KGMS (940 AM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...

broadcasting a

Christian talk and teaching Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...

format. It is licensed to

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

. The station is owned by Robert and Luann Wilkins, through licensee Tucson Christian Radio, Inc. National religious leaders heard on KGMS include

David Jeremiah David Jeremiah (born February 13, 1941) is an American evangelical Christian author, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in El Cajon, Ca ...

, John MacArthur,

Chuck Swindoll Charles Rozell Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Frisco, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2 ...

Charles Stanley Charles Frazier Stanley Jr. (September 25, 1932 – April 18, 2023) was an American Southern Baptist pastor and writer. He was senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for 49 years and took on ''emeritus'' status in 2020. He founded a ...

and

Alistair Begg Alistair Begg (born May 22, 1952) is an American pastor of Scottish birth. He is the senior pastor of Cleveland's Parkside Church (located in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio), a position he has held since 1983. He is the voice behind ...

. It is part of the Wilkins Radio Network. By day, KGMS is powered at 1,000 watts. To reduce interference to other stations on

940 AM The following radio broadcasting, radio stations broadcast on AM broadcasting, AM frequency 940 kHz: 940 AM is a Mexican and Canadian clear-channel frequency. XEQ-AM, XEQ Mexico City is the dominant List of North American broadcast station c ...

, a clear channel frequency, KGMS reduces power to 250 watts at night. It uses a

directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna that radiates or receives greater radio wave power in specific directions. Directional antennas can radiate radio waves in beams, when greater concentration of radiation in a certain directio ...

with a two-

tower array A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. They were originally developed as ground-based tracking radars. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them. Tower ...

. Programming is

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

KNXN KNXN (1470 AM) is a radio station licensed to Sierra Vista, Arizona. The station simulcasts KGMS 940 AM's Christian talk and teaching radio format, to expand that station's coverage to the southeast of Tucson. It airs programming from the Wi ...

1470 AM The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 1470 kHz: 1470 AM is a Regional broadcast frequency. Argentina * LT20 in Junin, Buenos Aires. * LT26 in Colon, Entre Rios. * LT28 in Rafaela, Santa Fe. * LU26 in Coronel Dorrego, Bu ...

Sierra Vista, Arizona Sierra Vista (; ) is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population of the city is 45,308, and is the 27th most populous city in Arizona. The city is part of the Sierra ...

, to provide coverage southeast of Tucson.

History

Early years

KGMS began as a request for a

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

, filed in 1958 for a new station on 940 kHz in Tucson. Prior to beginning operations, it was assigned the

call letters In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a Identifier, unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be fo ...

KMBO in 1960 and KOBY in 1961. The station

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

the air in . Its call sign was KHOS and it aired a full service,

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

format. KHOS was an

affiliate Affiliation or affiliate may refer to: * Affiliate (commerce), a legal form of entity relationship used in Business Law * Affiliation (family law), a legal form of family relationship * Affiliate marketing * Affiliate network or affiliation platfo ...

of the ABC Information Radio Network. On September 1, 1977, it switched to

Adult Contemporary music Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, sou ...

and changed its call letters to KMGX. In July 1981, it flipped to a

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...

format as KNST. The KNST call letters and format were moved to 790 AM in April 1993. Meanwhile, 940 AM changed its call letters to KWFM. The next year the call sign was changed to KCEE, and the station became KGMS in 2001.Call Sign History
(FCC.gov)

Expanded Band assignment

On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that 88 stations had been given permission to move to newly available " Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz. KCEE was authorized to move from 940 kHz to 1630 kHz."FCC Public Notice: Mass Media Bureau Announces Revised AM Expanded Band Allotment Plan and Filing Window for Eligible Stations"
(FCC DA 97-537), March 17, 1997. This notice lists KCEE under its earlier call sign of KWFM. However, KCEE never procured the construction permit needed to implement the authorization. The expanded band station was never built. It remains on 940 AM.

References

External links

*
FCC History Cards for KGMS
(covering 1958-1981 as KMBO / KOBY / KHOS / KMGX / KNST) {{Tucson Radio GMS Radio stations established in 1964 GMS 1964 establishments in Arizona