KSPE
{{Short description|Radio station in Ellwood, California}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| logo = KSPE_La_Musical_94.5_FM_logo.jpg
| logo_size = 250px
| name = KSPE
| city = Ellwood, California
| area = Santa Barbara County, California
| branding = "La Musical 94.5 FM"
| frequency = 94.5 MHz
| airdate = February 6, 1989 (as KCQR)
| format = Classic regional Mexican
| erp = 810 watts
880 watts with beam tilt
| haat = {{convert|899|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = B
| facility_id = 61058
| coordinates = {{coord|34.526|N|119.959|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC}}
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns = KCQR (1989–1995)
KSPE-FM (1995–2010)
KIST-FM (2010)
KFYZ (2010–2017)
| owner = Rincon Broadcasting
| licensee = Rincon License Subsidiary LLC
| sister_stations = KIST-FM, KOSJ, KSBL, KTMS, KTYD
| webcast = [https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/KSPE Listen Live]
| website =
| licensing_authority= FCC
}}
KSPE (94.5 FM, "La Musical 94.5 FM") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Ellwood, California, a district of Goleta in Santa Barbara County. It is owned by Rincon Broadcasting and broadcasts a classic regional Mexican music format. The KSPE studios and offices are on East Cota Street in Santa Barbara and the transmitter is located on West Camino Cielo in the Los Padres National Forest.{{cite web |url=https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=KSPE-FM |title=Predicted Coverage Area for KSPE 94.5 FM, Ellwood, CA |website=Radio-Locator.com |access-date=February 2, 2019 }} While the station's effective radiated power is only 810 watts, the tower is {{convert|2949|ft|m|sp=us}} in height above average terrain, making KSPE a Class B FM station covering the Santa Barbara radio market and parts of Oxnard—Ventura.
History
The station first signed on on April 6, 1989 as KCQR, an album-oriented rock station calling itself "94 Rock". It was owned by South West Broadcasting, Inc.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/90s-OCR-YB/1990-YB/1990-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0118.pdf |title=Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada |magazine=Broadcasting Yearbook |publisher=Broadcasting Publications Inc. |page=B-32 |date=1990 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }} In 1994, the station was sold to Spectacular Broadcasting, Inc. for $1.2 million.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/94/RR-1994-10-21-OCR-Page-0006.pdf |title=Lincoln Group Forms Rochester Duopoly With $5.5 Million WPXY-FM |magazine=Radio & Records |page=6 |date=October 21, 1994 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }}{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/90s-OCR-YB/1996-YB/1996-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0218.pdf |title=Directory of Radio Stations in the U.S. |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook |publisher=R.R. Bowker |page=B-58 |date=1996 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }} The following year, KCQR changed its call sign to KSPE-FM{{cite web |url= https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=61058&Callsign=KSPE61058|title=Call Sign History: KSPE |website=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |access-date=November 16, 2023 }} to match that of co-owned station KSPE (1490 AM) in Santa Barbara and began simulcasting the AM's regional Mexican music format, with both stations branded "La Musical".
In October 1998, Spectacular sold KSPE-FM and its AM counterpart to Jacor Communications (later Clear Channel Communications) for $4.6 million.{{cite news |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/90s/98/RR-1998-10-30-OCR-Page-0008.pdf |title=Paul Allen Buys A Pair In Portland |work=Radio & Records |page=6 |date=October 30, 1998 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }} The AM station switched its call letters to KBKO, while KSPE-FM was separately programmed as "La Preciosa", playing regional Mexican oldies.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Annuals/Archive-BC-YB-IDX/00s-OCR-YB/2006-YB/2006-BC-YB-OCR-Page-0382.pdf |title=Directory of Radio Stations in the United States |magazine=Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook |publisher=R.R. Bowker |page=D-94 |date=2006 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }}
On January 11, 2007, Clear Channel sold all of its radio stations in Santa Barbara, including KSPE-FM, to Rincon Broadcasting for $17.3 million.{{cite news |last=Mackie |first=Drew |title=Clear Channel Sells Santa Barbara Stations |url=http://independent.com/news/2007/jan/11/clear-channel-sells-santa-barb |work=Santa Barbara Independent |date=January 11, 2007 |access-date=March 16, 2017 }}{{cite news |date=January 19, 2007 |title=Deal of the Week |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/00s/07/RR-2007-01-19-OCR-Page-0008.pdf |work=R&R |access-date=March 16, 2017 }}
KSPE-FM changed call letters in 2010, first to KIST-FM on July 19, then to KFYZ on September 10. The Spanish oldies format remained until December 21, 2010, when the station flipped to top 40 with the branding "Z94.5".{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/netgnomes/28805/chr-coming-to-santa-barbara/ |last=Venta |first=Lance |title=Z94.5 Debuts In Santa Barbara |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |date=December 23, 2010 |access-date=May 24, 2018 }}
In September 2017, the station reverted to its previous classic regional Mexican format, this time with the call letters KSPE and branded as "La Musical".{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/119817/rincon-broadcasting-flips-two-santa-barbara/ |last=Venta |first=Lance |title=Rincon Broadcasting Flips Two In Santa Barbara |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |date=September 19, 2017 |access-date=May 8, 2018 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{FM station data|61058|KSPE}}
- [https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/KSPE/contour-maps#browse-by-category FCC Public Inspection File contour map]
{{Santa Barbara Radio}}
{{Spanish Radio Stations in California}}
{{coord|34.526|N|119.959|W|type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC|display=title}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1989