KUFW (FM)

Summary

KUFW (106.3 MHz) is an FM radio station licensed to Kingsburg, California, serving the San Joaquin Valley, and owned by the Cesar Chavez Foundation. Formerly owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) as an Air 1 station, it is now a member station of the Regional Mexican "La Campesina" network.

KUFW
Broadcast areaKingsburg / Fresno, California
Frequency106.3 MHz
BrandingLa Campesina 106.3
Programming
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
Owner
  • Farmworker Educational Radio
  • (Chavez Radio Group)
KBHH
History
First air date
1992
Former call signs
  • KJET (1989–1994)
  • KLVS (1994–1997)
  • KLVK (1997–2000)
  • KFYE (2000–2007)
  • KSXE (2007)
  • KVPW (2007–2019)[1]
Call sign meaning
United Farm Workers
(trade union supporting the station)
Technical information
Facility ID18860
ClassB1
ERP16,000 watts
HAAT128 meters (420 ft)
Translator(s)107.1 K296GH (Porterville)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitecampesina.com

History edit

The station signed on in 1992, and was originally owned by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF), airing contemporary Christian music from its K-Love network. In 2004, EMF reached an agreement to sell the station to Mapleton Communications for $2 million; the sale contained a clause requiring the payment of an additional $500,000 fee to EMF if the station is resold within the next three years.[2] In 2006, EMF instead sold the station to ProActive Communications for $2.75 million.[3]

Sexy 106.3 edit

After the completion of the sale, KFYE began stunting as Porn Radio, playing sexually-suggestive songs (such as "I'm Too Sexy" and "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"), and non-sexual songs with moaning sound effects added to them. This led into the station's relaunch as rhythmic adult contemporary Sexy 106.3 on August 3, 2006.[4][5]

The format initially featured a mix of rhythmic songs, and also included some Latin rhythmic music and rock en español to appeal to the local Hispanic population. On March 30, 2007, after a brief stunt that falsely implied a "goodbye" to the Sexy format, KFYE changed its call letters to KSXE to match the new moniker.[6]

Power 106.3 edit

On October 30, 2007, the station re-branded as Power 106.3, later changing its calls to KVPW to match the new branding. The following month, MackNificent Broadcasting announced its intent to acquire KVPW.[7][8] On July 14, 2008, the station switched to rhythmic contemporary, maintaining the Power branding.[9]

In October 2008, MackNificent pulled out of a local marketing agreement intended to lead towards its sale. At the same time, the station dropped its airstaff. Later that month, ProActive filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ProActive market coordinator Ed Monson accused MackNificent of not paying the station's bills; MackNificent owner Greg Mack denied the claim, stating that he allowed the sale to fall through so that its owner could "work his way out of his own problems" (alluding to ProActive defaulting on its purchases of Spokane's KQQB-FM and KAZZ, which prompted the stations to be taken off the air and returned to prior ownership).[10][11]

Second EMF ownership edit

In early-2009, EMF filed to buy back the station.[12] In June 2009, the station was briefly taken off the air due to a lease dispute with EMF as tower owner (who claimed that it had defaulted on payments).[13] In February 2010, a trustee filed to take the station's license.[14] EMF consummated the purchase on June 30, 2010, and the station returned to Christian music, this time, as part of the Air1 network.[15]

La Campesina 106.3 edit

On August 21, 2019, after being on hold for three years, the deal between the Farmworker Educational Radio Network and EMF to swap KUFW Woodlake/Visalia to EMF for KVPW closed with the companies swapping programming on the two frequencies. KVPW flipped to regional Mexican as La Campesina, while KUFW flipped to K-Love and applied for the call letters KLXY.[16] On August 29, 2019, the KUFW callsign was transferred here.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ Call Sign History FCC.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  2. ^ "RBR's Morning E-Paper". www.rbr.com. 2004-04-14. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  3. ^ "Deals". Broadcasting & Cable. 2006-04-08. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  4. ^ "Christian music station switches to 'all-sex' content". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. 2006-07-28. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  5. ^ "Pro Active Goes Porn Radio On KFYE". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  6. ^ "Some Sexy Fresno Fun". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  7. ^ "KSXE Goes From Sexy To Power". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  8. ^ "Power 106/Fresno Sold To Macknificent". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  9. ^ "Top 40 KVPW Flips Da Script To Rhythmic". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  10. ^ "A Change Of Power In Fresno". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  11. ^ "Troubled Kingsburg station looks for new direction" from Fresno Bee (October 24, 2008)[dead link]
  12. ^ RBR.com (2009-03-31). "Transactions: 4-01-09". Radio & Television Business Report. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  13. ^ "KVPW Dark, Seeks New Tower Site". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  14. ^ "Trustee Takes Control Of KVPW License". All Access. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  15. ^ Application Search Details FCC.gov. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  16. ^ "La Campesina Returns To Fresno Following Long Pending Sale Closing" from Radio Insight (August 21, 2019)
  17. ^ "Query the REC California FM station database for KUFW". REC Networks. Retrieved 27 September 2019.

External links edit

  • KUFW in the FCC FM station database
  • KUFW in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
  • Search | Radio-Info.com

36°26′49″N 119°37′12″W / 36.447°N 119.620°W / 36.447; -119.620