KARJ (FM)

KARJ
Escondido, California; United States;
Broadcast area	Escondido, California ; San Diego, California
Frequency	92.1 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	Air1
Programming
Format	FM/HD1: Worship music; HD2: K-Love 2000s; HD3: Radio Nueva Vida
Affiliations	Air1
Ownership
Owner	Educational Media Foundation
Sister stations	KKLJ, KLVJ, KYDO
History
First air date	July 1966 (as KOWN-FM)
Former call signs	KOWN-FM (1966–1987); KWNQ (September–October 1987); KOWF (1987–1997); KFSD (1997–2001); KFSD-FM (2001–2003); KSOQ-FM (2003–2017); KYDQ (2017–2019)
Call sign meaning	AiR1
Technical information
Facility ID	49206
Class	A
ERP	580 watts
HAAT	312 meters (1,024 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	33°6′39″N 117°9′13″W / 33.11083°N 117.15361°W
Translator(s)	98.5 K253AD (Oceanside, relays HD3)
Repeater(s)	96.1 KYDO (Campo); 100.1 KKLJ (Julian, relays HD3)
Links
Webcast	Listen Live; Listen Live (HD2)
Website	air1.com

KARJ (92.1 MHz) is an FM radio station serving the North County of San Diego County, California, United States, airing a Worship music format from the Air1 network, and is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.

KARJ's transmitter and antenna are located at 33°6′39″N 117°9′13″W / 33.11083°N 117.15361°W / 33.11083; -117.15361 in Escondido, California near Frank's Peak on Mount Whitney. The station broadcasts with 580 watts of effective radiated power (ERP).

History

Country (1978- 199?)

This station began program testing in 1966, However, it didn't sign on until August 1978, when it became KOWN-FM. It broadcast a country music format known as "The Cow."^[2] In 1987, it became KWNQ, later becoming KOWF-FM, At this point, the station broadcast country music from local studios in Escondido.

Classical (199?-2001)

The callsign was changed KFSD while owned by the Astor Broadcast Group, who chose a format of classical music acquired from Lotus Communications in 1997.

Alternative (2001–2003)

In 2001 switched to an alternative rock format as Premium 92/1, still with the KFSD call letters. Station management admitted that the classical format has been in the red for years and the change was made to increase revenue. ^[3]^[4]

Country (2003–2017)

In 2003, KFSD-FM was purchased by Jefferson Pilot Communications and turned into KSOQ-FM, the simulcasting partner for their popular country music station KSON-FM, which faced geographical challenges to its signal's penetration into the North County area of San Diego County as well as into southern Riverside County, problems largely solved by the addition of KSOQ.^[5] Fans of the alternative format were directed to listen to Lincoln's KBZT.

On December 8, 2014, Entercom announced that it will purchase Lincoln Financial Group's entire 15-station lineup (including KSOQ) in a $106.5 million deal, and would operate the outlets under a LMA deal until the sale was approved by the FCC.^[6] The sale was consummated on July 17, 2015.

Sale to EMF, Air1 (2017–2019)

On September 26, 2017, Entercom announced a divestment of three stations (KSOQ, WGGI, and KSWD) to the Educational Media Foundation as part of its merger with CBS Radio (which locally owned KEGY and KYXY) to comply with FCC ownership rules in the San Diego market; the FCC approved the sale of all three stations on November 2. Upon the closing of the acquisition on November 16, EMF flipped the station to its Christian contemporary hit radio network Air1 at 1:00 p.m. that day..^[7] EMF also changed the station's call letters to KYDQ, the callsign is similar to repeater station KYDO.^[8]

On April 11, 2019, this station changed its callsign to KARJ, the new callsign resembles "Air1".^[9]

HD Programming

Under its previous owner, an HD Radio transmitter was fitted to the station. The HD1 channel is the digitized standard signal as required by law. The current HD channels are listed below

HD2: K-Love Classics
HD3: Radio Nueva Vida simulcast

References

^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-42. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
^ "KOW-AM & FM – GetAdamSmith.com". Retrieved 11 May 2023.
^ "KFSD turns to rock format". 2 May 2001.
^ "Media KFSD-FM switches to alternative format to increase revenues". 13 May 2001.
^ "Yee-haw? 92.1 goes country". 12 November 2003.
^ "Entercom Acquires Lincoln Financial Media" from Radio Insight (December 8, 2014)
^ Venta, Lance (September 27, 2017). "Entercom Divests 100.3 The Sound Los Angeles & Two Others to Educational Media Foundation". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
^ "Media Bureau Call Sign Actions" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
^ "Query the REC California Network database for KARJ". REC Group. Retrieved 20 April 2019.

External links

Official website
Facility details for Facility ID 49206 (KARJ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
KARJ in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
FCC History Cards for KARJ

[by1999-1] Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 (PDF). 1999. p. D-42. Retrieved November 24, 2017.

[2] "KOW-AM & FM – GetAdamSmith.com". Retrieved 11 May 2023.

[3] "KFSD turns to rock format". 2 May 2001.

[4] "Media KFSD-FM switches to alternative format to increase revenues". 13 May 2001.

[5] "Yee-haw? 92.1 goes country". 12 November 2003.

[6] "Entercom Acquires Lincoln Financial Media" from Radio Insight (December 8, 2014)

[7] Venta, Lance (September 27, 2017). "Entercom Divests 100.3 The Sound Los Angeles & Two Others to Educational Media Foundation". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 5, 2017.

[fcc-ksoqtokydq-8] "Media Bureau Call Sign Actions" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. November 15, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.

[9] "Query the REC California Network database for KARJ". REC Group. Retrieved 20 April 2019.

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