KOY - 1230 KHz in Phoenix

1230 KHz in Phoenix

1230 kHz, and its pre-NARBA predecessor 1200 kHz, has been occupied in Phoenix since 1940.

From sign-on in 1940 to March 1941, KPHO occupied 1200 kHz and was the home of the NBC Blue Network, which later became ABC. Prior to KPHO's sign-on, both NBC Red and NBC Blue network programs aired on KTAR. On March 28, 1941, KPHO and all other stations on 1200 moved to 1230, when NARBA took effect. In 1949, KPHO moved to 910 kHz. 910 was later the home of KJJJ and KFYI, and is now XTRA Sports 910.

In 1950, AM 1230 returned to the air as KRIZ, which became an extremely successful AM top 40 station beginning in the late 1950s. KRIZ died in 1978, replaced by religious broadcaster KFLR. KFLR moved to FM 90.3 in the 1980s (they briefly simulcasted). After that, 1230 was KAMJ, KISP, and KISO prior to becoming KOY in 1999, running adult-contemporary (simulcast on 101.5 for a time), news/talk/sports, and classic country formats. KAMJ was the original home of Rush Limbaugh, before he moved to KFYI.

The 1200/1230 transmitter has been located at 2345 W. Buckeye Rd. in Phoenix since sign-on in 1940. The KRIZ studios were also located there.

In the 1980s KOY-AM also had a sister station, KOY-FM which was known as Y-95. Y-95 was a contemporary hit radio (Top-40) station and was owned by Edens Broadcasting, headed by Gary Edens.