KGON
KGON (92.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Portland, Oregon. The station airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Entercom.[1] KGON broadcasts in the HD Radio format. Its HD2 subchannel carries a Blues format, known as "Waterfront Blues Radio."
 | |
| City | Portland, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Portland metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 92.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 92-3 KGON |
| Slogan | Portland's Classic Rock |
| Programming | |
| Format | FM/HD1: Classic rock HD2: Blues "Waterfront Blues Radio" |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Entercom (Entercom License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | KFXX, KNRK, KYCH, KWJJ, KRSK, KMTT, KFXX |
| History | |
| First air date | December 6, 1967 (as KLIQ-FM) February 1, 1974 (as KGON) |
| Former call signs | KLIQ-FM (1967-1973) |
| Call sign meaning | K OreGON |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 2432 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 97,000 watts (100,000 watts with beam tilt) |
| HAAT | 386 meters (1266 ft) |
| Transmitter coordinates | 45°29′20″N 122°41′40″W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen Live (HD2) |
| Website | KGON.com |
KGON's offices and studios are located south of Downtown Portland on Bancroft Street.[2] The transmitter site is in the city's Southwest Hills district, off SW Seymour Street.[3] KGON has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 97,000 watts (100,000 watts with beam tilt). It covers much of Northwestern Oregon and Southwestern Washington.
Programming
KGON competes with iHeartMedia-owned "The Brew" 105.9 KFBW. The Brew plays mostly rock from the 1980s, 90s and a few 2000s titles, while KGON goes back as far as The Beatles for some selections and rarely plays titles later than 1990. At 10 p.m. on weeknights, KGON carries "The Mens Room," a syndicated hot talk show from co-owned KISW in Seattle. The rest of KGON's weekday schedule is made up of local DJs.
Station History
The station signed on the air on December 6, 1967 as KLIQ-FM.[4] It was the FM counterpart to AM 1290 KLIQ, which is no longer on the air. The two stations were owned by the Cascade Broadcasting Company and simulcast a talk radio format. But because KLIQ was a daytimer, programming could only be heard on KLIQ-FM after dark.
In 1973, as more people bought radios that received FM stations, KLIQ-FM changed ownership. It was bought by KYXI, Incorporated, the same firm that owned AM 1520 KYXI (now KQRR).[5] The new owners changed the format to album-oriented rock, with the new call sign KGON. That put KGON in competition with 101.9 KINK, which went on the air in 1968 as a freeform radio station, along with 106.7 KQIV, which signed on in 1972 playing progressive rock. KGON was programmed with a more structured format, playing only the most popular tracks from the top-selling rock albums.
KGON's new format debuted on February 1, 1974, with "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles as its first song.[6] It would continue in this direction until November 4, 1992, when it shifted to its current classic rock direction.
In 1992, KGON and AM 1520 KYXI were bought by Apogee Communications for $5.5 million.[7] In 1995, the station changed hands after just three years when Entercom acquired KGON.[8]
References
- "KGON Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- KGON.radio.com/contact-us
- Radio-Locator.com/KGON
- Broadcasting Yearbook 1969 page B-140
- Broadcasting Yearbook 1975 page C-157
- "The History of KGON: A Work In Progress" Archived 2011-08-12 at the Wayback Machine Iris Harrison, blogs.kgon.com (September 2, 2009)
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 page B-340
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1996 page B-347
External links
- KGON in the FCC's FM station database
- KGON on Radio-Locator
- KGON in Nielsen Audio's FM station database