KBLA
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KBLA (1580 Radio Zion) is a radio station licensed to Santa Monica, California with an Spanish religious radio format. It broadcasts at 1580 KHz with 50,000 watts day and night.
About two decades ago, this was the original KDAY, and it was the first radio station in Los Angeles area to play continuous hip-hop music. As acts such as Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, and the Beastie Boys became some of the most popular in the United States, KDAY brought their sounds to a new audience on the West Coast. In the early 1990s, it was the first station anywhere to play N.W.A, which would become one of the most famous rap acts of all time.
In addition, Lee Marshall, known on-air as "King News," gave news and commentaries relevant to the African-American and Hispanic communities. He warned about the troubles caused by gang violence.
By the mid-1990s, KDAY could no longer keep up with the FM stations that had co-opted the sound, so it became all-business KBLA. During this time, it was also the flagship station of the Los Angeles Clippers pro basketball team.
About 1997, KBLA ended that format and beginning selling air time to broadcasters of different ethnic backgrounds.
On March 31, 2004, KBLA became the original West Coast affiliate of Air America Radio, airing talk shows hosted by Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, and Janeane Garofalo among others. But on April 14, the shows were no longer available, due to a payment dispute between Air America and KBLA's owner, Multicultural Broadcasting. Air America shows would not return to the L.A. area until February 1, 2005 on KTLK AM 1150.
Radio Zion, the current format, is simulcast on KALI AM 900 in the San Gabriel Valley.
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| AM radio stations in the Los Angeles market | |
|---|---|
| By frequency | 570 | 590 | 640 | 670 | 710 | 740 | 790 | 830 | 870 | 900 | 930 | 980 | 1020 | 1050 | 1070 | 1110 | 1150 | 1190 | 1230 | 1240 | 1260 | 1280 | 1290 | 1300 | 1330 | 1350 | 1370 | 1390 | 1410 | 1430 | 1440 | 1460 | 1480 | 1510 | 1540 | 1570 | 1580 | 1600 | 1650 | 1670 |
| By callsign | KABC | KAHZ | KALI | KAZN | KBLA | KBRT | KCAA | KCAL | KDIF | KDIS | KEZY | KFWB | KFI | KFRN | KHJ | KHPY | KIRN | KKDD | KKGO | KLAC | KTLX | KMBR | KMPC | KMXE | KNX | KPRO | KRLA | KSPA | KSPN | KTDD | KTIE | KTLK | KTNQ | KTYM | KVNR | KWKW | KWRN | KXMX | KYPA |
| Past Stations |
KIEV | KPPC | KSKQ | KTZN | KXED | KXMG
|
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