KSWG (96.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a commercial FM

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 ...

licensed to

Wickenburg, Arizona Wickenburg is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa and Yavapai County, Arizona, Yavapai counties, Arizona, United States. The population was 7,474 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and was estimated to be 7,920 in 2022. H ...

. It is owned by Barna Broadcasting Company and airs a classic country

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

, using the moniker "Real Country 96.3." The station is considered a rimshot broadcaster because its

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is more than 50 miles from downtown

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

. KSWG's signal is primarily heard in northwest suburbs of the Phoenix

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market *Marketing, the act of sat ...

. The studios and offices are on West Wickenburg Way in Wickenburg. The transmitter is off South Vulture Mine Road, also in Wickenburg.

History

KFMA, KMEO and KBSZ

Today's KSWG began life in September 1992 on 93.7 MHz as

modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...

station KFMA. The station was owned by Harold Shumway alongside KTIM 1250 AM, and as KFMA, it was run by former KUPD/KUKQ general manager Lloyd Melton. However, when KEDJ-FM was born months later, it pushed KFMA, with its partial-market signal, out of the format. Early in 1993 KFMA became KMEO, an easy listening music station using call letters made famous in Phoenix by KMEO-AM-FM (now KIDR and

KMXP KMXP (96.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio, commercial modern adult contemporary radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned and operated by iHeartMedia, Inc., with radio studio, studios on East Van Buren Street near Sky Harbor ...

); Melton sued Shumway in

Maricopa County Maricopa County () is a county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the fourth-most populous county in the United States and ...

Superior Court. On March 24, 1995, KMEO flipped to new age music as KBSZ "The Breeze".

Geoff Stirling Geoffrey William Stirling (March 22, 1921 – December 21, 2013) was a Canadian-American businessman and media magnate, best known for his work in his home city of St. John's, Newfoundland. Life Stirling was born in St. John's to Edgar Stilin ...

, a new age enthusiast and Canadian-American media mogul, had an unspecified stake in the station. KBSZ also made moves to increase its coverage; it picked up use of a translator from KEDJ at 96.3 MHz, improving its signal in metro Phoenix. It also moved its main signal to 94.1 with increased power in March 1996; the

KBSZ KBSZ (1260 AM; "The Rattler") is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic rock radio format. Licensed to Apache Junction, Arizona, the station is owned by 1TV.com. The studios and offices are on Broadway in Miami, Arizona. By day, ...

call letters also turned up on the AM station on March 1, 1996, where they remain today (even though the station has moved across the Valley to

Apache Junction Apache Junction (Western Apache: Hagosgeed) is a city in Pinal and Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,499, most of whom lived in Pinal County. It is named for the junction of the Apache Trai ...

). However, low audience turnout for the last concert the station sponsored and low ad sales prompted Circle S to move in a new direction.

KSWG

In July 1996, KBSZ-FM became KSWG "94 Country" with a classic country as KSWG. It was one of two new country stations in the Phoenix market that month, alongside KXLL/KBUQ "Young Buck Country". In 2006, KSWG relocated from 94.1 to 96.3. The station was sold to Barna Broadcasting in 2012. In 2017, an interference dispute lodged by KSWG against

KXEG KXEG (1280 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, United States. The station is owned by KXEG AM LLC. The station is simulcast on Broadcast relay station, FM translator 96.1 K241CS, also licensed to Phoenix. First ...

translator K241CS (96.1) prompted a counter-filing alleging that the facility on which KSWG was operating was not the one it was licensed for; it was directional toward Phoenix, and the tower was higher than authorized.

References

External links

* {{coord, 33.926, N, 112.795, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title SWG Classic country radio stations in the United States Mass media in Yavapai County, Arizona 1992 establishments in Arizona Radio stations established in 1992