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KDOW (1220
kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...
) is a commercial AM
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 ...
broadcasting a financial news/talk format.
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 ...
to
Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...
, United States, the station serves the greater
San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
. The station is owned by the
Salem Media Group Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher formerly based in Camarillo, California (moved most operations to Ir ...
(SCA-Palo Alto, LLC). The station was founded in 1949 with call sign KIBE. Purchased by Sundial Broadcasting in 1953, KIBE began simulcasting the classical music programming of co-owned FM station
KDFC-FM KDFC (90.3 FM) is a non-commercial radio station in San Francisco, California, that broadcasts classical music 24 hours daily. It is owned by the University of Southern California. KDFC is the radio home of the San Francisco Symphony and the S ...
; KIBE eventually picked up the KDFC call sign in 1984. The KDFC AM station was sold in 1997 and changed to KBPA. Since then, the station has had a variety of talk formats and call signs. In 1999, KBPA became KBZS and changed to a business talk format for the first time. As KSFB, the station had a Christian talk format from 2001 to 2004. The station then changed to a general news/talk format in 2004 with call sign KNTS. By 2008, KNTS became KDOW and returned to its previous business format. Outside of a local morning talk show, much of KDOW's programming is nationally syndicated, such as '' Investor's Edge with Gary Kaltbaum'', or
brokered programming Brokered programming (also known as time-buy and blocktime) is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot comm ...
paid by local financial advisors or business consultants. KDOW also broadcasts some local college sports, specifically
San Jose State Spartans football The San Jose State Spartans football team represents San Jose State University, San José State University in NCAA Division I NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference. History ...
and
Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball The Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball team represents Santa Clara University in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The team plays home games at the Leavey Center in Santa Clara, California and have been members of the West Coast Confere ...
.


History


As KIBE and KDFC (1949–1997)

The station was first licensed on October 4, 1949, as KIBE, owned and operated by Donald K. Deming and Millard Kibbe, founders of the D&K Broadcasting Company. KIBE signed on as a daytime only station operating with 250 watts. Among its early programming was ''Stanford Roundtable'', a talk show featuring students from nearby
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
. In September 1950, Deming and Kibbe sold KIBE to J.B. Rhodes, then owner of Associated Grocers, for $45,000. KIBE increased its power to 1 kW in 1952. In April 1953, Rhodes sold KIBE to Sundial Broadcasting Corporation for $60,000. KIBE began
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 ...
ing Sundial's classical music FM station
KDFC KDFC (90.3 FM) is a non-commercial radio station in San Francisco, California, that broadcasts classical music 24 hours daily. It is owned by the University of Southern California. KDFC is the radio home of the San Francisco Symphony and the San ...
in October 1953. KIBE increased its power again in 1965, from 1 kW to 5 kW. On March 1, 1984, the call signs changed to KDFC. By 1987, KDFC began broadcasting at night, with 145 watts of power.


As KBPA (1997–1999)

In the summer of 1997, PAR Holdings bought three stations, including KDFC. On August 29, 1997, KDFC became KBPA and changed its format to a
talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
format with the syndicated Personal Achievement Radio network, which specialized in self-help and inspirational programming. Beginning 1997, KBPA broadcast local women's basketball from
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
and the professional team
San Jose Lasers The San Jose Lasers were a women's professional basketball team in San Jose, California. It was a member of the American Basketball League. Their home games were primarily held at the San Jose State Event Center with an occasional game being p ...
. Then in 1998, KBPA added ''
Sports Byline USA Sports Byline USA is an international sports radio network based in the United States. ''Sports Byline USA'' is also the name of the flagship program on the network. It was the first national sports talk show and was launched on October 24, 1988. ...
'' to its lineup.


As KBZS (1999–2001)

On February 15, 1999, the station became KBZS and changed its format to
business news Business journalism is the part of journalism that tracks, records, analyzes and interprets the business, economic and financial activities and changes that take place in societies. Topics widely cover the entire purview of all commercial activi ...
and financial advice; its previous personal achievement talk shows moved to evenings. Its studios were in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
at the corner of Sansome Street and The Embarcadero. Morning and afternoon drive hours had local shows, including the two-hour ''Stock Talk with Rob Black'' at 5 p.m.; nationally syndicated programs included
Ray Lucia Raymond Joseph Lucia, Sr. is an American former Certified Financial Planner, former Registered Investment Advisor, author, radio personality and television host. He is host of ''The Ray Lucia Show'', a nationally syndicated radio and television fi ...
's ''On the Money'' and '' The Wade Cook Show''. During the 1999–2000 season, KBZS broadcast San Jose State University men's basketball games. KBZS began broadcasting the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
in December 1999 after KDFC dropped the show for not being able to carry it on tape delay.


As KSFB (2001–2004)

Purchased by
Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher formerly based in Camarillo, California (moved most operations to Ir ...
, KBZS became KSFB on July 24, 2001 and changed from business talk to Christian talk. The previous business talk format moved to
KDIA KDIA (1640 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Vallejo, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and broadcasts a Christian talk and teaching radio format. Salem also owns KFAX 1 ...
1640. Beginning in 2003, KSFB broadcast select
San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants ga ...
minor league baseball and Santa Clara University men's basketball. In March 2004, KSFB renewed with the San Jose Giants and changed its nighttime format to sports, beginning with a local sports talk show hosted by Carolyn Burns and the
Sporting News Radio SportsMap is a sports radio Radio network, network that is distributed by Gow Media. The SportsMap Radio Network supplies its network affiliates with a 24-hour schedule of sports programming, including call-in shows and sports updates. Over its h ...
network during overnights.


As KNTS (2004–2008)

On July 1, 2004, the station became KNTS and changed to a
news/talk Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
format four days later with much of its weekday schedule consisting of the
Salem Radio Network Salem Radio Network is a United States-based radio network that specializes in syndicated Christian political talk, music, and conservative secular news/talk programming. It is a division of the Salem Media Group. Network information Salem Rad ...
lineup, including '' The Dennis Prager Show'' and '' The Michael Medved Show''. With a contract renewal, KNTS was the radio home of San Jose Giants baseball for the third straight year. The Giants won the 2005
California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...
title. KNTS made some more sports programming changes later in 2005. In August, KNTS became the flagship station for San Jose State
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and basketball; the football games returned to San Jose's
KLIV KLIV (1590 AM broadcasting, AM) is a broadcast radio station in the United States. Licensed to San Jose, California, KLIV serves San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley with a Vietnamese language, Vietnamese format simulcasting KVVN. It is one of the ...
in 2006, but KNTS continued carrying basketball games until the 2007–08 season. By the fall, KNTS dropped Carolyn Burns's sports show. In November 2005, the FCC granted KNTS 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 ...
to increase its power to 50 kW day and night and use a transmitter in Hayward. KNTS became the San Jose affiliate of the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The te ...
in February 2006. The A's dropped KNTS after the 2006 season for FM station KIFR.


As KDOW (2008–present)

On July 1, 2008, 1220 AM picked up its present call letters KDOW, resuming its previous business news and financial advice format. At the request of KDOW's license holder
Salem Communications Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher formerly based in Camarillo, California (moved most operations to Ir ...
, the FCC cancelled the 2005 construction permit in November 2008, restoring KDOW's operating power to 5 kW day and 145 W night. In July 2009, the city of Hayward rejected a plan to build four 200-foot radio towers for KDOW near the Hayward Regional Shoreline park. The towers would have allowed KDOW to have a stronger signal for a $5 million one-time fee in addition to an annual $60,000 lease. Rob Black, who previously hosted ''Stock Talk'' on KBZS, returned to the station on October 12, 2010 with a morning drive financial talk show, ''Rob Black and Your Money''. Black previously hosted a show on
KNEW KNEW may refer to: * The ICAO code for New Orleans Lakefront Airport, located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States * KNEW (AM), a radio station on 960 kHz, licensed to San Francisco, California, United States, that carries the KNEW call s ...
. Beginning in 2013, KDOW began carrying fewer Santa Clara games as KLIV picked up more Santa Clara games. KDOW broadcast only one Santa Clara game in the 2016–17 season. Beginning in 2017, KDOW broadcast the majority of Santa Clara basketball games, with sister station
KTRB KTRB (860 AM) is a commercial radio station in San Francisco, California. The station has a talk radio format, airing programming from the Salem Radio Network, using the slogan "860 AM The Answer." KTRB is owned by Salem Media Group, through lic ...
occasionally carrying others. On May 15, 2015, KDOW announced that it took over the radio broadcast rights to the
San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
of the
Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
. On September 11, 2015,
San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
minor league affiliate
San Jose Barracuda The San Jose Barracuda are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that began play in the 2015–16 season. The team will play at Tech CU Arena beginning in the 2022-23 season. The Barracuda is a relocation of the ...
signed a radio deal with KDOW to broadcast their games. For the first time since 2005, KDOW resumed broadcasting San Jose State football games in 2020. But in 2021, KDOW broadcast only one San Jose State football game, while the rest were on KTRB.


Operations

KDOW is owned by
Salem Media Group Salem Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SALM; formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher formerly based in Camarillo, California (moved most operations to Ir ...
along with two other AM stations,
KFAX KFAX (1100 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to San Francisco, California, and heard around the Bay Area. , the station is owned by Salem Media Group and programs a Christian radio teaching and talk format. The studios and offices ar ...
and
KTRB KTRB (860 AM) is a commercial radio station in San Francisco, California. The station has a talk radio format, airing programming from the Salem Radio Network, using the slogan "860 AM The Answer." KTRB is owned by Salem Media Group, through lic ...
. The stations' studios and offices are in Fremont, and its
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 in
East Palo Alto East Palo Alto (abbreviated E.P.A.) is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of East Palo Alto was 30,034. It is situated on the San Francisco Peninsula, roughly halfway between the cities of ...
west of the Dumbarton Bridge. See als
KDOW transmitter map
via Google Maps.
KDOW broadcasts at 5,000
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 ...
s during the day and 145 watts at night. KDOW has a 40-watt translator station in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, K237GZ (95.3 FM), which was licensed on March 17, 2020.


Programming


Business talk

The station features a variety of news, business, and financial talk shows, including nationally syndicated shows '' America in the Morning'', '' Investor's Edge with Gary Kaltbaum'', and ''Market Wrap with Moe Ansari''. KDOW also has some locally produced shows, including ''Rob Black and Your Money'' in morning drive and some
brokered time Brokered programming (also known as time-buy and blocktime) is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot comm ...
shows hosted by local financial advisors or business consultants.


Sports

Having broadcast
San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...
football and basketball games in various stints since 1999, KDOW resumed broadcasting San Jose State football in 2020. KDOW has broadcast Santa Clara University men's basketball games since 2003.


References


External links

* {{Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball navbox
DOW Dow or DOW may refer to: Business * Dow Jones Industrial Average, or simply the Dow, a stock market index * Dow Inc., an American commodity chemical company ** Dow Chemical Company, a subsidiary, an American multinational chemical corporation ...
DOW Dow or DOW may refer to: Business * Dow Jones Industrial Average, or simply the Dow, a stock market index * Dow Inc., an American commodity chemical company ** Dow Chemical Company, a subsidiary, an American multinational chemical corporation ...
Business talk radio stations Radio stations established in 1949 1949 establishments in California Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball Salem Media Group properties San Jose State Spartans football Mass media in San Jose, California