KXEX

KXEX airs a mix of local and nationally syndicated conservative talk shows. National hosts include Hugh Hewitt, Dan Bongino, Charlie Kirk, Brian Kilmeade and Bill O'Reilly. General manager Guillermo Moreno hosts a local talk show in afternoon drive time. Actor and former Fresno Mayor Alan Autry hosts a midday show. Most hours begin with an update from Fox News Radio.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a construction permit to Robert L. Liepert for a new daytime-only radio station to serve Fresno on May 4, 1961.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=45734 |title= History Cards for KXEX|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) Before launching, Liepert sold the permit to Sylvia and John Sonder, doing business as the Atlas Broadcasting Company. John Sonder had been a sales manager for KGST, the first Spanish-language station in town, and after a bid to purchase it failed, he sought to build an outlet of his own, believing Fresno could sustain two Spanish-language radio stations.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72438692/|first=Lanny|last=Larson|work=The Fresno Bee|date=March 14, 1990|pages=A9, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72438832/ A12]|title=John Werner Sonder gave much to radio|accessdate=March 1, 2021}} The Sonders changed the call letters to KXEX and modified the station plans to build studios and a transmitter site on Church Avenue.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72437335/|title=FCC Approves New Fresno Radio Station|work=The Fresno Bee|date=May 13, 1962|page=24-B|accessdate=March 1, 2021}} Broadcasting on the new station began September 20, 1962, almost entirely in Spanish.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72437521/|title=11th Station, Goes On Air|accessdate=March 1, 2021|work=The Fresno Bee|date=September 20, 1962|page=2-A}}

In 1976, Sonder filed to increase the station's power from 500 to 5,000 watts and relocate it to a new site at the corner of Walnut and Clayton avenues near Easton, which was approved by the county in 1977{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72438280/|accessdate=March 1, 2021|title=Lot Size Wrangle Renewed|work=The Fresno Bee|date=May 4, 1977|page=B6}} and by the FCC two years later.{{r|hc}} The power increase was soon followed by the beginning of nighttime broadcasts in 1983.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-DX/NRC-DX-News/V51-1983/DXN51_01.pdf|work=DX News|date=October 10, 1983|page=2|title=AM Switch|first=Jerry|last=Starr|accessdate=March 1, 2021}}

John Sonder died in 1990,{{r|gave}} and his wife Sylvia died in 1992, prompting the transfer of the station to their two children.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1992/RR-1992-11-13.pdf|accessdate=March 1, 2021|date=November 13, 1992|work=Radio & Records|title=Transactions|page=6}}

The Sonder children sold KXEX in 1994 to RAK Communications, owners of KRGO (1220 AM) in the Fresno market, for $212,000.{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1994/RR-1994-06-10.pdf|accessdate=March 1, 2021|date=June 10, 1994|work=Radio & Records|title=Transactions|page=6}} The two stations had complementary Spanish-language formats, with KRGO playing regional Mexican music and KXEX having a more adult contemporary sound.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72441960/|accessdate=March 1, 2021|work=The Fresno Bee|first=Lanny|last=Larson|title=Radio musical chairs keeps owners hopping|page=G12|date=July 29, 1994}}

On March 17, 1997, the FCC announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with KXEX authorized to move from 1550 to 1680 kHz.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uva.x004848309&view=1up&seq=276 "FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations"] (FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997.

A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters KAVT (now KGED) on January 9, 1998.[https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/publicFacilityDetails.html?facilityId=87176 FCC Call Sign History] (Facility ID: 87176) The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency. However, this deadline has been extended multiple times, and both stations have remained authorized. One restriction is that the FCC has generally required paired original and expanded band stations to remain under common ownership.[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437121992750;view=1up;seq=264 "In re: WHLY(AM), South Bend, Indiana"] (FCC DA 13-600, released April 3, 2013)[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=21066 "Re: WDDD (AM) Application for Consent to Assignment of AM Broadcast Station License"] (August 23, 2010 correspondence from Peter H. Doyle, Chief, FCC Audio Division, Media Bureau. Reference Number 1800B3-TSN)

An era for the station ended in April 2001 when KXEX switched to its first English-language format in nearly four decades of broadcasting, picking up a lineup of primarily syndicated talk shows including those Don Imus, G. Gordon Liddy and Tom Leykis, as well as sports overflow programming.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72442405/|accessdate=March 1, 2021|date=April 26, 2001|title=KXEX follows KAVT to English-language format|first=Rick|last=Bentley|page=E3|work=The Fresno Bee}} Four years later, New Valley Communications leased the station and flipped it to sports using programming from Sporting News Radio; in 2007, New Valley purchased KSLK (96.1 FM) in Visalia and simulcast its programming there as well. However, the sports format and New Valley lease ended in January 2009 when the station was leased out to a new group running Spanish-language Catholic programming, as "La Misionera", before New Valley was ready to move KSLK's transmitter to improve its signal in Fresno.{{cite news|work=The Fresno Bee|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72442692/|title=See the local 'Makeover' on March 8|first=Rick|last=Bentley|date=January 22, 2009|page=E1|accessdate=March 1, 2021}}

On May 1, 2020, KXEX changed its format from Spanish religious to conservative talk, branded as "TalkRadio 1550"; the talk programming moved from co-owned KGED (1680 AM), while Bendita Eucaristia Radio, which had been airing on the station, moved to the stronger KGED.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/186958/fresno-conservative-talker-moves-to-new-frequency/|title=Fresno Conservative Talker Moves To New Frequency|work=RadioInsight|date=May 7, 2020|first=Lance|last=Venta|accessdate=March 1, 2021}} The talk station had emerged on KGED in 2018 when it was leased out to Guillermo Moreno, who hosts an afternoon program; most of the remainder of the station's programming comes from the Salem Radio Network.{{r|conserve}} Days after moving the talk programming to KXEX, Compass sold both stations to Bendita Eucaristia Radio for $725,000.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/187282/station-sales-week-of-5-15/|accessdate=March 1, 2021|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|title=Station Sales Week of 5/15|date=May 15, 2020}}

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{{AM station data|54960|KXEX}}

{{Fresno Radio}}

{{News/Talk Radio Stations in California}}

XEX

Category:Conservative talk radio

Category:Talk radio stations in the United States

Category:1962 establishments in California

Category:Fresno, California

Category:Radio stations established in 1962