KVEC (920 AM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to San Luis Obispo, California, United States and serves the Central Coast of California. The station is owned by American General Media and broadcasts a news/talk radio format featuring a variety of nationally syndicated talk shows as well as a program hosted by Dave Congalton.

KVEC
Broadcast areaSan Luis Obispo County, California
Frequency920 kHz
BrandingNews Talk 920
Programming
FormatNews/talk
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KKAL, KKJG, KSTT-FM, KZOZ
History
First air date
1937 (at 1200)
Former frequencies
  • 1200 kHz (1937–1941)
  • 1230 kHz (1941–1946)
Call sign meaning
Valley Electric Company (original owner)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID10870
ClassB
Power
  • 1,000 watts day
  • 500 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
35°17′58″N 120°40′24″W / 35.29944°N 120.67333°W / 35.29944; -120.67333
Translator(s)96.5 K243CL (San Luis Obispo)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Website920kvec.com

KVEC is rebroadcast on FM translator station K243CL on 96.5 MHz in San Luis Obispo.

History

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KVEC first signed on in 1937[2] on the 1200 kHz frequency. The station originally was owned by Valley Electric Company (hence its call sign), headed by Christina M. Jacobson.[3] In March 1941, under the terms of the NARBA Havana Treaty, KVEC was relocated to 1230 kHz.[4] The station changed frequencies once more in 1946 to 920 kHz.[2][5]

In April 1956, Jacobson sold KVEC and its television sister station KVEC-TV (channel 6) to The Valley Enterprises Company for $450,000. The media company, headed by John C. Cohan, was the owner of KSBW-AM-TV in Salinas, California.[6] Cohan took sole ownership of KVEC and its TV counterpart, then known as KSBY-TV, the following year.[7] In November 1965, Cohen sold KVEC and its three-year-old FM sister station (now KZOZ) to West Coast Broadcasters Inc., majority owned by James L. Sephier, for $360,000.[8] On January 6, 1975, West Coast Broadcasters sold KVEC to Century Broadcasting Company for $500,000.[9]

The 1980s and 1990s saw KVEC face a series of financial troubles and ownership changes. In 1985, Five Cities Broadcasting Inc. purchased the station from the Century Broadcasting Company Liquidating Trust for $500,000 and paired it with KPGA (95.3 FM).[10] However, the following year, Five Cities defaulted on a loan, leading to the involuntary transfer of both stations' licenses to U.S. Media Company.[11] In August 1989, U.S. Media sold news/talk-formatted KVEC to Chorro Communications Inc. for $300,000;[12][13] KPGA was divested separately a month later. In September 1991, Richard Mason sold his 70% stake in Chorro Communications to partner Francis Sheahan for $353,900, granting the latter full control of KVEC. Portions of the proceeds were used to settle a debt owed to Mason and to pay taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service.[14]

In November 2000, Clear Channel Communications purchased KVEC from Chorro for $950,000 as part of a nationwide station buying spree.[15] In July 2007, the station was among 16 Clear Channel outlets in California and Arizona that were sold to El Dorado Broadcasters for $40 million.[16] In early 2016, El Dorado began selling off its Central Coast stations. These divestitures included KVEC, sold to Bakersfield, California-based American General Media for $450,000 that May.[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KVEC". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ a b "Directory of Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1948 Broadcasting/Telecasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1948. p. 92. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1938 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1938. p. 60. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). 1942 Broadcasting Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1942. p. 112. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  5. ^ "FCC History Cards for KVEC" (PDF). FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access. U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  6. ^ "Cohan Buys KVEC-AM-TV; KITO, KAKC Buys Concluded" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. April 23, 1956. p. 92. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  7. ^ "Wrather-Alvarez Buy Of KERO-TV Approved" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. July 22, 1957. p. 88. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 8, 1965. p. 49. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  9. ^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. January 20, 1975. p. 67. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "Five Cities Buys KVEC, KPGA" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 12, 1985. p. 8. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  11. ^ "California station sale challenged" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. November 23, 1987. p. 48. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  12. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. August 28, 1989. p. 55. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  13. ^ "Cole Rolls Into Springfield, MO; Pays $5.25 Million For KWTO-AM & FM" (PDF). Radio & Records. August 25, 1989. p. 10. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  14. ^ "Dugger Deals $2 Million For Jacksonville Combo" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 27, 1991. p. 8. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  15. ^ "SBS Grabs Foursquare Gospel's L.A. Gem" (PDF). Radio & Records. November 10, 2000. p. 6. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  16. ^ "Price For 16 AZ, CA Clear Channel Stations: $40 Million". All Access. All Access Music Group. July 11, 2007. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  17. ^ Venta, Lance (May 13, 2016). "Station Sales Week Of 5/13". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
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