KPSC (FM)

KPSH-FM 88.3 went on the air in January 1979. It was the radio station of Palm Springs High School and initially broadcast with 10 watts, giving it coverage from Windy Point to Cathedral City.{{r|extra}} The station operated only during the school day;{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40393897/|title=On The Air|work=Desert Sun|date=January 29, 1979|page=A6}} students could not hear the station's output except at lunch and in the auto and wood shop classes.{{r|variety}} KPSH-FM generally aired a freeform format with an emphasis on rock,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40393916/|date=December 18, 1980|title=Extra, Extra|first=Bruce|last=Fessier|work=Desert Sun|page=B14|access-date=December 10, 2019}} which it retained throughout its time as a high school station.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40393946/|work=Desert Sun|date=April 8, 1985|first=Peter|last=Hass|title=If you're weary of Top 40 radio, tune in KPSH for musical variety|access-date=December 10, 2019|page=A3}} The station was approved to relocate to 88.5 MHz in 1981; in 1982, it also was allowed to increase its power to 180 watts—enough to be heard in Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage{{r|variety}}—and become a full Class A station.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1982/BC-1982-09-27.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=September 27, 1982|page=104|title=FM actions|access-date=December 14, 2019}}

As a vocational tool, however, KPSH was not meeting its objectives; students could not be placed in industry jobs,{{r|tune}} and as a result, KPSH-FM was shut down by 1986.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40576069/|first=Herb|last=Pasik|page=2, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40576239/ 32]|title=USC hopes to begin classical broadcasts|date=July 11, 1986|work=Weekend Desert Post|access-date=December 14, 2019}} At that time, the Riverside County School District—which held the license—was approached by officials at the University of Southern California; Palm Springs Unified School District and Riverside County schools officials agreed to turn over the license.{{r|tune|hopes}} USC had been attempting to establish itself in the Palm Springs area since 1980;{{r|tune}} in 1985, it applied for a noncommercial frequency (91.7 MHz) that it asked to be allotted to nearby Palm Desert.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-11-25.pdf|page=83|access-date=December 14, 2019|work=Broadcasting|date=November 25, 1985|title=New Stations}} However, interference concerns to an allocation at Indio{{r|hopes}} and the competing application of the Prairie Avenue Gospel Center{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40577083/|work=Weekend Desert Post|date=January 3, 1986|title=FM frequency: Classical or christian education|first=Herb|last=Pasik|access-date=December 14, 2019|page=4}}—which ultimately won the station in 1989{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1989/BC-1989-11-20.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=November 20, 1989|access-date=December 14, 2019|page=70|title=New Stations}} and signed it on as KHCS—held up any award.{{r|hopes}}

USC constructed a new transmitter facility at the KPLM site in Thousand Palms; the owner of KPLM, Arthur Rivkin, allowed the university to share the tower.{{r|hopes}} While the newly renamed KPSC was intended to begin operating as a near-complete repeater of KUSC in the fall of 1988,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40394080/|first=John|last=Hussar|page=B1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40394110/ B3]|title=Valley gets set to tune in on classic growth|work=Desert Sun|date=June 28, 1988}} broadcasts were delayed while the station sought federal grant monies.{{cite news|page=C1|work=Desert Sun|date=August 18, 1988|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40394838/|first=John|last=Hussar|title=Delays in the air for classics}} It was the first public radio service for Palm Springs.{{r|tune}} Additionally, USC began seeking studio space in Palm Desert; the city's economic development committee supported the move but suggested USC change the call letters to KPDC to reflect Palm Desert, not Palm Springs.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40394902/|work=Palm Desert Post|page=A-3|title=Public radio station seeking studio space in Palm Desert|date=December 7, 1988|access-date=December 10, 2019}}

KPSC began broadcasting as a KUSC repeater on November 30, 1989.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40395389/|work=Desert Sun|date=December 1, 1989|access-date=December 10, 2019|title=KUSC brings classical music to valley|page=D8}} Coachella Valley listeners to KPSC immediately made themselves known in KUSC's fund drives. Less than two months after KPSC went into service, donations from the Palm Springs area accounted for seven percent of the funds raised in a pledge drive.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40395764/|date=February 3, 1990|title=KPSC helps set fund-raising record|page=H1|access-date=December 10, 2019|work=Desert Sun}}

KPSC was the first station in the KUSC network to broadcast in HD Radio and one of the first in the United States; HD equipment was installed on August 1, 2003, less than a year after the standard was authorized for use.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/40396131/|title=Valley radio station embraces digital|page=E1|work=Desert Sun|date=August 12, 2003|access-date=December 10, 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.kusc.org/ kusc.org]
• {{FM station data|69394|KPSC}}
• [https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=69581 FCC History Cards for KPSC]

{{University of Southern California}}

{{Palm Springs Radio}}

{{NPR California}}

Category:NPR member stations

Category:Classical music radio stations in the United States

Category:Radio stations of the University of Southern California

Category:Radio stations established in 1979

Category:1979 establishments in California