KUFW (FM)

KUFW (106.3 FM) is a radio station licensed to Kingsburg, California, serving the San Joaquin Valley, and owned by the Cesar Chavez Foundation. Recently flipping from EMF ownership and Air 1's Christian worship music programming, it is now a member station of the Regional Mexican "La Campesina" network.

KUFW
CityKingsburg, California
Broadcast areaKingsburg / Fresno, California
Frequency106.3 MHz
BrandingLa Campesina 106.3
Programming
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
OwnerFarmworker Educational Radio
(Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc.)
Sister stationsKBHH
History
First air date1992
Former call signsKJET (1989-1994)
KLVS (1994-1997)
KLVK (1997-2000)
KFYE (2000-2007)
KSXE (2007)
KVPW (2007-2019)[1]
Call sign meaningUnited Farm Workers
(trade union supporting the station)
Technical information
Facility ID18860
ClassB1
ERP16,000 watts
HAAT128 meters (420 ft)
Translator(s)K296GH 107.1 MHz Porterville
Links
Websitecampesina.com

History

Early years, first EMF ownership

The station signed on in 1992, and was originally owned by the Educational Media Foundation, and was an affiliate of its religious K-Love network, airing a CCM format. This would continue until May 2004, when it was sold to Mapleton Communications and changed formats.

Sexy 106.3

In 2006, the station was sold again to ProActive Communications. After the completion of the sale, KFYE switched to a stunt format it dubbed Porn Radio, featuring sexually-suggestive songs, and non-sexual songs with moaning sound effects added to them. The station launched a rhythmic adult contemporary format as Sexy 106.3 on August 3, 2006.[2][3] The format initially featured a mix of rhythmic songs, and also included some Latin rhythmic music and rock en español to appeal to the local Hispanic population. On March 30, 2007, KFYE changed its calls to KSXE to match the Sexy moinker.[4] Later that year, the station would segue away from rhythmic AC in favor of a rhythmic-leaning Top 40/CHR format.

Power 106.3

On October 30, 2007, the station re-branded as Power 106.3, later changing its calls to KVPW to match the new branding. The following month, MackNificent Broadcasting announced its intent to acquire KVPW.[5][6] On July 14, 2008, the station switched to rhythmic contemporary, maintaining the Power branding.[7]

In October 2008, MackNificent pulled out of a local marketing agreement intended to lead towards its sale. At the same time, the station dropped its airstaff. Later that month, ProActive filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ProActive market coordinator Ed Monson accused MackNificent of not paying the station's bills; MackNificent owner Greg Mack denied the claim, stating that he allowed the sale to fall through so that its owner could "work his way out of his own problems" (alluding to ProActive defaulting on its purchases of Spokane's KQQB-FM and KAZZ, which prompted the stations to be taken off the air and returned to prior ownership).[8][9]

Second EMF ownership

In early-2009, the Educational Media Foundation filed to buy back the station.[10] In June 2009, the station was briefly taken off the air due to a lease dispute with the EMF as tower owner (who claimed that it had defaulted on payments).[11] In February 2010, a trustee filed to take the station's license.[12] The EMF consummated the purchase on June 30, 2010, and the station returned to religious programming, this time, as part of the Air1 network.[13]

La Campesina 106.3

On August 21, 2019, after being on hold for three years, the deal between the Farmworker Educational Radio Network and EMF to swap KUFW Woodlake/Visalia to EMF for KVPW closed with the companies swapping programming on the two frequencies. KVPW flipped to regional Mexican as La Campesina, while KUFW flipped to K-Love and applied for the call letters KLXY.[14] On August 29, 2019, the KUFW callsign was transferred here.[15] The callsign stands for the United Farm Workers, the trade organization that supports the station.

References
  1. Call Sign History FCC.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. "Christian music station switches to 'all-sex' content". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. 2006-07-28. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  3. "Pro Active Goes Porn Radio On KFYE". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  4. "Some Sexy Fresno Fun". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  5. "KSXE Goes From Sexy To Power". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  6. "Power 106/Fresno Sold To Macknificent". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  7. "Top 40 KVPW Flips Da Script To Rhythmic". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  8. "A Change Of Power In Fresno". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  9. "Troubled Kingsburg station looks for new direction" from Fresno Bee (October 24, 2008)
  10. RBR.com (2009-03-31). "Transactions: 4-01-09". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  11. "KVPW Dark, Seeks New Tower Site". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  12. "Trustee Takes Control Of KVPW License". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  13. Application Search Details FCC.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  14. "La Campesina Returns To Fresno Following Long Pending Sale Closing" from Radio Insight (August 21, 2019)
  15. "Query the REC California FM station database for KUFW". REC Networks. Retrieved 27 September 2019.

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