KPSL-FM (96.5 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

broadcasting a

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mex ...

format. Licensed to Bakersfield, California, United States, the station serves the Bakersfield area. The station is currently owned by

Lotus Communications Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the com ...

History

;KIFM (1963–1975):96.5 FM Bakersfield signed on-the-air on August 24, 1963, as KIFM. From 1966 to 1969 the KIFM format was

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...

. In 1969 the station was purchased by Faith Center, Glendale, California. The format was

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

. Part of the time the station simulcast with KHOF 99.5 Los Angeles. The call letters

KIFM KIFM (1320 AM) is a radio station in Sacramento, California, that has been affiliated with ESPN Radio since February 2007. It has separate transmitter sites for daytime and night operations. Owned and operated by Audacy, Inc., its studios are ...

now belong to a radio station in

West Sacramento West Sacramento (also known as West Sac) is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. The city is separated from Sacramento by the Sacramento River, which also separates Sacramento and Yolo counties. It is a fast-growing community; the p ...

. ;KHIS/KHIS-FM (1976–1996):In 1975, 96.5 FM was bought by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. On January 1, 1976, the call letters were changed to KHIS and to KHIS-FM on January 3, 1977 when the church bought 800 AM KUZZ and turned it into KHIS (now KBFP). KHIS-FM aired a

religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and ...

format until December 27, 1996. ;KSMJ (1996–1998): On September 30, 1996, Foursquare sold KHIS-AM-FM to Hemisphere Broadcasting of Bakersfield for $2.65 million. On December 27, 1996, the call letters KHIS-FM were changed to KSMJ. KSMJ aired a

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially-oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. History Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 1 ...

music format branded as ''Smooth Jazz 96-5 KSMJ''. ;KKXX (1998–2004): On July 2, 1998, KSMJ moved up the dial to 98.5 FM and radio station KKXX-FM moved from 105.3 FM to 96.5 FM alternating between a

rhythmic top 40 The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...

and Top 40 music format until September 3, 2004. The station was branded as ''X96.5'' and at the time was owned by Mondosphere Broadcasting. On August 16, 2000, Mondosphere Broadcasting was sold to

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

. Clear Channel relabeled

KKXX-FM KKXX-FM (93.1 FM, "Hits 93.1") is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) musical format. KKXX-FM is licensed to Shafter, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California area. The station is owned by American General Media. The station' ...

from ''X96.5'' to ''96.5 KISS-FM'' which was modeled after its sister station

KIIS-FM KIIS-FM (102.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a top 40 format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglome ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

and also stated that no changes were expected at that time. ;KBKO (2004–2008): On September 3, 2004, the format was changed to country with the call sign changing to KBKO-FM. The station was branded as ''Big 96-5.'' Later, it was rebranded as ''96-5 KBKO.'' On February 15, 2008, the KBKO-FM call letters and the

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...

format were briefly moved to 98.5 FM in a frequency swap with

KDFO KDFO (98.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "98-5 The Fox") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. History ...

, a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

station which then became ''96-5 The Fox.'' On Friday, June 20, 2008, the two stations were moved back to their previous frequencies after a four-month, swap. ;KVMX (20082011): On Tuesday, July 29, 2008, KBKO-FM was sold to

and the station began stunting before revealing the new format. At noon on August 5, 2008, the station announced a new

classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 198 ...

format branded as ''96-5 Max-FM''. The new format was led off with "

Start Me Up "Start Me Up" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album '' Tattoo You''. Released as the album's lead single, it reached number one on Australian Kent Music Report, number two in Canada, number two on the ''B ...

" by the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

. On August 13, 2008, the KBKO-FM call sign was changed to KVMX. ;KPSL-FM (2011present):On September 8, 2011,

made a frequency change to two of its stations, KVMX and KPSL-FM which swapped frequencies. KPSL-FM is now at 96.5 FM and is branded as ''Concierto 96.5 FM'' and KVMX is now at 92.1 FM. On July 31, 2018 KPSL-FM changed their format from Spanish adult hits to regional Mexican, branded as "La Ley 96.5".La Ley Enters Bakersfield
Radioinsight - July 31, 2018

Programming

Programming on this station includes Alex "El Genio" Lucas on mornings, Rosmar Vega on mid-days, El Fantasma on afternoons, and ''Concierto 96.5 Music'' overnights, and weekends. ''Show De Thalia'' is on Saturday evenings.

Previous logo

References

External links

* {{Lotus Communications PSL-FM Radio stations established in 1963 1963 establishments in California PSL-FM Lotus Communications stations Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States