KFRN
Encyclopedia
KFRN 1280 AM
is a non-commercial
traditional Christian radio
station
licensed
to Long Beach, California
and serving the Los Angeles
market, which runs programming from Family Radio
. Its transmitter is located in Wilmington, California.
The station first broadcast from the Jergins Trust Building in Long Beach in 1924 as KFON. It later changed its call letters to KFOX, intending to be acquired by 20th Century Fox. But the deal evaporated, and the partnership of Nichols and Warriner operated the station until the remaining partner, Hal Nichols, died in 1952.
As KFOX, it was one of the first stations in the Los Angeles area to broadcast a country music
format, featuring Tennessee Ernie Ford
and Cliffie Stone
in its early days. Sonderling Broadcasting bought the station from the Nichols estate and adopted a full-time country format. The station moved from its long-time facilities at 220 East Anaheim to the International Tower.
In 1977 the station was sold to the non-profit Family Stations Inc., and became KFRN.
The station - as well as staffers Hal McClain and Jonathan Fricke - were featured in the 1974 H. B. Halicki
film Gone in 60 Seconds
, both playing themselves.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
is a non-commercial
Non-commercial
Non-commercial refers to an activity or entity that does not in some sense involve commerce, at least relative to similar activities that do have a commercial objective or emphasis...
traditional Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and serving the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
market, which runs programming from Family Radio
Family Radio
Family Radio, also known by its licensee name Family Stations Inc., is a Christian radio network based in Oakland, California, USA, founded by Lloyd Lindquist, Richard H. Palmquist and Harold Camping...
. Its transmitter is located in Wilmington, California.
The station first broadcast from the Jergins Trust Building in Long Beach in 1924 as KFON. It later changed its call letters to KFOX, intending to be acquired by 20th Century Fox. But the deal evaporated, and the partnership of Nichols and Warriner operated the station until the remaining partner, Hal Nichols, died in 1952.
As KFOX, it was one of the first stations in the Los Angeles area to broadcast a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format, featuring Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
and Cliffie Stone
Cliffie Stone
Cliffie Stone , born Clifford Gilpin Snyder, was an American country singer, musician, record producer, music publisher, and radio and TV personality who was pivotal in the development of California’s thriving country music scene after World War II during a career that lasted six decades...
in its early days. Sonderling Broadcasting bought the station from the Nichols estate and adopted a full-time country format. The station moved from its long-time facilities at 220 East Anaheim to the International Tower.
In 1977 the station was sold to the non-profit Family Stations Inc., and became KFRN.
The station - as well as staffers Hal McClain and Jonathan Fricke - were featured in the 1974 H. B. Halicki
H. B. Halicki
H.B. Halicki was an American stunt driver, actor, and filmmaker. He was also known as Toby to his friends and family, and to his fans as 'The Car Crash King'.-Biography:...
film Gone in 60 Seconds
Gone in 60 Seconds (1974 film)
Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 American action film written, directed, produced by, and starring H.B. 'Toby' Halicki. It centers on a group of car thieves and the 48 cars they must steal in a matter of days. The film is famous for having wrecked and destroyed 93 cars in a 34-minute car chase scene....
, both playing themselves.