On December 19, 1933, the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) authorized three new frequencies, between 1500 and 1600kHz, for high-fidelity operation. (At the time, the AM broadcast band ended at 1500kHz.) These new 20kHz-wide channels were twice as wide as the standard AM broadcasting channels. Six applications were submitted to the FRC, including one for 1550 kHz in Bakersfield from the Pioneer Mercantile Company.[5]
The Pioneer application was one of the four approved in April,[6] and the station went on the air under the experimental call sign W6XAI. Although licensed as an experimental station, it was authorized to conduct commercial operations. The initial authoruzation was for a power of 1,000 watts, and this was the second station on the air in Bakersfield, after KERN.
KPMC
In 1934, the Federal Radio Commission was replaced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In November 1936, the FCC allowed the high-fidelity stations to adopt conventional call letters, and the call sign was changed to KPMC, named after the Pioneer Mercantile Company. When the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement came into effect on March 29, 1941, the high-fidelity stations were converted to standard AM stations and relocated, with KPMC reassigned to 1560kHz.
KPMC was an ABC RadioNetwork affiliate in the 1940s and early 1950s, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news and sports.[7] In the 1950s, KPMC was given Class I-B status by the FCC, allowing it to increase its power to 10,000 watts.[8] As network programming moved from radio to television in the 1950s, KPMC switched to a full servicemiddle of the road format of popular music, news, talk and sports.
KNZR
In the 1980s, KPMC eliminated its music programming and went full-time as a talk radio station. It was an affiliate of both CBS Radio and the Mutual Broadcasting System, used for their newsgathering of U.S. and world stories.
Buckley Broadcasting acquired smooth jazz station 97.7 KSMJ in 2001. In November 2011, Buckley decided to pair 97.7 FM with AM 1560, to give Bakersfield listeners the choice to hear the talk programming on KNZR on either AM or FM. KSMJ changed to its current KNZR-FM call sign on September 11, 2013.[1]
Logo before 97.7 simulcast
In 2014, Buckley Broadcasting sold its California stations, including KNZR-AM-FM, to Alpha Media of Portland, Oregon.[10] Alpha Media chairman Larry Wilson said, "The Buckley clusters in California will be a great addition to the West Coast footprint. Bakersfield is a rich and vibrant city full of live and local opportunities."
Racial controversy
On January 18, 2018, Midday host Jaz McKay was told that due to budgetary concerns he would be replaced the next week with Sean Hannity in the noon to 3p.m. slot which he had occupied for 14 years. McKay then took to social media and used derogatory language to describe Hispanic radio broadcasts in the area. McKay claimed the large number of Spanish language radio stations in Bakersfield made it increasingly difficult for English speaking announcers to find employment.[11] At 45.5%, Hispanics comprise the largest demographic group in Bakersfield.[12] On January 24, McKay's time slot was indeed taken over by the syndicated radio show from Sean Hannity.[13] On the same day, it was also reported that McKay's fellow conservative talk show host Inga Barks was, for unspecified reasons, no longer associated with the station.[14] McKay was later hired for the midday time slot on KERN in December 2018.[15]
Spanish-language era
KNZR (AM) switched to a Spanish-language conservative talk format on June 29, 2023. Much of its programming came from Americano Media in Miami, Florida, which airs the format on WAXY.[16] The Spanish-language format was short-lived. It returned to English on September 12, 2023.[17]
