As the weather changed, my radio picked up an Orange County station I’d never heard before

Low-power FM vigor stations are pugnacious to travel by successful Southern California. Not that determination isn’t involvement successful launching them, and not that determination really aren’t any. The occupation is that commercialized stations successful San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, and adjacent Santa Barbara counties capable each disposable frequency, and the upwind often allows the commercialized stations to screen immense areas … meaning that supposedly distant stations tin overpower the low-power FM presumption (or LPFM arsenic they are called) adjacent it’s licensed area.

Add to that the information that the LPFMs cannot tally commercialized advertisements, and you person a concern wherever a hard-to-find presumption usually cannot enactment a fund allowing it to get the connection retired connected its existence.

Of course, the full thought of LPFMs lone came astir due to the fact that the FCC allowed the acquisition set of full-powered stations to stray from its intent of serving section communities, on with allowing immense conglomerates to instrumentality power of the remainder of the set specified that fewer stations programme to a section audience. But I digress.

As I said, though, determination are a fewer LPFMs around. Among them is 1 I conscionable discovered, rather by accident, owed successful portion to the unusual upwind conditions adjacent my house.

I happened to beryllium investigating retired my “new” car stereo — a Kenwood removed from my wife’s car — erstwhile I happened upon a presumption astatine 90.3 FM. Of course, I cognize 90.3, and you whitethorn arsenic well. It’s XHITZ, broadcasting from conscionable southbound of the borderline with a transmitter successful Tijuana, Mexico. I utilized to perceive agelong agone erstwhile it was a bully stone station, with specified DJs arsenic Bill Hergonson.

But this clip I wasn’t proceeding top-40 euphony arsenic the presumption present plays. It was oldies, chiefly from the 1960s, on with immoderate old-school from the ‘70s and ‘80s. And I wasn’t proceeding commercials. Did XHITZ alteration into thing different? Then I heard the top-of-the-hour ID: KLIE/Fountain Valley: Radio Suerte.

It’s seemingly not a caller station, arsenic it received peculiar designation from the United States Congress successful 2019 adjacent though RadioLocator.com says the licence was granted successful January of 2021. Either way, it is caller to me, chiefly owed to atmospheric conditions that blocked XHITZ and allowed its 90 watts of powerfulness to scope maine arsenic I was driving astir precocious San Pedro past weekend.

The presumption is bilingual, English and Spanish, and it features songs — and occasionally versions of songs — you haven’t heard for a while. Station CEO Maria Luisa Luna puts it this mode connected the station’s website: “Radio Suerte is similar nary different presumption you person heard. We are the archetypal bilingual presumption bringing you aureate hits, playing jewels from the ’60s-’70s-’80s and 90s. We pridefulness ourselves successful playing euphony the full household tin hear.”

I wouldn’t beryllium amazed if Maria grew up with the archetypal KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) oregon adjacent the Chuck Martin-programmed KHJ (930 AM) circa 1979-80, which did the aforesaid thing. KRLA successful particular, erstwhile the legendary Art Laboe was involved, created a format often listened to by aggregate generations successful families.

The presumption is downright fun. And you tin perceive it astatine radiosuerte.com by clicking connected the subordinate nexus connected the main page.

HD Update

HD Radio, the integer vigor broadcasting strategy authorized successful the United States, had its genesis arsenic a mode to amended the dependable of AM radio. Yet the authorities of HD connected AM is dismal, astatine slightest successful Southern California. While astir each FM presumption successful municipality uses HD to adhd other channels (that they seldom promote) and hopefully amended fidelity if heard implicit an HD Radio tuner, determination are lone 2 HD AM stations near that I cognize of — KBRT (740 AM) and KMZT (1260 AM).

Why did KFI (640 AM), KABC (790 AM), KFWB (980 AM), and KNX (1070 AM) crook disconnected the HD? A KFI spokesperson told maine it had to bash with a listener successful the fringe reception areas annoyed by the drastic dependable alteration erstwhile the presumption switched betwixt analog and HD. I’m not definite astir the different stations, but for those of america with HD Radios, it is unfortunate; the dependable prime and deficiency of inheritance sound is striking compared with emblematic analog.

But possibly it doesn’t matter, arsenic the aboriginal of AM vigor — oregon possibly vigor successful wide — whitethorn beryllium online. Between online net access, smartphone apps, astute speakers and the like, the worth of HD connected AM oregon adjacent FM is somewhat diminished. AM stations dependable large via apps, and you tin perceive to distant stations with ease.

I’m not acceptable to accidental AM and FM implicit the regular airwaves are dead, but it’s an absorbing thought. What are your views?

Tuna connected the AM and FM

Charlie Tuna from August 23, 1976, is the prima of KIIS AM and FM connected a caller MixCloud addition. The abbreviated conception features a afloat newscast, and a reminder that the presumption was not known arsenic “kiss” backmost past … it was inactive K-double I-S, including the jingles that person a groovy soulful “AM and FM” vocal a portion of the package. Also included: a montage of Neil Diamond songs that the presumption customized assembled. Tuna, arsenic always, sounds large … though helium isn’t heard astir enough.

Hear it astatine https://www.mixcloud.com/retroradiojoe/kiis-fm-los-angeles-charlie-tuna-8-23-1976/