KERN
{{about|the Wasco-Greenacres, California, USA; radio station|the Bakersfield, California, radio station formerly on this frequency|KERI|other uses|kern (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KERN
| logo = KERN FM 96.1.JPG
| logo_size = 150px
| city = Wasco-Greenacres, California
| area = Bakersfield metropolitan area
| branding = KERN News Talk 96.1 and AM 1180
| frequency = 1180 kHz
| translator = {{Radio Relay|96.1|K241CI|Bakersfield}}
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1932|1|3}}
| format = Talk Radio
| power = 10,000 watts
| erp = 250 watts (FM translator)
| class = B
| facility_id = 35899
| coordinates = {{coord|35|34|17|N|119|19|26|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning = KERN County, California
| former_callsigns = KERI (1984–2008)
KWSO (1950–1984){{cite web |title=Call Sign History|url= https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=35899&Callsign=KERN35899|work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database}}
| affiliations = Genesis Communications Network
Premiere Networks
Salem Radio Network
Westwood One
| network = Townhall Radio News
| owner = American General Media
| licensee = AGM California
| sister_stations = KEBT, KGEO, KGFM, KISV, KKXX-FM
| webcast = [https://player.amperwave.net/2998 Listen Live]
| website = {{URL|https://www.kernradio.com}}
| licensing_authority = FCC
}}
KERN (1180 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Wasco-Greenacres, California, and serving the Bakersfield metropolitan area. It airs a talk radio radio format and is owned by American General Media.{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=KERN |title=KERN Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division}} The radio studios and offices are in the American General Media complex at 1400 Easton Drive, STE 134 in Bakersfield.{{cite web|url=http://www.kernradio.com/contact/|publisher=kernradio.com|title=Contact|access-date=2023-12-14}}
Weekdays begin with a local news and interview show, "First Look with Scott Cox". Ralph Bailey hosts another local show in afternoon drive time. The rest of the weekday schedule comes from nationally syndicated conservative talk programs: Armstrong & Getty, The Charlie Kirk Show, The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Ag Today and Red Eye Radio. Weekends feature shows on health, money, real estate, home repair, law and computers. Weekend syndicated shows include Kim Komando, Bill Cunningham and Bruce DuMont. Some weekend hours are paid brokered programming. Most hours begin with an update from Townhall Radio News with local news from the KERN newsroom. KERN is the flagship station of the Bakersfield College Renegades sports teams and Cal State Bakersfield Men's Basketball.
Transmitter and FM translator
KERN operates with 10,000 watts. AM 1180 is a clear-channel frequency, reserved for Class A WHAM in Rochester, New York, so KERN uses a directional antenna to avoid interference. The transmitter is off Jackson Avenue in Wasco.{{cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=KERN-AM&h=N|publisher=radio-locator.com|title=KERN-AM Radio Station Nighttime Coverage Map |access-date=2024-09-07}}
Programming is simulcast on an FM translator at 96.1 MHz.{{cite web|url=https://radio-locator.com/info/K241CI-FX|publisher=radio-locator.com|title=K241CI-FM 96.1 MHz Radio Station Information |access-date=2017-07-07}} The station calls itself "KERN News Talk 96.1 and AM 1180."
{{RadioTranslators
| callsign = KERN
| call1 = K241CI
| freq1 = 96.1
| fid1 = 139845
| watts1 = 250
| class1 = D
| city1 = Bakersfield, California
}}
History
=Early years=
KERN signed on the air on {{Start date and age|January 3, 1932}}. It originally broadcast on 1370 kilocycles, powered at 100 watts.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1935/Stations-by-State-Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201935%20Complete.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1935 page 22] In its early days it was owned by the Bee Bakersfield Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company, owner of a number of radio stations and newspapers in California. KERN served as the CBS Radio Network affiliate for Bakersfield, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."
KERN moved to 1410 kHz in 1941 as the result of NARBA (North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement), increasing power to 1,000 watts. In 1948, it added an FM station at 94.1, KERN-FM (now KISV). At first, KERN-FM simulcast most of the programming of the AM station. As network programming moved to TV in the 1950s, KERN switched to middle of the road (MOR) music programming with local air personalities and news.
=Top 40 and MOR=
In the 1960s, KERN flipped to a Top 40 sound. Johnny Mitchell, Program Director and Phil Drake, Music Director took this fledgling station to a solid number one in 1973, soundly beating its competitor, KAFY 550 AM (now KUZZ). KERN was among the first stations to carry the nationally syndicated countdown show American Top 40 hosted by Casey Kasem, beginning on July 4, 1970.{{cite web|url=http://www.oldradioshows.com/at40/regindexck.html|author=Walt Bailey|publisher=oldradioshows.com|title=AT40 REGULAR SHOWS INDEX|access-date=2017-07-07}} Also in 1970, KERN sold its FM station to The Reliable Broadcast Company, which had just bought 1350 KLYD (now KLHC). Emmy Award winning writer Ken Levine (then known as Ken Stevens) got his start in radio at KERN in 1971.
As Top 40 listening switched to FM in the late 1970s, KERN moved to a middle of the road (MOR) format, with national news supplied by the ABC Information Network.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1979/C-1%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201979-12.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1979 page C-17]
=Talk radio=
In the 1980s, many radio listeners were switching to FM radio to hear music. As an AM station, KERN began adding some talk shows to its schedule to move away from music. By the mid-1990s, KERN had made the switch to all talk, using programming from the ABC Talk Radio Network and NBC's Talknet.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1997/B-Radio-AL-MT-BC-YB-1997.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1997 page B-37]
On December 29, 2008, KERN started simulcasting on 1180 AM to get listeners used to the new frequency as part of a frequency swap with sister station KERI, which ran a religious format. (For the history of the 1180 station before 2008, see "KERI.") The KERN call sign was officially moved from 1410 to 1180 on December 30, 2008 and the KERI call sign was moved to 1410. On January 1, 2009, the Christian music format was reunited with the KERI call sign on 1410 AM.{{cite web |url=http://www.kernradio.com |title=Announcement of frequency change on KERN website |work=American General Media}}
Previous logo
Image:KERN logo.png|KERN logo while broadcast on 1410 AM
File:KERN-AM.jpg|KERN logo on 1180 AM December 30, 2008
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=45584 FCC History Cards for KERN]
- {{official website|https://www.kernradio.com}}
- [https://www.americangeneralmedia.com Corporate site]
{{AM station data|35899|KERN}}
- {{FCC-LMS-Facility|139845|K241CI}}
- {{FXL|K241CI}}
{{Bakersfield Radio}}
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in California}}
Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States