KLFE

KLFE (1590 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a conservative talk radio format. Licensed to Seattle, Washington, United States, it serves the Seattle metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications. KLFE's studios are located on 5th Avenue South in Seattle, while its 4-tower transmitter array is located on Bainbridge Island.

KLFE
CitySeattle, Washington
Broadcast areaSeattle metropolitan area
Frequency1590 kHz
BrandingAM 1590 The Answer
SloganNews. Opinion. Insight.
Programming
FormatTalk
Ownership
OwnerSalem Communications
(Inspiration Media, Inc.)
Sister stationsKGNW, KKOL, KKMO, KNTS
History
First air date1956
Former call signsKTIX (1956-1962)[1]
KETO (1962-1968)[1]
KSND (1968-1970)[1]
KUUU (1970-1977)[1]
KZOK (1977[1]-1982, 1989-1994)[2]
KJET (1982-1988)
KQUL (1988-1989)[2]
KPOZ (1994-1995)[2]
Call sign meaningK LiFE
Technical information
Facility ID12031
ClassB
Power20,000 watts day
5,000 watts night
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websiteam1590theanswer.com

History

1590 went on the air on September 10, 1956 as KTIX with a full-service format that operated only during daytime hours (and would upgrade to full-time status two years later) under the ownership of Gordon Allen, who would sell the station to broker Hugh Ben LaRue. In 1962, William Boeing bought the station, flipped it to a country format and took the call letters KETO. The station also launched an FM counterpart on 101.5 (now KPLZ-FM). Boeing would then sell the station to Weaver-Davis Broadcasting. The station then shifted to Adult Contemporary as KSND. In 1970, the callsign changed to KUUU,[1] and rebranded as "KU16". At the time, a daytime transmitter in South Seattle and a nighttime transmitter on Bainbridge Island was needed, due to the need of a shaped antenna pattern so as to not interfere with co-channel KTIL in Netarts, Oregon. Sterling Recreation Organization bought KUUU and became a sister station with KZOK-FM in 1975, with the call letters changing to KZOK in 1977, and flipped to an Oldies format as "Solid Gold 16 KZOK". On May 31, 1982, at Midnight, 1590 became KJET with an Alternative Rock format, which was starting to emerge in popularity at the time.[3][4][5][6][7][8] The first song on "KJET" was "I Love Rock & Roll" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The station gained immediate popularity with its primary target audience of young adults, as the market did not have an alternative station on FM radio, which was where most music formats were migrating towards. In addition, the station also had a following outside of Seattle, particularly at night, due to its signal strength, where it was receivable in Eastern Washington and as far north as Alaska. However, due to financial troubles, KJET signed off at 3 p.m. on September 23, 1988, with "Through Being Cool" by Devo as the final song.[9][10] After that, the station became KQUL, with a 1950s/60s oldies format, and was completely satellite-fed from the "Kool Gold" network.[11] (Adams Communications bought the station in 1989, with Chrysler Capital Corporation buying the station in December 1992 due to Adams' bankruptcy.) KQUL would change its call letters back to KZOK in November 1989, and on February 1, 1990, KZOK-AM became Seattle's home for the Z-Rock network, which then changed to a simulcast of KZOK-FM in October 1993.[12] On September 8, 1994, after Chrysler Capital sold the station to current owner Salem Communications, KZOK-AM became KPOZ with a "positive Country" format, which would later transition to Christian music.[13][14] The KLFE call letters came into effect on August 1, 1995. Brokered Russian programming would be added in 2000.

On November 15, 2010, KLFE switched to its current conservative talk format, featuring hosts such as Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Dennis Miller, Hugh Hewitt, and Mark Levin. Salem's own Michael Medved, based in Seattle, is not heard on the station due to his existing contract with KTTH.[15] In August 2014, Salem Radio announced a name change to "AM 1590 The Answer", following suit with most of the other conservative talk radio stations operated by Salem nationwide.

gollark: That actually happened on esolangs.
gollark: > i will transfer ownership if you can get 50 votes in 1 year. no using bots, accounts joined after this poll, or voting for multiple people.
gollark: Anyway, I'm gläd you're paying attention to the rules.
gollark: Well, sort of - in context more like antibee speech, like homophobia.
gollark: Er, 560.

References
  1. History Cards for KLFE, fcc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  2. Call Sign History, fcc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
  3. Waldbillig, Larry (23 April 2014). "History's Dumpster: Seattle's KJET AM 1600". historysdumpster.blogspot.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  4. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1982/RR-1982-06-18.pdf
  5. Seattle Scene (7 December 2009). "KJET AM 1590 - TV Promo". Retrieved 21 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  6. James Eaton (12 March 2009). "KJET Commercial". Retrieved 21 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  7. Other River Music Video (20 November 2011). "KJET 1600 AM - TV commercial". Retrieved 21 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  8. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Mediatrix/Mediatrix-Seattle-1986.pdf
  9. HistoryMediaHistory (12 February 2011). "Trouble Looms for Seattle's KJET (KOMO TV News, January 13, 1988)". Retrieved 21 April 2018 – via YouTube.
  10. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1988/RR-1988-09-30.pdf
  11. "Norm Gregory Radio Scrapbook: KZOK AM 1590 Cool Gold 1989". normgregory.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  12. "Living - Sonic Boom: Kzok-Am Turns Up The Volume - Seattle Times Newspaper". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  13. "Business - Kzok-Fm Sold To Virginia Company - Seattle Times Newspaper". community.seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  14. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-07-01.pdf
  15. Completing The Seattle Trifecta: Salem To Add Conservative Talker Radio Insight. November 12, 2010. Accessed November 14, 2010

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