KXXT
Broadcast areaPhoenix area
Frequency1010 kHz
BrandingFamily Values Radio
Programming
FormatChristian radio
Ownership
Owner
KKNT, KPXQ
History
First air date
1962 (as KCAC)
Former call signs
KCAC (1961–1971)
KHCS (1971–1978)
KXEG (1978–2001)
KXEM (2001–2004)
Call sign meaning
X X (1010) Talk (format as a progressive talk outlet)
Technical information
Facility ID54742
ClassB
Power23,000 watts day
9,800 watts critical hours
300 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
33°26′43.00″N 112°12′23.00″W / 33.4452778°N 112.2063889°W / 33.4452778; -112.2063889
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitefamilyvaluesradio1010.com

KXXT (1010 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a Christian talk and instructional format. Licensed to Tolleson, Arizona, United States, the station serves the Phoenix area. KXXT uses the slogan "Family Values Radio" and is owned by Salem Media Group (under the licensee Salem Communications Holding Corporation),[1]

KXXT is co-owned with Talk radio KKNT 960 AM Phoenix and KPXQ 1360 AM in Glendale, which also broadcasts a Christian radio format. KXXT operates with 23,000 watts by day, and can be heard as far south as Tucson and as far north as Cottonwood. But, because 1010 kHz is a Canadian clear channel frequency, KXXT must reduce its power to 300 watts at night to not interfere with other radio stations also operating on 1010 kHz. (AM radio waves travel farther at night.) After sunset, it may be difficult to hear KXXT much beyond Phoenix and its close-in suburbs due to its reduced power. KXXT also uses 9,800 watts during critical hours.

History

KCAC

Harold Lampel and Dawkins Espy received the construction permit for KINK in 1958. Dawkins Espy was involuntarily removed from the license in 1961, at which time the KCAC calls were adopted; the station was sold to KCAC Broadcasting, Inc. in 1962. Construction of the facility began on July 19, 1962.[2]

KCAC's studios were located at 20 E. Broadway, in Phoenix.[3] It was one of the few radio stations in Arizona that were African American-owned and -operated. Among its DJs were Jim Titus, who, while at KRIZ radio in 1958, had become Phoenix's first African-American radio announcer.[4]

KCAC's management decided to change to a Spanish-language format four years later, putting it in competition with KIFN, the original Spanish-language station in Phoenix, but the station was not a success.[5]

KCAC switched to a free-form format when William Edward Compton became its station manager in 1969. He served in that capacity and as a DJ until 1971. In an attempt to describe its free-form format in 1970, a guest columnist in the Arizona Republic described it thus:

Free-form programming as used by KCAC allows the individual announcer complete discretion. This allows some of the innovations in rock air time denied under Top 40 programming, as well as opening the door to other musical forms. A typical show on KCAC will include elements of jazz, blues, folk, classical, hillbilly, country, soul and, of course rock. The absence of prescheduled news programs allows occasional hour-and-a-half collages of uninterrupted music.[6]

In November 1970, KCAC went bankrupt, and it was involuntarily assigned to a receiver. On August 14, 1971, the station went silent. When KCAC went bankrupt in 1971, Compton collaborated with KDKB co-owner Dwight Tindle to "invent" KDKB and its air sound.[7] Several KCAC DJs made the move with Compton to KDKB—including Gary Kinsey (on-air name, Toad Hall) and Hank Cookenboo.[8]

KHCS and KXEG

The 1010 AM frequency was subsequently bought by Golden West Christian School and reemerged as KHCS, with religious programming, in January 1972.[9][10] The station fell back into bankruptcy with Golden West in December 1973, and nearly two years into receivership, the station was finally sold to Harold S. Schwartz and Associates, owners and operators of religious stations. In June 1976, Schwartz put a new, all-solid-state transmitter into service—believed to be the first in the world.[11]

That August, KHCS relocated from Phoenix to Tolleson and increased its power to 1,000 watts; it also began broadcasting at night with 250 watts. KHCS became KXEG on April 13, 1978.[12]

KXEG was primarily a religious station, but it also carried overflow coverage of Arizona State University sports in the late 1980s and 1990s when KTAR had other sports events to carry[13] as well as Grand Canyon University basketball.

As a talk station

KXEG became news-talk KXEM on July 11, 2001 (on the same day, sister station KTKP retained the Christian format and KXEG call letters). On September 7, 2004, the station changed its call sign to the current KXXT, which was accompanied by a format change to Air America progressive talk radio under the name 1010 Talk. In October 2005, owner James Crystal Enterprises sold three stations, including KXXT and KXEG, to Communicom, which mostly owned stations with religious formats.[14] The format change occurred on February 1, 2006;[15] Air America programs would move to KPHX 1480 AM by the end of March.

In January 2011, after the assassination attempt against then-Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords, KXXT national talk show host Steve Sanchez of The Steve Sanchez Show offered 30 minutes of airtime to Westboro Baptist Church in exchange for the Church agreeing not to protest at the funeral of 9-year-old Christina Green who was killed during the assassination attempt.[16]

In June 2014, Salem Communications, a national radio broadcaster focusing on Christian and conservative values programming, purchased KXXT in a bankruptcy auction for $575,000.[17] Salem took full control of the station on October 1.[18]

References

  1. "KXXT Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. "New Radio Station 18th For Valley". The Arizona Republic. 1962-07-20. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  3. Dean, David R. and Jean A. Reynolds (2004). African American Historic Property Survey (PDF). Mesa, AZ: Athenaeum Public History Group. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  4. D'Andrea, Niki (September 2013). "Jazz & Blues". Phoenix Magazine. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  5. Heath, Eward W. (April 10, 1966). "It's A Big Switch KCAC Has Made". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  6. Davis, Mark (August 3, 1970). "Differences Between Rock and Rut". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  7. Tindle, C. Dwight (2011). "Birth Pangs". Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 26, 2013.
  8. Walker, Dave (November 13, 1991). "KDKB at 20". Phoenix NewTimes. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  9. "Phoenix Radio Station Burglarized 2nd Time". Arizona Republic. August 17, 1971. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  10. "KHCS radio has KCAC frequency". Arizona Republic. February 4, 1972. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  11. Bailey, Clarence W. (August 29, 1976). "AM station steps ahead". Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 8, 2019. (Continued)
  12. John J., Harrigan (1978-09-05). "1,000-watt radio station beams from Tolleson". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  13. Cohn, Bob (May 25, 1989). "ASU games to be aired on KXEG". Arizona Republic. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
  14. "AZplace | Format changes could be in the offing for KXXT".
  15. "Radio station sale forces Air America to seek new home".
  16. "Obama: 'The hopes of a nation are here tonight'". CNN January 12, 2011. January 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  17. https://licensing.fcc.gov/cdbs/CDBS_Attachment/getattachment.jsp?appn=101639861&qnum=5040&copynum=1&exhcnum=1
  18. "CDBS Print".
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