XESURF-AM
| Broadcast area | San Diego-Tijuana, Pasadena, California |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 540 (kHz) |
| First air date | May 13, 1991 (concession) |
| Format | Spanish Religion |
| Power | 100 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | SURF (from "The Surf" name 2002-05) |
| Former callsigns | XETIN-AM, XEBACH-AM, XEJAZZ-AM |
| Owner |
Radio Rys, S.A. de C.V.[1] (programmed by Zion Multimedia) |
| Sister stations | KNLA |
| Website | http://www.radiozion.net |
XESURF-AM is a Mexican-licensed radio station. The transmitter site is located near Tijuana, Baja California. The AM station is operated by Zion Multimedia Inc. located in Downey, California, United States. XESURF's signal is heard throughout much of Southern California, including the San Diego and Los Angeles metropolitan area.
History
In the 1940s, 540 kHz was home to KFMB. When KFMB moved up the dial to 760 kHz, the government broadcast authorities in the U.S. and Mexico reserved 540 kHz for a Mexico-based radio station. However, for a few years in the 1980s, there was a U.S.-licensed radio station at this frequency, KSHO in Hesperia, California. That station played Broadway show tunes.
It was not until May 13, 1991 that the concession was awarded for XETIN-AM, which was originally licensed as a 5 kW daytimer and owned by Víctor Manuel Moreno Torres. Ultimately, a Mexican concessionaire took over operation of XETIN for Los Angeles radio station owner Saul Levine.
The station became XEBACH-AM in 1997,[2] broadcasting classical music. The format flip was partly motivated by San Diego's original classical station, KFSD, moving to Escondido at a far lower power. In June 2000, XEBACH became XEJAZZ-AM with a jazz format relayed from 1260 AM in Los Angeles.[3] The format did not last long, and XEJAZZ promptly became XEBACH again in May 2001.[4] In March 2002, motivated by low ratings and the move of the San Diego Opera to KPBS-FM, Saul Levine opted to flip formats, and the station was relaunched with an adult standards format known as The Surf, which aired on newly rechristened XESURF-AM and on KSUR/KGIL/KMZT 1260 in Los Angeles. The station spent much of the mid-2000s simulcasting that station, with adult standards until February 2004, oldies until February 2005, and then adult standards again until October 2006.
In October 2006, the station flipped to a contemporary country music format, simulcasting KMZT sister KKGO FM. In May 2007, the station split to air classic country music as "540 The Zoo".
On November 27, 2007, XESURF changed formats yet again, to its current religious format.
References
- ↑ Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones. Infraestructura de Estaciones de Radio AM. Last modified 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
- ↑ John Freeman, "Classical AM station makes delayed debut", San Diego Union-Tribune April 16, 1997
- ↑ Robert P. Laurence, "XBACH radio changes format, name", San Diego Union-Tribune June 8, 2000
- ↑ Preston Turegano, "Local television and radio", San Diego Union-Tribune December 30, 2001