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KGBN

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Coordinates: 33°56′42″N 117°51′44″W / 33.94500°N 117.86222°W / 33.94500; -117.86222
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KGBN
Broadcast areaLos Angeles
Frequency1190 kHz
Programming
FormatKorean religious
Ownership
OwnerKorean Gospel Broadcasting Network
History
Former call signs
KEZY, KNWZ, KPZE, KORG, KXMX
Technical information
Facility ID2194
ClassB
Power20,000 watts day
1,300 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
33°56′42″N 117°51′44″W / 33.94500°N 117.86222°W / 33.94500; -117.86222
Links
Websitekgbc.com

KGBN is a Korean, brokered time AM radio station licensed to Anaheim, California, and broadcasting at a frequency of 1190 kHz. From 1997 to 2010 it was owned by Salem Communications as a sister station to KFSH and KRLA. In August 2010 the station was sold to Korean Gospel Broadcasting Network.

It is one of four radio stations - the others are KYPA, KMPC, and KFOX - that broadcast in Korean around the clock in the greater Los Angeles area. However, this is the only religious station among them; the others have secular programming.

History

This station began as KEZY, an easy-listening station known as "K-Easy." The station later became an Orange County top 40 powerhouse featuring such personalities as Mark Denis, Mike Wagner and other disc jockeys. The station's address at the time was the same as its assigned frequency: 1190 East Ball Road. The original call letters during construction and prior to its on-air debut were KDOG. The station debuted on air as KEZY on May 18, 1959, with studios at the Disneyland Hotel.

1970s

In the late 1970s, programmer Dave Foreman dropped top-40 in favor of an AOR format. The slogan was "1190 KEZY, Anaheim's Kick-Ass Rock and Roll!" which contrasted with KEZY 96 FM's AC format and a related slogan, "While 96 KEZY-FM kicks back, 1190 KEZY-AM kicks ass!". After a few years the station once again changed formats, first to news (as KNWZ), then to an adult rock format known simply as "12" ("KEZY Anaheim is 12.") This format was abandoned in the early 1980s and it briefly became a top-40 station again.

1980s

Around 1984, it became KPZE (K-Praise). It featured a blend of Christian teaching–preaching programs, contemporary Christian music, and live broadcasts of the games of the Long Beach State and Notre Dame football programs. The Program Director was Bill Gutelman, and the Operations Director was Gil Perez. Other staff–air personality included Pam Sanchez (mornings-air name Stephanie Rose), Paul Walkewicz (weekends), Bill Smith (weekends), Liz Altamirano, and former KYMS personality Bob Turnbull. Turnbull hosted an evening program called "Ministry And More," similar to his "Music and More" program on KYMS. In addition to playing music, he would have "Thoughts To End A Busy Day," and book reviews.

From 1986 to late 1988 Operations Manager and air personality Robin Keith hosted an afternoon drive talk show called "Drivetime 1190" along with co-host Steve DeSaegher. The show featured talk and call-ins, comedy, frequent traffic, news and weather reports as well as interviews with celebrities and experts. Ollie Collins, Jr., of KTYM Inglewood, brokered most of the Sunday hours on KPZE. The morning consisted of a Gospel music show hosted by Collins. Most of the afternoon programs were recorded church services. A good majority of the commercials used his voice. Al Gross (formerly of KBRT AM 740), eventually hosted the morning show. His was mostly talk. He even joked one morning at 6:00 AM sign-on, as the previous program was ending with its closing theme, "The Air That I Breathe" by The Hollies, "KPZE, Anaheim, playing more music than any other talk station."

Around 1988, the call letters were changed to KORG (K-Orange). It broadcast a few games of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team during conflicts with KLAC, the Kings' flagship station at the time. In fact, in one of those games (October 15, 1989), Wayne Gretzky established the National Hockey League's all-time point-scoring record. In 1987 and '88, KORG was an affiliate of RTV Sports, one of the first all-sports radio networks in America. Steve DeSaeger provided local sports updates during RTV programs, which aired seven nights a week.

1990s

In the mid-1990s, Anaheim Broadcasting, a local company that had been the owner, sold the station to Jacor, which later merged with Clear Channel Communications. In 1997, Clear Channel sold KXMX to Salem because it had exceeded the Federal Communications Commission limit as to how many stations it could own in the greater Los Angeles market. (Anaheim is still in business as the owners of FM stations KOLA and KCAL in the Inland Empire.)

2000s

The KXMX call sign was derived from KXMX, a sister adult contemporary station that was the aforementioned KEZY-FM. When that outlet became KFSH (the Fish) in 2001, the calls were reassigned to 1190 AM. Today, KEZY can be found on 1240 AM in San Bernardino, California under separate ownership. As of 2008, the KPZE call letters are assigned to 106.1 FM in Carlsbad, New Mexico. As KXMX, it aired shows in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.

2010s

On March 29, 2011 KXMX changed their call letters to KGBN and changed their format to Korean.

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