast by the San Bernardino and Little San Bernardino Mountains, and on the southwest by the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains.
KPSI-FM is a commercial radio station in Palm Springs, California, broadcasting to the Coachella Valley. It airs a hot adult contemporary radio format branded as "Mix 100.5". It is owned by Alpha Media, through Alpha Media Licensee LLC. In afternoon drive time it carries the nationally syndicated show On with Mario Lopez. Mix 100.5's radio studios are on Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.
WXTU is a commercial radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owned by Beasley Broadcast Group, the station broadcasts a country music format. Its studios and offices are located at 1 Bala Plaza on East City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, while its transmitter is located in the Roxborough section of the city.
KESQ-TV is a television station licensed to Palm Springs, California, United States, serving as the ABC affiliate for the Coachella Valley. It is owned by the News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG) alongside five low-power stations: CBS affiliate KPSP-CD, Fox affiliate KDFX-CD, CW+ affiliate KCWQ-LD, Telemundo affiliate KUNA-LD, and independent station KYAV-LD. The six stations share studios on Dunham Way in Thousand Palms; KESQ-TV's transmitter is located on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and I-10.
KWXY is a commercial radio station licensed to Cathedral City, California, and serving the Palm Springs radio market in the Coachella Valley. The station was founded in 1964 and is owned by Louie Comella, through licensee IVOX RADIO LLC. Studios, offices, and transmitter are on Dinah Shore Drive.
KMEE is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Palm Desert, California, United States, and serves the Palm Springs—Coachella Valley radio market. The station is owned by Brad Fuhr, through licensee KGAY PSP, with studios on South Belardo Road in Palm Springs. KMEE broadcasts a soft oldies format, provided by MeTV's radio network.
KATC-FM is a commercial radio station in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The station has been broadcasting a country music format since 2006 and its on-air moniker is "Cat Country 95.1". The station is owned and operated by Cumulus Media, with its studios and offices on Commerce Drive. Its transmitter is located near Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Programming is also heard on 30 watt translator station K285EE at 104.9 MHz in Canon City, Colorado.
KLXB is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to Bermuda Dunes, California and broadcasts to the Palm Springs radio market in the Coachella Valley. The station is owned by Educational Media Foundation and airs that company's contemporary Christian radio format known as "K-Love". KLXB is also heard on a translator station, K247CL (97.3 MHz) in Indio, California.
WONU is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Kankakee, Illinois, United States, and serving the region south of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is a non-profit, listener-supported station owned and operated by Olivet Nazarene University, which is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It airs a Christian Contemporary Music radio format.
KKUU is a commercial radio station in Indio, California, broadcasting to the Palm Springs, California, area. KKUU airs a Rhythmic Top 40 (CHR) music format branded as "U 92.7".
KDES-FM is a radio station in the Palm Springs area and the Coachella Valley of Southern California.
KMRJ is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Rancho Mirage, California, and serving the Palm Springs radio market. The signal covers the Coachella Valley and parts of the Morongo Basin and Palo Verde Valley. It is owned by Marker Broadcasting. KMRJ uses the slogan "The Coachella Valley's Old School."
KVPW is a radio station licensed to serve Mecca, California, broadcasting to the Coachella Valley area. The station's studios are in Palm Desert, while the transmitter is in a mountain range north of Bermuda Dunes. It is owned by the Bankruptcy Estate of Major Market Radio, LLC. The station was put into a receivership by court order in July 2020. On March 15, 2021, VCY America, which owns Christian stations across the U.S., began operating the station under a local marketing agreement (LMA). On January 31, 2022, a court ordered possession and control of the station back to Major Market Radio LLC.
KCLB-FM is a commercial radio station in Coachella, California, broadcasting to the Palm Springs, California, radio market. It airs a mainstream rock radio format. KCLB is owned by Alpha Media LLC, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC Debtor in Possession. Programming is simulcast on sister station 95.5 KCLZ in Twentynine Palms Base, about 30 miles to the north of Coachella.
KRHQ is a 2,600 watt Class A commercial classic rock radio station licensed to Indio, California, with studios in Palm Springs and which serves the greater Coachella Valley on 102.3 FM. The transmitter site is on a peak of the Indio Hills.
KMET is a commercial AM radio station that is licensed to Banning, California and serves the eastern part of the Riverside—San Bernardino area. The station is owned by Christopher Miller, through licensee KMET, LLC, and broadcasts a talk radio format.
KBOC is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Bridgeport, Texas, and serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is owned by Estrella Media and airs a Spanish AC radio format.
KJJZ is a radio station licensed to Indian Wells, California and broadcasting to the greater Coachella Valley and the Morongo Basin, including Palm Springs. Owned by Marker Broadcasting, it broadcasts an oldies radio format. The studios are on Merle Drive in Palm Desert.
KDCZ is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. KDCZ is licensed to St. Charles, Minnesota, and serves the Rochester, Minnesota metropolitan area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media.
KPSC is a radio station licensed to serve Palm Springs, California. The station is owned by the University of Southern California, and is a repeater of KUSC and their classical music format.
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