San Diego Radio: iHM Brings Back KGB-AM Call Letters

iHeartMedia San Diego has announced that the acquisition of KFMB 760 AM from Local Media San Diego has been completed.

As a result of the acquisition agreement, the stations call letters will change to KGB-AM, effective July 4, 2020.

As part of terms of sale, TEGNA Inc. retained ownership of the KFMB-AM call letters, which required iHeartMedia to make the change. The Federal Communications Commission has approved the use of new call letters KGB for AM 760.

“The KGB call letters are legendary in San Diego and we’re excited to make them a part of AM 760’s next chapter as San Diego’s Talk station,” said Melissa Forrest, Market President iHeartMedia San Diego.

iHeartMedia began operating AM 760 KFMB under a local marketing agreement on March 17, 2020. The station will continue to broadcast its Talk format and full program lineup now that the change of ownership is complete.

Full Programming Lineup:

• 3 a.m. – 4 a.m. First Light
• 4 a.m. – 6a.m. America in the Morning
• 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. Armstrong & Getty
• 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Mark Larson Show
• 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. The Mike Slater Show
• 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. The Buck Sexton Show
• 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. The Mark Levin Show
• 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. Red Eye Radio

In December 2019, Tegna agreed to sell KFMB-AM-FM to Local Media San Diego for $5 million, putting them back under common control with its three Mexican-licensed stations and separating them from KFMB-TV. The deal did not include the rights to the KFMB call letters; thus, the call signs of the KFMB radio stations were changed after the closure of the acquisition. 

Local Media had reportedly explored reselling the AM station after the closure, and promptly announced a $1.2 million resale of KFMB to iHeartMedia when the deal closed on March 17, 2020; KFMB immediately flipped to a temporary full-time simulcast of KOGO at noon local time, with its regular programming resuming on March 19.

KGB 760 AM (5 Kw-D, 50 Kw-N DA-1)

The KGB call sign was previously used on AM in San Diego by sister station KLSD 1360 AM from 1928 to 1982; the reassignment of the three-letter call sign was allowed, as KGB 101.5 FM which retained the call sign after 1360 AM dropped it, is also owned by iHeart.