City Pierre, South Dakota Frequency 1060 kHz First air date June 1, 1916 | Branding 1060 KGFX Translator(s) 107.1 K296FI (Pierre) | |
Slogan South Dakota's Pioneer Radio Station | ||
KGFX (1060 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Pierre, South Dakota, United States, the station serves the Pierre area. The station is currently owned by James River Broadcasting.
All four Pierre James River Broadcasting stations share studios at 214 West Pleasant Drive, in Pierre.
History
The radio station that eventually became KGFX began with Dana McNeil, a railroad man who lived in Pierre. He began experimenting with amateur radio in the first decade of the twentieth century. At that time, "amateur radio" consisted of using spark gap equipment, which was capable of morse code transmissions but not voice. McNeil applied to the US Department of Commerce for permission to transmit, requesting a Class 5 Special Amateur License. On August 13, 1912 that license was granted and the operation was assigned the call sign 9ZP. It was authorized for spark-gap transmissions only.
A General Amateur Radio License was next applied for, and this was granted on June 1, 1916, using the call sign 9CLS. This class of license allowed voice transmissions, so occasional voice transmissions were made after that date. The station equipment was located in McNeil's house on West Pleasant Drive in Pierre. The equipment moved (along with the McNeil family, which by that time included his wife, the former Ida Anding) to a new house at 203 West Broadway, Pierre in 1921.
On September 26, 1924 the station was "officially" licensed for transmission of both voice and code transmissions. On August 15, 1927 the station's call sign was changed to KGFX and its carrier frequency was set at 1180 kc. Its operating hours were set as between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. This license came from the Federal Radio Commission, which came into being in 1927.
On November 11, 1928 the station's carrier frequency was changed to 580 kc. In 1930 the National Weather Bureau closed its Pierre data-collecting station, and the personnel of KGFX assumed that duty. They used weather balloons and weather-measuring equipment to send weather reports at 6-hour intervals.
In October 1931 the station's carrier frequency changed again, to 630 kc. In 1932 the station became a full "commercial" operation, soliciting and selling commercial airtime.
On October 15, 1936 Dana McNeil died, leaving the station's ownership and operation to Ida. The studio remained in the McNeil house until 1967, when it moved to the Sahr Building, at the corner of East Capital and Highland Streets.
In 1967 the FCC changed the station's carrier frequency, this time to 1060 kc, and its allowable transmission power was raised to 10,000 watts daytime (1,000 watts nighttime). Two towers were constructed for the station, south of Fort Pierre.
In 1972 James River Broadcasting moved the studio to 214 West Pleasant Drive. In 1976 two additional towers were constructed, and the station began broadcasting around the clock.