City Hanford, California First air date 1947 (as KNGS) | Frequency 620 kHz Format Multicultural | |
Broadcast area Visalia-Tulare, California Power 1,000 watts day and night | ||
KIGS (620 AM) is a Multicultural radio station licensed to Hanford, California, United States, and serving the Visalia-Tulare area. On October 31, 2014, New Media Broadcasting bought the station from Pereira Communications. The purchase closed on February 3, 2015.
KIGS went on the air in 1947 under the ownership of the local newspaper owners. Over the years it has changed ownership having been owned by Lee Smith and later, Bob Liggett. The Pereiras established the station in 1947. Of Portuguese descent, the Pereiras first carried Portuguese-language programming in 1952. later to expand to a mostly-Portuguese format (with some Spanish language programming) in 1989.
KIGS's studios, located on Route 198 east of Hanford, was the basis for the cover of Journey's 1986 album, Raised on Radio.
On July 27, 2012, the license for the station was transferred from Maria Pereira, who died on February 11, 2012 (given in FCC documents as Maria O. Pereira) to John Pereira, the Special Administrator of Maria Pereira's estate. On July 31, the station temporarily left the air, pending completion of Maria Pereira's estate administration, and the beneficiary's plans for the station. In February 2013, ownership was transferred to their children, Albert Pereira and Odilia Silva.
From May 23, 2013-October 30, 2014, KIGS returned to the air with sports, with programming from Fox Sports Radio, before changing its affiliation to NBC Sports Radio soon after. KIGS serves as the home of the Los Angeles Angels radio network for the Central Valley.
As of November 1, 2014, KIGS is now Radio Punjab.