Broadcast area San Francisco Bay Area Class D Frequency 1220 kHz Format Financial News Area San Francisco Bay Area | First air date 1947 Facility ID 65485 City of license Palo Alto Owner Salem Media Group Sister stations KFAX | |
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Branding Wall Street Business Network Power 5,000 watts day
145 watts night Slogan The Bay Area's Business Leader | ||
Vta bart silicon valley on the edge radio am 1220 kdow
KDOW (1220 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a financial news/talk format, featuring mostly brokered programming. Licensed to Palo Alto, California, United States, the station serves the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned by the Salem Media Group (SCA-Palo Alto, LLC). Its slogan is "The Bay Area's Business Leader."
Contents
The station's studios and offices are on Liberty Street in Fremont and its transmitter is in East Palo Alto west of the Dumbarton Bridge. KDOW broadcasts at 5,000 watts during the day. But because 1220 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A XEB in Mexico City, KDOW must reduce power at night to 145 watts. The station had obtained a construction permit from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for a power increase to 50,000 watts both day and night. But the permit expired in July 2012.
History
The station first signed on in 1947 as KIBE. It was a daytime only station operating with 250 watts, simulcasting the classical music programming of KDFC-FM. It was owned and operated by Millard Kibbe. It became known as KDFC-AM on March 1, 1984. On August 29, 1997, the station changed its call sign to KBPA and then on February 15, 1999 the station became KBZS. On July 24, 2001, the station changed to KSFB. On July 1, 2004, the station became KNTS. On July 1, 2008, four years after becoming KNTS the station finally became known as KDOW, providing business news and financial advice programming 24/7.
Business talk shows
The station features many business and financial talk shows such as Phil Grande of The Phil's Gang Radio Show, Market Wrap with Moe Ansari, and Joe Cucchiara hosting Real Estate 360 Radio, whose slogan is "anything and everything real estate".
Sports
On May 15, 2015, KDOW announced that it took over the radio broadcast rights to the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. It's the first broadcast of sports of any kind at the station.