KTLK (AM) - History

History

KMIC, Inglewood, signed on in 1927. The call letters changed to KMCS in 1930. In 1932, new owners moved what was KRKD to the Spring Arcade building at 541 S. Spring Street in Los Angeles, and the two towers, with "a long-wire flattop transmitting antenna", had the KRKD letters on the side.

From 1928 to 1961, KFSG 1120 shared the KRKD transmitter. The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel bought KRKD to keep from having to share time, airing mostly secular programming. From 6 P.M. to midnight, KRKD aired services from Angelus Temple.

KRKD-FM aired the same programming as the AM station before 1966. After that, the two stations aired the same adult standards programming after 2 in the afternoon and were known as "Your Album Stations of Southern California". On its own KRKD-FM aired theatrical performances, light classical music and opera. At one point, the AM aired college football while the FM kept the album format, and when the games ended, the AM continued the album format and the FM aired theater and opera. Jack Nemo hosted a rock and roll from 10 p.m. to midnight on weekdays.

The birth of KIIS: The Foursquare Church sold KRKD-AM in 1970 (and changed KRKD-FM to KFSG). In 1970, The KRKD-AM call letters were then changed to KIIS to identify it with its AM frequency (1150=IIS). The new owners changed the format to soft rock with jingles performed by Richard and Karen Carpenter. It was known as "the Kiss of California."

In 1975, its owners, Combined Communications, "married" KIIS 1150 AM to their FM station, KKDJ 102.7 FM, in an on air wedding on Charlie Tuna's KKDJ morning show. KKDJ then became known as KIIS FM. The AM and FM stations ("AM and FM, K-Double I S") did simulcasts during the day and reverted to two stations in the evening hours. The combined stations had many popular jocks including Humble Harve, Jay Stevens, Charlie Tuna from KKDJ.

In late 1979, as KIIS FM went to an all disco format, KIIS AM changed its format to religious talk and the station became Christian radio KPRZ ("K-Praise")until 1984 when it again became KIIS AM and simulcast with its sister station, KIIS FM 102.7.

In the early 1980s, KMPC dropped its adult standards format and fired its DJs. Dick Whittinghill, Gary Owens, Johnny Magnus and Pete Smith moved to KPRZ, which took over the KMPC music and called it "The Music of Your Life". Whttinghill would complain about "all that noise down the hall at sister station KIIS-FM". If the door to the KPRZ studios was open, the Top 40 music on KIIS could even be heard in the background on the AM station.

KMPC returned to standards a few years later, which hurt KPRZ. The station ended its standards format New Year's Eve 1984 and became KIIS-AM again. Prior to that, 1150 AM broadcast contemporary hit music as KIIS, and in the mid 80s, it was transmitting its programming in AM stereo, with an AM version of the jingle packages which had been produced for its sister FM station. KIIS carried a virtual simulcast of its programming, although with different DJs, to avoid FCC restrictions on simulcasting.

In 1997, KIIS-AM became sports radio KXTA, the flagship station of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The KIIS call letters would later resurface in Santa Clarita in 1998, with another simulcast of KIIS-FM (that station is now known as KHTS, having changed its call letters in 2003).

XTRA Sports 1150 flipped to Fox Sports 1150 for a time.

In 2003, KXTA, by this time a Clear Channel Communications station, was falling off in the ratings and had lost the Dodgers to KFWB. KXTA flipped back to XTRA Sports, this time on both 1150 AM and 690 AM, the successful XTRA in San Diego.

On February 4, 2005, Clear Channel conducted a far-reaching format swap of three radio stations in the area. The XTRA Sports format moved to AM 570, where it retains its call letters of KLAC. It had the slogan XTRA Sports 570, but is now known as just AM 570. AM 690 took on KLAC's previous format, an adult standards station called The Fabulous 570 and redubbed The Fabulous 690.

On February 4, 2008, KTLK altered several of its time slots. Marc Germain, also known as "Mr. K," was removed from the lineup and replaced by Rachel Maddow from 3 to 6 p.m. Mike Malloy's show was returned to the station. Finally, Phil Hendrie's show was returned to the lineup, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. Ed Schultz was dropped. The station removed its award-winning and popular weeknight show "Harrison on the Edge," hosted by Cary Harrison and produced by Linda Blake on February 27, 2007 after an 18-month run.