KJAY
| City | Sacramento, California |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Sacramento metropolitan area |
| Slogan | International Radio |
| Frequency | 1430 kHz |
| First air date |
1953 (in Stockton) May 23, 1963 (relocated to Sacramento) |
| Format | World Ethnic (Hmong, Russian, Religious) |
| Power |
500 watts day 20 watts night |
| Class | D |
| Facility ID | 65226 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 38°30′17.00″N 121°33′39.00″W / 38.5047222°N 121.5608333°W |
| Owner | KJAY, LLC |
| Website | KJAY Website |
KJAY (1430 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Sacramento, California.[1] The station is owned by KJAY, LLC, with its transmitter located off South River Road in Sacramento. KJAY airs a World Ethnic radio format consisting of mostly Hmong language programs with some Russian language shows and religious programming on Sundays. (The Hmong are an ethnic group originally from parts of Laos, China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.)
Station history
The station was originally put on the air by the Gamble family of Stockton, California. The highly engineered, multiple tower facility operated with 500 watts. The station was purchased by Jack Powell in the 1960s, moving its city of license and transmitter to Sacramento in 1963. At one point the main office was located in the Sacramento Inn. Early broadcasters include Ron Reynolds, Rick Cimino, Mike Cleary, and Rich Dixon.
For much of the station's history, it has broadcast religious programs, such as Voice of Prophecy, local community news, Hollywood gossip from Jimmie Fidler, and for a period during the '70s and '80s, R & B music during the latter hours of KJAY's broadcast day. It had broadcast race results from Cal Expo during the State Fair meets. Today the format is international programming Monday through Saturday, and religious programs/gospel music in English on Sunday. Many of the current religious programs on KJAY have been on 1430 AM for decades, such as "From the Throne of God" with Pastor Elsie Horton; St. Paul's Missionary Baptist Church with Dr. Ephraim Williams; St. John's Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor Darryl B. Heath; Shiloh Baptist Church with Pastor Anthony Sadler, Sr.[2]
Around 2000, KJAY began airing Hmong and Russian programs Monday through Saturday. Among recent program changes include playing World/International music during the 20-watt nighttime period. The night audio signal may be heard in parts of Sacramento and West Sacramento. During the day, the audio signal covers a larger area of the Sacramento metropolitan area.
In 2017, the FCC granted a license for a 240-Watt Class D translator on the FM band, transmitting from the same location as on AM.[3]
External links
- FCC History Cards for KJAY
- Query the FCC's AM station database for KJAY
- Radio-Locator Information on KJAY
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for KJAY