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.

KVEC
Broadcast areaSan Luis Obispo County, California
Frequency920 kHz
BrandingNews Talk 920
Programming
FormatNews/talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KKAL, KKJG, KSTT-FM, KZOZ
History
First air date
1937 (at 1200)
Former frequencies
  • 1200 kHz (1937-1941)
  • 1230 kHz (1941-1946)
Call sign meaning
Valley Electric Company (original owner)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID10870
ClassB
Power
  • 1,000 watts day
  • 500 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
35°17′58″N 120°40′24″W / 35.29944°N 120.67333°W / 35.29944; -120.67333
Translator(s)96.5 K243CL (San Luis Obispo)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Website920kvec.com

KVEC is rebroadcast on FM translator station K243CL on 96.5 MHz in San Luis Obispo.

History edit

KVEC first signed on in 1937[2] on the 1200 kHz frequency. The station originally was owned by Valley Electric Company (hence its call sign), headed by Christina M. Jacobson.[3] In March 1941, under the terms of the NARBA Havana Treaty, KVEC was relocated to 1230 kHz.[4] The station changed frequencies once more in 1946 to 920 kHz.[2][5]

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.[6] Cohan took sole ownership of KVEC and its TV counterpart, then known as KSBY-TV, the following year.[7] 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.[8] On January 6, 1975, West Coast Broadcasters sold KVEC to Century Broadcasting Company for $500,000.[9]

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).[10] However, the following year, Five Cities defaulted on a loan, leading to the involuntary transfer of both stations' licenses to U.S. Media Company.[11] In August 1989, U.S. Media sold news/talk-formatted KVEC to Chorro Communications Inc. for $300,000;[12][13] 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.[14]

In November 2000, Clear Channel Communications purchased KVEC from Chorro for $950,000 as part of a nationwide station buying spree.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KVEC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b "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.
  3. ^ "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1938 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1938. p. 60. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1942. p. 112. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "FCC History Cards for KVEC" (PDF). FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cohan Buys KVEC-AM-TV; KITO, KAKC Buys Concluded" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. April 23, 1956. p. 92. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "Wrather-Alvarez Buy Of KERO-TV Approved" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. July 22, 1957. p. 88. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 8, 1965. p. 49. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  9. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. January 20, 1975. p. 67. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Five Cities Buys KVEC, KPGA" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 12, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "California station sale challenged" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 23, 1987. p. 48. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  12. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. August 28, 1989. p. 55. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "Dugger Deals $2 Million For Jacksonville Combo" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 27, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  15. ^ "SBS Grabs Foursquare Gospel's L.A. Gem" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 10, 2000. p. 6. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "Price For 16 AZ, CA Clear Channel Stations: $40 Million". All Access. All Access Music Group. July 11, 2007. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  17. ^ Venta, Lance (May 13, 2016). "Station Sales Week Of 5/13". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved August 9, 2018.

External links edit