KTMS
| Broadcast area | Santa Barbara, California |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 990 (kHz) |
| Branding | "News Talk AM 990" |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks Salem Radio Network Westwood One Network Fox News Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KIST-FM, KOSJ, KSBL, KSPE, KTYD | |
| History | |
First air date | October 31, 1937 (on 1220 AM) |
Former frequencies | 1220 kHz (1937-1941) 1250 kHz (1941-1998) |
Call sign meaning | Thomas More Storke (founder) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 14529 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts (day) 500 watts (night) |
| Translator(s) | 97.9 MHz K250BS (Solimar Beach) |
| Links | |
| Website | KTMS.com |
KTMS (990 kHz, "News Talk AM 990") is a commercial AM radio station in Santa Barbara, California. It is owned by Rincon Broadcasting LS LLC and airs a talk radio format. KTMS is simulcast on FM translator station K250BS at 97.9 MHz in Solimar Beach.[1] The AM transmitter is located north of Santa Barbara, near Rattlesnake Canyon Park.[2]
On weekdays, KTMS mostly carries nationally syndicated talk shows. They include Mike Gallagher, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Chad Benson, Larry Elder, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and America in the Morning with John Trout.[3] Weekends feature shows on health, business, home repair and pets, including some paid brokered programming. Syndicated hosts include Leo Laporte, Kim Komando, Gary Sullivan and Bill Cunningham.
History of KTMS
On October 31, 1937, KTMS first signed on the air on AM 1220, powered at 500 watts.[4] It was founded by Santa Barbara News-Press publisher Thomas More Storke (hence the station call sign). KTMS was an NBC Blue Network affiliate, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, game shows, soap operas and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." Among the programs produced at the station was 1-2-5 Club, which debuted in 1937 and was hosted by disc jockey Bob Ruth for many years.
KTMS moved to AM 1250 in 1941, where it would stay for 57 years.[5] The move was coupled with a power increase to 1,000 watts. When the Blue Network became ABC in 1945, KTMS maintained its affiliation, while also carrying shows from the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Don Lee Network.
In 1965, KTMS acquired an FM radio station, 97.5 KRCW. The station was renamed KTMS-FM. At first it mostly simulcast programs heard on AM 1250 but later became separately programmed with a beautiful music format. In 1985, it switched its call letters to KHTY and flipped to Top 40 hits.
In January 1996, Engles Enterprises, Inc. purchased KTMS and KHTY for $2 million.[6]
Nearly three years later, in September 1998, the 1250 AM frequency on which KTMS aired was sold for $1.6 million to Smith Broadcasting Group, Inc., owner of the local ABC affiliate KEYT-TV 3.[7] Smith immediately launched a competing news-only format on 1250 with new call letters KEYT to match its TV sister station. Meanwhile, the KTMS call sign and news/talk format moved to 990 AM.
In 1997, KTMS was bought by Clear Channel Communications, a forerunner to iHeartMedia, Inc. In January 2007, Clear Channel sold its six Santa Barbara stations, including KTMS, to Rincon Broadcasting LLC, for $17.3 million. Rincon, a subsidiary of Ventura-based Point Broadcasting, officially took control of the cluster on January 16.[8][9]
History of the 990 AM frequency in Santa Barbara
In the 1960s, 990 AM used the call letters KGUD (K-Good Radio) and sported a country music format. During the 1970s, it began simulcasting KTYD and its album-oriented rock format, but briefly returned to country the following decade. Before becoming KTMS in 1998, KGUD attempted a number of formats, including religious programming, Broadway showtunes, and jazz but none was successful.
References
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/K240BS
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/KTMS
- ^ KTMS.com/on-the-air
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1938 page 60
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1942 page 112
- ^ "Remaining Douglas Stations Go To ... Douglas" (PDF). Radio and Records. January 26, 1996. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ "Chancellor Becomes The Biggest With Capstar Buy" (PDF). Radio and Records. September 4, 1998. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- ^ Mackie, Drew (January 11, 2007). "Clear Channel Sells Santa Barbara Stations". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
- ^ "Deal of the Week" (PDF). Radio and Records. January 19, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
General references
- Sies, Luther F. Encyclopedia of American Radio 1920-1960. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2000. ISBN 0-7864-0452-3
External links
- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID KTMS ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID K250BS ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
34°28′15″N 119°40′33″W / 34.47083°N 119.67583°W
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