KFI

KFI
Broadcast areaSouthern California
Frequency640 kHz
BrandingKFI AM 640
Programming
FormatTalk radio
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
April 16, 1922
(102 years ago)
 (1922-04-16)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID34425
ClassA (Clear channel)
Power50,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
Repeater(s)103.5-2 KOST-HD2
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live (via iHeartRadio)
Websitekfiam640.iheart.com

KFI (640 AM) is a radio station in Los Angeles, California, owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc. It began operations in 1922 and became one of the first high-powered, clear-channel Class A stations. It was the first U.S. station west of Chicago to broadcast at 50,000 watts.[2]

Studios and offices are in Burbank, between the Warner Bros. Studios and The Burbank Studios. The transmitter site is in La Mirada near the Artesia Boulevard exit of Interstate 5, the Santa Ana Freeway. By day, its signal can be heard throughout Southern California, with city-grade coverage as far as San Diego, Santa Barbara and Tijuana, and secondary coverage as far as Bakersfield and northwestern Mexico, and at times can be heard some distance into Nevada and Arizona. At night, it can be heard across much of the western half of North America.

KFI and KNX (AM 1070 and 97.1 FM) serve as the primary entry points for the Southern California Emergency Alert System, which are responsible for activation of the EAS when hazardous weather alerts, disaster area declarations, and child abductions are issued.[3]

KFI is licensed by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to broadcast in the HD (hybrid) format;[4] however, it was reported that KFI turned off its HD signal as of August 12, 2015.[5][6] Like other stations owned by iHeartMedia, KFI uses iHeartRadio to stream its webcast.

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KFI". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ "KFI 50,000-Watt Program". Variety: 60. July 21, 1931 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ Gabbert, Jim (October 11, 2017) [December 20, 2012]. Gabbert, Jim (ed.). "Emergency Alert System" (PDF). California Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness (Downloadable PDF from publisher’s website). www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/response-operations/warning-center/emergency-alert-system: Federal Communications Commission. State Emergency Communications Commission. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023 – via caloes.ca.gov.
  4. ^ "Station Search Details - KFI". licensing.fcc.gov. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  5. ^ "Is KFI switch a sign AM radio is really dead?". dailynews.com. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  6. ^ "HD Radio station guide for Los Angeles, CA". Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2015. HD Radio Guide for Los Angeles