KFI (640 AM) is a talk radio station in Los Angeles owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. It began operations in 1922 and became one of the first high-powered, clear-channel Class A stations. It was the first U.S. station west of Chicago to broadcast at 50,000 watts.
Studios and offices are in Burbank, between the Warner Bros. Studios and The Burbank Studios. The transmitter site is in La Mirada near the Artesia Boulevard exit of Interstate 5, the Santa Ana Freeway. By day, its signal can be heard throughout Southern California, with city-grade coverage in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Tijuana, Mexico and secondary coverage as far as Bakersfield and northwestern Mexico, and at times can be heard some distance into Nevada and Arizona. At night, it can be heard across much of the western half of North America.
KFI and KNX (AM 1070 and 97.1 FM) serve as the primary entry points for the Southern California Emergency Alert System, which are responsible for activation of the EAS when hazardous weather alerts, disaster area declarations, and child abductions are issued.
KFI is licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to broadcast in the HD (hybrid) format; however, it was reported that KFI turned off its HD signal as of August 12, 2015. HD Radio Guide for Los Angeles Like other stations owned by iHeartMedia, KFI uses iHeartRadio to stream its webcast.
Programming KFI is one of two iHeartMedia stations in Los Angeles which carry a talk radio format. KFI features mostly local hosts while KEIB (1150 AM) has a schedule of nationally syndicated talk shows. Morning drive time on KFI has been hosted by Bill Handel since 1993. He is followed by Gary Hoffmann and Shannon Farren in middays, John and Ken in early afternoons, Tim Conway, Jr. (the son of comedian Tim Conway) in late afternoons and Mo' Kelly in the evening. One syndicated show is heard overnight, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. Two Los Angeles TV stations do live segments with cameras in KFI's studios: KTTV (Bill Handel) and KTLA (John and Ken).
Weekends feature specialty shows, some of which are nationally syndicated from KFI: Handel on the Law with Bill Handel, Rich DeMuro on Tech and The Jesus Christ Show with Neil Saavedra. Other weekend shows focus on money, psychology, food, home repair and unsolved crimes. KFI has news and traffic updates every 15 minutes and is an affiliate of ABC News Radio.
History Earle C. Anthony
Effective December 1, 1921, the U.S. government adopted regulations formally defining "broadcasting stations". The wavelength of 360 meters (833 kHz) was designated for entertainment broadcasts, while 485 meters (619 kHz) was reserved for broadcasting official weather and other government reports."Miscellaneous: Amendments to Regulations", Radio Service Bulletin, January 3, 1922, page 10.
KFI was first licensed on March 31, 1922. It was owned by Earle C. Anthony, Inc. It operated on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength."New Stations", Radio Service Bulletin, May 1, 1922, page 3. Limited Commercial license, serial No. 589, issued for a three-month period to Earle C. Anthony, Inc. in Los Angeles, California, for operation on 360 meters. The KFI call letters were randomly assigned from a roster of available call signs. The station made its debut broadcast on April 16, 1922. It featured vaudeville performers Eugene and Willie Howard."We Pay Out Respects to—Earle C. Anthony", Broadcasting, July 15, 1932, page 17. Earle Anthony had trained as an electrical engineer and in 1903, founded the California Pelican, UC Berkeleys first humor magazine. He was best known as the owner of a Packard automobile dealership.
KFI was originally located at Anthony's home, using a 50-watt transmitter Anthony had personally constructed on a kitchen table."KFI Los Angeles, California Station" by Jim Hilliker, Encyclopedia of Radio, 2004, pages 1343-1346.
Shared time In 1922, there was a rapid expansion in the number of broadcasting stations, most sharing the single entertainment wavelength of 360 meters, which required progressively more complicated time sharing schedules among stations in the same region. In mid-May 1922, KFI was assigned 1:45 to 2:30 and 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. weekdays."Broadcasting Times Changed" by John S. Daggett, Los Angeles Times, May 11, 1922, Part II, page 1. An August 1922 schedule reported that KFI was conducting broadcasts, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Examiner, on both the 360-meter "entertainment" wavelength (daily from 1:45-2:15 p.m, with additional hours of Tuesday, 9 to 10 p.m; Wednesday, 6 to 7 p.m; Friday 9 to 10 pm; Saturday, 6 to 7 pm, and Sunday 10:45 to 11:30 a.m. plus 4 to 5 pm), and on 510 meters (588 kHz) on Sunday from 7 to 9 pm."On the Air: Los Angeles", Radio Journal, August 1922, page 161. A regional schedule adopted November 1, 1922, listed KFI's slots as 1:00 to 1:30 pm. Monday through Saturday, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m Tuesday and Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 pm. Sunday, and 9:20 to 10:00 p.m daily."Broadcasting Schedule: Los Angeles Stations", (effective November 1, 1922), Radio Doings, December 16, 1922, page 5.
Earle C. Anthony moved quickly to expand operations. The station's studios and transmitter were moved to the top of the Packard dealership building, formerly located at Tenth and Hope Streets in Los Angeles, with a rooftop "T" antenna mounted between two short towers. The installation reportedly cost $30,000, and included a 500-watt Western Electric transmitter, the most powerful commercially available transmitter at the time."K. F. I.: The New Earle C. Anthony Station", Radio Doings, December 16, 1922, page 6. This new facility went into operation on January 27, 1923."News of the Broadcasters: The New KFI", Radio, April 1923, page 37. In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters (750 kHz) for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming,"Amendments to Regulations: Regulation 57", Radio Service Bulletin, September 1, 1922, pages 10-11. and KFI was assigned to this more exclusive wavelength,"Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, February 1, 1923, page 7. joining KHJ on a timesharing basis."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, December 1, 1922, page 6. In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with Los Angeles allocated 640 and 760 kHz,"Radio Conference Recommendations: New Wave Lengths", Radio Age, May 1923, page 11. Beginning with these assignments radio stations ended the practice of broadcasting their market reports and weather forecasts on the separate 485-meter wavelength. and KFI was reassigned to 640 kHz, with KHJ moving to 760 kHz."Alterations and corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, June 1, 1923, page 10.
From 1922 to 1926, early programming consisted of such things as reading news from a newspaper and local gossip. Broadcasting hours were very short, since Anthony was involved in many other activities, and programming sources were limited. However, Anthony stressed the need for quality programming that would be in keeping with his status as the seller of luxury automobiles.
Expanded programming and higher power
In November 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was incorporated. When NBC's network facilities were extended to the west coast of the United States, KFI immediately became one of its affiliates. In joining this network, KFI had the advantage of NBC's vast entertainment and news resources. One of the first NBC programs to originate on the West Coast, and KFI, was the broadcast of the 1927 Rose Bowl Game from Pasadena, California, with announcer Graham McNamee.
On November 11, 1928, the Federal Radio Commission's (FRC) General Order 40 divided transmitting frequencies into "clear", "regional" and "local" classifications.Commercial and Government Radio Stations of the U.S. (Edition June 30, 1928), page 173. 640 kHz was now classified as a "clear channel", and KFI remained on this frequency, now designated as its dominant station."Revised List of broadcasting stations, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time", Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission (June 30, 1928), page 201. KFI was allowed to operate with a non-directional antenna at the highest allowable power of 50,000 watts, while other stations on the frequency were required to protect KFI's signal from interference.
NBC operated two radio networks, the Red Network and the Blue Network. The Red Network carried sponsored commercial programs, while the Blue Network carried the sustaining ones where the network sold individual commercials within the shows. In 1931, NBC reorganized its West Coast operations, creating regional Orange and Blue networks that replaced its previous Pacific Coast network. KFI was part of the Orange group, along with KGO in Oakland, KGW in Portland, KOMO in Seattle, and KHQ in Spokane.
50,000 watts In July 1931, KFI increased its transmitter power from 5,000 to 50,000 watts, becoming the first U.S. station west of Chicago to broadcast with that power.Broadcasting Yearbook 1935 page 22. Retrieved Sep 15, 2023. A special 4-hour program was aired, featuring congratulatory speeches by NBC West Coast vice president and others, joined by entertainers from New York and Chicago on a coast-to-coast live hookup. Variety reported that Los Angeles mayor John Clinton Porter was comically effusive in his praise.
NBC's, and KFI's, programming expanded in 1930s and 1940s. The NBC radio network was owned by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), which also owned the Keith–Albee–Orpheum vaudeville circuit, later renamed Radio–Keith–Orpheum (RKO). RKO handled many vaudeville comedians and singers, including Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Fred Allen, Eddie Cantor, and Rudy Vallee, whose programs were highly rated. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, many people could not afford movie tickets, but they could purchase a radio where they could listen to commercially sponsored entertainment for free. During its early days, KFI carried such sporting events as the World Series and the Rose Bowl. Although KFI's call letters were randomly assigned, many people assumed that the "FI" stood for "Farmers Information". Every winter evening from 1924 to 1956, KFI delivered a frost report at 8 p.m. telling citrus farmers whether to turn on wind machines or light "smudge pots" to keep their orange and lemon groves from freezing.Blackstock, Joe. "Pomona radio legend was citrus ranchers' savior - On frosty nights, Jack Benny lost ratings to Floyd Young". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, December 8, 2002. The frost warnings moved to 7 p.m. until the late 1970s when they were removed from the schedule.John C. Baker, "Farm Broadcasting: The First Sixty Years" (1981), pp. 75-76.
From 1929 to 1944, Earle Anthony also owned KECA, now KABC. KFI was an affiliate of the NBC Red Network, while KECA carried programming from the Blue Network. However, in August 1941 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a "duopoly" rule, which restricted licensees from operating more than one radio station in a given market."Ban On Multiple Ownership in Same Area", Broadcasting, August 11, 1941, pages 6-7. Therefore, Anthony sold KECA in 1944 to the Blue Network for $800,000."Seven Station Transfers Granted by FCC", Broadcasting, July 24, 1944, page 14. (In 1942, under the provisions of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, NBC had been required to divest itself of its Blue Network, which later became the Blue Network Incorporated, and subsequently the American Broadcasting Company.)
World War II