| City of license | Santa Barbara, California |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Santa Barbara, California |
| Branding | KDB 93.7 |
| Slogan | "Classical Music 24 Hours a Day" |
| Frequency | 93.7 (MHz) |
| First air date | 1960 (as an FM station) |
| Format | Classical |
| ERP | 12,500 watts |
| HAAT | 265 meters |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 51169 |
| Callsign meaning | K Dorothy Barnes (in honor of the wife of station owner George Barnes in 1929) |
| Owner | Santa Barbara Foundation |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kdb.com |
KDB (93.7 MHz FM) is a commercial radio station in Santa Barbara, California that is listener- and advertiser-supported, and is owned by the non-profit Santa Barbara Foundation. The station airs a classical music format.
According to the station's web site, it first went on air as KFCR-AM radio in 1926. The station was also purchased by George Barnes in 1929, who changed the call letters from KFCR to KDB in tribute to his wife, Dorothy Barnes.
In October 1929, KDB’s license was cancelled for failure to comply with regulations from the Federal Radio Commission. At issue were broadcasts of “The Crusaders,” which promoted the repeal of Prohibition. Station management put up a vigorous fight and KDB returned to the air by the end of the year.
Over the next couple of decades, KDB was bought and sold a few more times. It was Santa Barbara’s first 24-hour station, broadcasting on both AM and FM. KDB-AM and KDB-FM were bought in 1971 by the Pacific Broadcasting Company, consisting of Bob Scott, Harvey Pool, and Dick Marsh. After programming American show tunes and beautiful music for nine years, KDB-FM changed its format to classical music in 1980.
In 1990, KDB-AM and KDB-FM were split apart due to an owners’ dispute.
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