KMPH (AM)

Summary

KMPH (840 AM) is a radio station licensed to and serving the Modesto, California area. The station is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc.[2] Its programming is also heard on FM translator K250BR (97.9).

KMPH
Broadcast areaModesto, California
Frequency840 kHz
BrandingRelevant Radio
Programming
FormatCatholic radio
AffiliationsRelevant Radio
Ownership
OwnerRelevant Radio, Inc.
History
First air date
July 10, 2006
Call sign meaning
From former station owners Mike, Pete and Harry Pappas; also used on Fresno sister television station KMPH-TV
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID137401
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
37°42′33.75″N 120°43′37.74″W / 37.7093750°N 120.7271500°W / 37.7093750; -120.7271500
Translator(s)97.9 K250BR (Modesto)
Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
WebcastListen Live
Websiterelevantradio.com

History edit

KMPH signed on in July 2006 with an adult standards and MOR format, with some talk programming.[3][4] It effectively replaced sister station KTRB, which had operated from Modesto since 1933, but had just signed off the previous month in preparation for a move to the San Francisco Bay Area.[4] The station switched to an all-talk format on March 10, 2008.[3][4]

Pappas Telecasting shut KMPH down on August 31, 2010, due to lack of revenue.[3][4]

KMPH later returned to air with brokered programming provided by Paulino Bernal Evangelism of Texas, then temporarily switched to a talk format in May 2013 fed via KOMY (1340 AM) in La Selva Beach, California. On July 1, 2013, KMPH switched to a 1950s and 1960s "Graffiti Gold" oldies format, re-launching as "Modesto's Power House" and drawing on Modesto's connection to hometown hero George Lucas's classic 1973 motion picture, American Graffiti.[5]

On July 30, 2014, Immaculate Heart Radio's Catholic programming began airing on KMPH.[6] IHR's purchase of the station was consummated on October 30, 2014, at a price of $50,000. KMPH flipped to the Relevant Radio branding when IHR Educational Broadcasting and Starboard Media Foundation consummated their merger on June 30, 2017.[7]

Translator edit

Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
K250BR 97.9 FM Modesto, California 143851 250 D 37°38′59.7″N 121°1′27.8″W / 37.649917°N 121.024389°W / 37.649917; -121.024389 (K250BR) LMS

References edit

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KMPH". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "KMPH Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved July 19, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Pappas, Jim P. (August 19, 2010). "An Open Letter to Our Employees, Listeners, Advertisers and Vendors" (PDF). AM 840 KMPH The Patriot. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d "Modesto AM KMPH (840) will turn off the transmitter August 31". Radio-Info.com. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2010.
  5. ^ Per David Jackson, program director of KMPH Radio (July 2013).
  6. ^ "Immaculate Heart Radio broadens scope in Central California". IHR website. August 7, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Relevant Radio and Immaculate Heart Radio Complete Merger Archived July 2, 2017, at the Wayback Machine

External links edit

  • Relevant Radio website
  • KMPH in the FCC AM station database
  • KMPH in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
  • K250BR in the FCC FM station database
  • K250BR at FCCdata.org