KIST-FM (107.7 FM, "Radio Bronco") is a commercial

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

that is

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Carpinteria, California Carpinteria (; es, Carpintería, meaning "Carpentry") is a small seaside city in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, it had a population of 13,264 at the 2020 U ...

and broadcasts to the Santa Barbara

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...

. The station is owned by

Rincon Broadcasting Point Broadcasting LLC is an American radio broadcasting company based in Ventura, California. The company is the owner of several radio groups in Southern California, doing business as Gold Coast Broadcasting LLC in the Oxnard—Ventura radio mar ...

and airs a

regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mexico ...

music

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

. The KIST-FM studios and offices are on East Cota Street in Santa Barbara. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...

is off West Camino Cielo, near other FM and TV towers, in the hills north of Santa Barbara. KIST-FM also uses a 70-

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

translator station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

, K274CJ (102.7 FM) in Santa Barbara.

History

KIST-FM first

signed on Signing may refer to: * Using sign language * Signature A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...

in February 1998 as KLDZ-FM with an

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

format branded "Cool Oldies 107.7". It launched as a

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...

of AM sister station

KLDZ KLDZ (103.5 FM, "Kool 103.5") is a radio station licensed to serve Medford, Oregon, United States. The station is owned by Bicoastal Media. It airs a classic hits music format. KOOL 103.5 personalities include market vets Don Hurley and Casey Bak ...

(1340 AM) before the latter flipped formats to

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

. In May 1998, Citicasters, Inc., part of

Jacor Communications Jacor Communications was a media corporation, existing between 1987 and 1999, which owned many radio stations in the United States. In 1998, Jacor was purchased by Clear Channel Communications, now iHeartMedia, for $2.8 billion. Jacor Communicat ...

, purchased KIST and KLDZ-FM for $1.5 million. The AM station changed its

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

to KXXT and the FM outlet assumed the KIST call letters. In May 1999, Jacor merged with

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

, which would own KIST-FM until 2007. In March 2000,

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 ...

-owned

KKSB KKSB is a radio station licensed and broadcasting to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, on 1230 kHz AM. The station airs a news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely ...

(106.3 FM) in Santa Barbara adopted a

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

(CHR) format. In response, Clear Channel flipped KIST-FM to top 40 with the branding " KISS 107 FM"; the station featured on-air personality

Rick Dees Rigdon Osmond Dees III (born March 14, 1950), best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show '' The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Coun ...

from sister station

KIIS-FM KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglomer ...

in Los Angeles during

morning drive Drive time is the daypart in which radio broadcasters can reach the most people who listen to car radios while driving, usually to and from work, or on public transportation. Drive-time periods are when the number of radio listeners in this c ...

. Clear Channel won the head-to-head CHR battle with Cumulus as KKSB flipped to oldies within two years. However, on September 8, 2004, KIST-FM changed to a

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...

format known as "FM 107.7". On January 11, 2007, Clear Channel Communications sold all of its radio stations in Santa Barbara, including KIST-FM, to

for $17.3 million. Five days later, KIST-FM's format was changed to

under the branding of "Radio Bronco". On December 15, 2009, KIST-FM changed its call letters to KQIE. Two months later, on February 10, 2010, the station reverted to KIST-FM. On July 20, KIST-FM again changed its call letters to KFYZ. That switch was also temporary, as KFYZ restored the KIST-FM call sign on September 10. The KFYZ call letters were transferred to its sister station at

94.5 FM The following radio broadcasting, radio stations broadcast on FM broadcasting, FM frequency 94.5 MHz: Argentina * Radio María in Chascomús, Buenos Aires * Radio María in Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz * Radio María in Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz ...

on December 23, 2010 when that station flipped to a top 40 format.

References

External links

* * {{coord, 34.503, N, 119.850, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title IST-FM Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States Carpinteria, California IST-FM Radio stations established in 1998 1998 establishments in California