KTTS-FM - History

History

Granville Pearson Ward started the first radio station in the city, WIAI, which began broadcasting educational programming from Heer's Tower downtown in 1922. Store management shut the station down and Ward purchased the transmitter from Heer's and began broadcasting as KFUV in 1927. This station went off the air one year later, but Ward re-entered the radio market in 1942 with KTTS-AM. The source for the call letters was "K)eep T)uned (or Talking) T)o S)pringfield"

In 1948 the station became the first in Southwest Missouri to begin broadcasting on an FM signal (94.7). In March 1953, KTTS-TV, a CBS affiliate, was launched as the city's very first television station. During the 1960s the station was sold and its call letters were changed to KOLR-TV. The KTTS of today was created by Great Empire Broadcasting in the early 1970s. According to (now former) station manager Curt Brown, KTTS aired an adult standardish format until 1972 when the country formats were installed. KTTS-AM aired more classic-type country, and KTTS-FM aired more modern country. In the late 1980s, KTTS-AM traded frequencies with KGBX-AM, moving KTTS from AM 1400 to AM 1260, which gave them a wider signal range, and gave KGBX the money to buy an FM allotment.

Today, AM 1400 is known as KGMY and owned by Clear Channel. In 1999 KTTS-AM became KTTF-AM, and then a short while later, KSGF-AM. Today, the format of KSGF is concentrated on news and talk radio. KSGF and KTTS are still affiliated by the Journal Broadcast Group ownership.