KBOS-FM (94.9 FM, "B95") is a commercial radio station licensed to Tulare and broadcasting to Fresno, Visalia and the Central Valley of California. It airs an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its studios are on East Shaw Avenue in North Fresno.
KBOS-FM is a Class B FM station with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 16,500 watts. The transmitter tower is off Pierce Valley Drive atop Eshom Point in Hanford.[2]
History
KGEN-FM and Boss Radio
The station signed on the air on September 15, 1965 .[3] Its original call sign was KGEN-FM, sister station to KGEN 1370 AM. KGEN and KGEN-FM simulcast a full service format of middle of the road (MOR) and country music with local news and sports. KGEN was a daytimer station, so KGEN-FM could continue airing the stations' programming after sunset when 1370 KGEN had to go off the air.
KGEN-FM changed its call letters to KBOS on July 24, 1967. It began broadcasting a Top 40 format, known as "Boss Radio." It added the "-FM" suffix, changing its call sign again on February 1, 1992 to KBOS-FM.[4]
Rhythmic Contemporary
KBOS-FM remained a Top 40 station until the 1980s when it began adding more rhythmic hits and deleting pop-leaning titles. Since then, the station has enjoyed dominant ratings. The station's first transmitter location was in Tulare, where it was powered at 5,300 watts on a short antenna. It could only be heard in Tulare and adjacent communities. In the 1970s, it moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains along with KJUG-FM 106.7. FM 94.9 had an effective radiated power (ERP) around 1,500 watts with a height above average terrain (HAAT) of 2,650 feet (810 m). The station’s transmitter site moved again, this time to Eshom Point. That gave it better coverage in the Fresno radio market, boosting its economic potential. It increased its ERP to its current 16,500 watts.
KBOS-FM was acquired by Capstar in 2000.[5] (Capstar was a forerunner to current owner iHeartMedia.) KBOS-FM is one of two Rhythmic Top 40 stations covering Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare Counties. The other is Rhythmic Top 40 rival 97.1 KSEQ, licensed to Visalia and owned by Lotus Communications.
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KBOS-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/KBOS
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1967 page B-24. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2025
- ^ Callsign history for KBOS-FM from the FCC; retrieved October 3, 2019.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2009 page B-84. Retrieved Feb. 3, 2025
External links
- KBOS official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 9748 (KBOS-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KBOS-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- "History Cards for KBOS". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
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