KLBM - History

History

KLBM (K "L"and of "B"lue "M"ountains) was founded in 1938 and originally was located on U.S. 30 just outside La Grande's east city limit. Later, the station moved its studios and offices to the Sacajawea Hotel in downtown La Grande. In June 1970, KLBM moved to Cove Avenue.

KLBM also had an FM station, originally known as KFMT, which it purchased in the late 1970s, changing the call letters to KLBM-FM.

For much of its history, KLBM-AM 1450 followed an adult contemporary music format and was affiliated with the ABC radio network. As the only station in La Grande for many years, KLBM offered a wide variety of local programming: "Man on the Street" interviews, live remotes during special events, and coverage of La Grande High School and Eastern Oregon University sports. KLBM was also a longtime member of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University football radio networks, and of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Portland Trail Blazers radio network. In its early days, the station used a "shunt fed" 173 foot self-supporting steel tower.

In 2010 under new program director Shain Bolland, the station decided to add sports back into its programming by adding the Johnny Ballgame Show, a two time award winning daily sports talk program formerly in Moscow, Idaho, hosted by John Mallory. In addition to the Johnny Ballgame Show, KLBM signed contracts to broadcast Oregon State University and Boise State University football and Portland Trail Blazers basketball (NBA).

KLBM is well known for its program, Tradio, a live call-in program in which callers can buy/sell/trade items to each other within the community.

A fallout shelter behind the station at its current location once boasted the resources (food, water and propane-fired electrical generators) to run the AM station remotely on reduced power with a staff of two for 14 days.