KGFX (AM)

KGFX

City of license	Pierre, South Dakota
Slogan	"South Dakota's Pioneer Radio Station"
Frequency	1060 kHz
Translator(s)	107.1 K296FI (Pierre)
First air date	1 June 1916[1]
Format	Classic Country
Power	10,000 watts day 1,000 watts night
Class	B
Facility ID	30209
Transmitter coordinates	44°17′12.00″N 100°20′18.00″W / 44.2866667°N 100.3383333°W / 44.2866667; -100.3383333
Owner	Ingstad Family Media (James River Broadcasting)
Sister stations	KGFX-FM, KJBI, KMLO, KOLY, KOLY-FM, KPLO-FM
Website	http://www.dakotaradiogroup.com

KGFX (1060 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Pierre, South Dakota, USA, the station serves the Pierre area. The station is currently owned by James River Broadcasting.^[2]

All four Pierre James River Broadcasting stations share studios at 214 West Pleasant Drive, in Pierre.

History

The radio station that eventually became KGFX began with Dana McNeil, a railroad man who lived in Pierre. He began experimenting with amateur radio in the first decade of the twentieth century. At that time, "amateur radio" consisted of using spark gap equipment, which was capable of morse code transmissions but not voice. McNeil applied to the US Department of Commerce for permission to transmit, requesting a Class 5 Special Amateur License. On 13 August 1912 that license was granted and the operation was assigned the call sign 9ZP. It was authorized for spark-gap transmissions only.^[3]

A General Amateur Radio License was next applied for, and this was granted on 1 June 1916, using the call sign 9CLS. This class of license allowed voice transmissions, so occasional voice transmissions were made after that date. The station equipment was located in McNeil's house on West Pleasant Drive in Pierre. The equipment moved (along with the McNeil family, which by that time included his wife, the former Ida Anding) to a new house at 203 West Broadway, Pierre in 1921.

On 26 September 1924 the station was "officially" licensed for transmission of both voice and code transmissions. On 15 August 1927 the station's call sign was changed to KGFX and its carrier frequency was set at 1180 kc. Its operating hours were set as between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. This license came from the Federal Radio Commission, which came into being in 1927.

On 11 November 1928 the station's carrier frequency was changed to 580 kHz. In 1930 the National Weather Bureau closed its Pierre data-collecting station, and the personnel of KGFX assumed that duty. They used weather balloons and weather-measuring equipment to send weather reports at 6-hour intervals.

In October 1931 the station's carrier frequency changed again, to 630 kHz. In 1932 the station became a full "commercial" operation, soliciting and selling commercial airtime.

In 1934 the Federal Radio Commission was merged into the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

On 15 October 1936 Dana McNeil died, leaving the station's ownership and operation to Ida. The studio remained in the McNeil house until 1967, when it moved to the Sahr Building, at the corner of East Capital and Highland Streets.

In 1967 the FCC changed the station's carrier frequency, this time to 1060 kc, and its allowable transmission power was raised to 10,000 watts daytime (1,000 watts nighttime). Two towers were constructed for the station, south of Fort Pierre.

In 1972 James River Broadcasting moved the studio to 214 West Pleasant Drive. In 1976 two additional towers were constructed, and the station began broadcasting around the clock.

References

External links

• Official website
• Query the FCC's AM station database for KGFX
• Radio-Locator Information on KGFX
• Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for KGFX