KLAX-FM (97.9 FM) is an American commercial radio station located in East Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. It is owned by Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS). KLAX-FM airs a regional Mexican music format branded as "". The station has studios in Los Angeles, and its transmitter is based in Glendale.

History

KNOB

The station began broadcasting on April 22, 1949, holding the call sign KNOB. It originally broadcast at 103.1 MHz and was licensed to Long Beach, California. Its owner was Sleepy Stein, who was able to get permission from the Federal Communications Commission for a power increase by switching the frequency to 97.9 in 1958. It broadcast from a studio at their transmitter site atop Signal Hill, near Long Beach Airport.

KNOB would later air a beautiful music format. In the early 1980s, the station began airing a syndicated MOR format.

KSKQ-FM

In 1988, KNOB was sold to Spanish Broadcasting System for $15 million and its call sign was changed to KSKQ-FM. The station aired a Spanish-language adult contemporary format.

KLAX-FM

In 1992, under the direction of general manager Alfredo Rodriguez, KSKQ-FM was turned into a Banda music station, KLAX-FM, branded "". In January 1993, KLAX-FM became the most-listened-to station in the market, the first Spanish-language station in Los Angeles to achieve this. In 2002, KLAX dropped the contemporary hits and went to a more focused regional format as "". In March 2017, KLAX began carrying the morning show hosted by Terry "El Terrible" Cortez, Kristel "La Kristy" Yañez, and Johnny "El Perro" Orta, of WLEY-FM, "" in Chicago. The program also airs on KRZZ in San Francisco. The event drew an estimated 500,000 participants and was a springboard to further similar events held throughout the United States. The protesters marched in opposition to H.R. 4437, a proposal Congressional law that would theoretically make illegal immigration to the U.S. more difficult. Coello received attention in various media following the original protests, including an appearance on Tom Leykis' English-language radio talk show.

References

  • KLAX-FM official website