KTAP (1600 AM, "Radio Ranchito") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Santa Maria, California and serves the Santa Maria—Lompoc area. The station is owned by Emerald Wave Media and broadcasts a regional Mexican radio format. KTAP is rebroadcast on FM translator K225CG at 92.9 FM in Santa Maria.
Broadcast area | Santa Maria—Lompoc, California |
---|---|
Frequency | 1600 kHz |
Branding | Radio Ranchito |
Programming | |
Format | Regional Mexican |
Ownership | |
Owner | Emerald Wave Media |
KIDI-FM, KRTO | |
History | |
First air date | June 10, 1962 (as KWHL) |
Former call signs | KWHL (1962) KHER (1962–1967) KZON (1967–1986) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 6142 |
Class | D |
Power | 470 watts day 26 watts night |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°58′48″N 120°27′12″W / 34.98000°N 120.45333°W |
Translator(s) | 92.9 K225CG (Santa Maria, California) |
The station originally was assigned the call sign KWHL by the Federal Communications Commission, but it first signed on June 10, 1962 as KHER.[1][2][3] The station adopted the KZON call letters in 1967.[4]
In August 1986, KZON changed its call letters to KTAP.[5]
In May 1989, Leo Kesselman sold KTAP to Buenos Diaz Broadcasting Inc., owned by Eduardo Diaz, for $425,000.[6] However, the station would return to Kesselman's possession only two years later.[7]
In March 1996, Kesselman's Boardwalk Broadcasting Company announced a sale of KTAP and sister station KIDI-FM to Hispanic Radio Partners L.P. for $550,000;[8] however, just eight months later in November, Boardwalk sold the combo to Emerald Wave Media for $475,000.[9] In February 2002, Emerald Wave president George Ruiz bought out his partner's shares, taking sole ownership of the station pair for $260,000. KIDI-FM aired a regional Mexican format at the time.[10]
In April 2016, Emerald Wave Media purchased an FM translator in Visalia, California from Living Proof, Inc. for $28,000. The translator was relocated to Santa Maria and began rebroadcasting KTAP as K225CG at 92.9 FM.[11]
On January 18, 2010, high winds in the Point Sal area caused a power outage that knocked 11 of 14 local radio stations (including KTAP) off the air. Using generators, KTAP quickly resumed broadcasting.[12]