KBOX (104.1
FM, "Pirate Radio 104.1") is a commercial
radio station that is
licensed to
Lompoc, California and serves the
Santa Maria—Lompoc area. The station is owned by
American General Media and broadcasts an
adult hits format. It is programmed locally with support from Radiocrunch and is no longer featuring programming provided via satellite by
Westwood One.
History
The station first signed on December 24, 1968 as KLOM-FM on the 92.7
FM frequency. Originally, the station was owned by Communications Corporation of America and broadcast a
middle of the road music
Middle of the road (also known by its acronym MOR) is a commercial radio format and popular music genre. Music associated with this term is strongly melodic and uses techniques of vocal harmony and light orchestral arrangements. The format was even ...
format as a
simulcast of its
AM sister station KLOM (1330 AM, now defunct). On October 9, 1975, Communications Corporation of America sold KLOM-AM-FM to Robert D. Janecek for $200,000.
In April 1979, KLOM-FM changed its
call letters to KLPC-FM.
Simultaneously, Janecek sold the station pair to D 'n' T Broadcasting Inc., owned by Richard N. Savage, for $1 million. On August 24, 1984, the station switched its call sign to KXCC-FM.
On July 16, 1986, Golden Coast Broadcasting Inc. sold KXCC-FM to Broadcast Management Consultants Inc. for $750,000. The new owner changed the station's call letters to KBOX on November 1.
On May 31, 1988, KBOX was granted a
construction permit
Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...
for a transmitter that would broadcast on the 104.1 MHz frequency with an
effective radiated power of 5,700
watts at a
height above average terrain of . At the time of the frequency change the following year, the station aired a
soft adult contemporary music format. The station was known as "Lite 104.1".
In 2000,
American General Media took control of KBOX upon closing on its purchase from Broadcast Management Consultants. By 2007, the station adopted an
adult hits format under the branding "Pirate Radio".
On January 18, 2010 at 11:30 a.m., high winds in the Santa Maria area triggered a power outage that knocked several stations off the air, including KBOX. The station resumed broadcasting one hour later under generator power.
References
External links
*
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{{Santa Maria-Lompoc Radio
BOX
A box (plural: boxes) is a container used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small (like a matchbox) or very large (like a shipping box for furniture), and can ...
Santa Barbara County, California
1968 establishments in California
Radio stations established in 1968