KWXY-FM
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| KWXY | |
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| Broadcast area | Palm Springs, California |
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| Frequency | 98.5 (MHz) |
| First air date | 1964 |
| Format | Beautiful music |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 152 meters |
| Class | B |
| Owner | Glen Barnett |
| Website | www.kwxy.com |
KWXY-FM is a radio station based in Cathedral City, California, USA which broadcasts at 98.5 MHz. It is one of the area's "heritage" stations as well as being one of the few remaining beautiful music stations in the country.
KWXY-FM is one of four Class B 50 kW FM stations serving the market; the others are contemporary country music-formatted KPLM-FM Palm Springs at 106.1 MHz, 1960's and 1970's oldies-formatted KDES-FM Palm Springs at 104.7 MHz, and contemporary album-oriented rock-formatted KCLB-FM Coachella at 93.7 MHz.
The station previously simulcast on 1340 AM, but recently sold the AM frequency to RR Broadcasting of Palm Springs, who flipped the format to progressive talk on August 7, 2006 and changed the call letters to KPTR. KPTR is the area's first Air America Radio affiliate.
KWXY not only had the same format since its inception in October, 1964 until early 2008 but the same owner as well. KWXY was owned by veteran broadcaster Glen Barnett, a broadcast engineer who actually built and wired the studios and transmitter and most recently was the station's general manager.
KWXY (AM) began as a 24-hour, 250-watt AM station. Power was increased to 500 watts in 1968 and again to 1 kW in 1973, where it remains today. FM operations began in 1969 at 103.1 MHz with a 3 kW signal. The move to 98.5 MHz and a boost to 50 kW occurred in 1976. Today, the 103.1 allocation is used by CBS Radio-owned KEZN.
Both older full-time residents of the Coachella Valley as well as older seasonal visitors made KWXY one of the most successful stations in the area both in demographics as well as revenue. In addition, the on-air lineup boasted Dave Hull, named one of the top ten greatest broadcasters in Los Angeles radio history. In January of 2008, KDES announced plans to move its oldies format to KWXY's frequency, bringing an end to the beautiful music format. KDES's original frequency of 104.7 was sold and will switch to Spanish-language.
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