KKGO (AM)

For the Los Angeles FM station known as KMZT from 2000-2007, see KKGO. For the San Francisco AM station known as KMZT from 2000-2001 and 2003-2005, see KSFN. For the Monterey FM station previously known as KBOQ, see KDFG.

KBOQ

File:KBOQ Unforgettable1260 logo.png
Beverly Hills, California
Broadcast area	Los Angeles metropolitan area
Frequency	1260 kHz
Branding	Unforgettable 1260 AM
Programming
Format	Adult Standards
Ownership
Owner	Mount Wilson Broadcasting
Sister stations	KKGO (Also programs KKJZ for California State University, Long Beach)
History
First air date	October 19, 1947 (as KGIL)
Former call signs	KGIL (1947–1993) KJQI (1993–1995) KNNS (1995–1997) KGIL (1997–2000) KJAZ (2000–2002) KSUR (2002–2005) KKGO (2005–2007) KMZT (2/2007 – 10/2007) KGIL (2007–2011) KMZT (2011–2016)
Technical information
Facility ID	43937
Class	B
Power	20,000 watts (Day) 7,500 watts (Night)
Repeater(s)	105.1 KKGO-HD3 KNRY 1240
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	Unforgettable1260.com

KBOQ (1260 kHz "Unforgettable 1260 AM") is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Beverly Hills, California, and broadcasting to the Los Angeles metropolitan area. KBOQ is owned by Mount Wilson Broadcasting and airs an Adult Standards radio format that is also simulcast on sister station KKGO HD-3

KBOQ is not licensed to broadcast an HD signal on 1260 AM; however, KBOQ is simulcast on the HD-3 channel of 105.1 MHz KKGO. KBOQ's transmitter is on 14808 Lassen Street in Mission Hills, Los Angeles.

Station history

KGIL began broadcasting October 19, 1947, on 1260 kHz with 1000 watts of power full-time. The station was licensed to San Fernando Valley Broadcasting Company, with studios and executive offices at 4919 Van Nuys Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, California.

At that time, it aired a big band music format. KGIL aired other formats including talk until 1993.

From 1993 to 1995, it had the call letters KJQI, playing adult standards music. In 1995, it became K-NEWS, simulcasting with XESURF Tijuana (then with call letters XETIN) and now-defunct KNNZ in Costa Mesa, California. K-NEWS was an all-news radio service with content from the Associated Press or local announcers Peter Arbogast, Jim Roope, and H.K. Malay. K-NEWS was also the home of the Los Angeles Clippers and had an unprecedented 8 traffic reports an hour, causing competitors KNX and KFWB to add more traffic reports to their schedules. In late 1996, the station reverted to the KGIL call letters and hosted an all-Beatles lineup for seven months. The station then went all Broadway show tunes in August 1997 to sometime in 1998. The station then switched to Music of Your Life before going to a mainstream jazz format, with the call letters KJAZ, in 2000. Then, in 2002, it took on the call letters KSUR and began broadcasting an adult standards format, changing its call letters to KKGO in 2005. From August 2004 to June 2005 the station played an oldies format playing music from the 1950s and 1960s.

On December 1, 2006, KKGO changed to a country music format, filling the void left behind when KZLA became rhythmic adult contemporary as KMVN earlier in 2006. On February 26, 2007, KKGO swapped call signs and formats with FM sister station KMZT, moving the country music format to 105.1 FM, and the classical format known as "K-Mozart" to 1260 AM and to a new HD channel at 105.1 HD2. On October 29, 2007, KMZT changed its calls back to KGIL and flipped formats from classical to talk radio, with Michael Jackson as the headline host. Jackson was laid off from the station about a year later and replaced by John Ziegler, who left after a few months. Aside from Jackson and Ziegler, the bulk of KGIL's programming was syndicated, mostly of second-tier programs left over from what KFI, KRLA and KABC did not want.

On November 27, 2007, KGIL started simulcasting on XESURF 540AM, which flipped from classic country music.

Owner Saul Levine decided to return KGIL to a music format after the debut of a similar talk radio format on KFWB, which took place in September 2009. On August 27, 2009, the station switched to a mix of oldies and adult standards as "Retro 1260." Mornings had John Regan, middays had Gary Hollis, afternoons had Kimber Murphy, followed by Chuck Southcott, who had worked at KGIL from 1962 to 1975. Retro 1260 emphasized vocals and played Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys, as well as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Tyrell, and Michael Feinstein. On March 28, 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported that the station would begin airing classical music on April 4. The final song on Retro 1260 was "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" by Keely Smith at 11:58 p.m. on April 3, 2011. Retro 1260 now is available as an Internet stream at Retro105.com and on KKGO 105.1 HD3.

In addition to the music, KGIL was the Los Angeles-area affiliate for California Golden Bears football and had aired games of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings in the past to resolve time conflicts with other stations.

KMZT aired a classical music radio format that was also heard on sister station KMZT-FM 95.9 MHz in Big Sur, California.

On August 19, 2016, KMZT switched to an adult standards format and rebranded as "Unforgettable 1260," duplicating the format and branding of sister station KNRY 1240 AM in Monterey. On September 7, 2016, KMZT changed call letters to KBOQ. Those call letters previously belonged to a classic hits station owned by Saul Levine in Monterey. That station is now KDFG and is owned by USC.

External links

• KBOQ official website
• FCC History Cards for KBOQ
• Facility details for Facility ID KBOQ ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• Changes to KGIL line-up from November 27, 2007.