KPBS-FM

San Diego, California United States
Broadcast area	San Diego County
Frequency	89.5 MHz (HD Radio)
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	Public radio–talk radio
Subchannels	HD2: Classical music (Classical 24) HD3: Downtempo–Chillout
Affiliations	National Public Radio American Public Media Public Radio Exchange BBC World Service
Ownership
Owner	San Diego State University
Sister stations	KPBS
History
First air date	September 12, 1960; 64 years ago (1960-09-12)
Former call signs	KEBS-FM (1960–1970)
Call sign meaning	Public Broadcasting Service (affiliation of sister TV station)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	58823
Class	B
ERP	26,000 watts
HAAT	208.5 meters (684 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	32°50′17″N 117°14′57″W / 32.83806°N 117.24917°W / 32.83806; -117.24917
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	www.kpbs.org/radio/
Satellite station
KQVO
Calexico, California United States
Broadcast area	Imperial County, California
Frequency	97.7 MHz (HD Radio)
History
First air date	March 1984; 40 years ago (1984-03)
Technical information[2]
Facility ID	8175
Class	A
ERP	6,000 watts
HAAT	93 meters (305 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	32°40′48″N 115°25′36″W / 32.68000°N 115.42667°W / 32.68000; -115.42667
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS

KPBS-FM (89.5 MHz) is a non-commercial, listener-supported, public radio station in San Diego, California. It is owned by San Diego State University (SDSU) as part of KPBS Public Media, and is a sister station to PBS member KPBS-TV (channel 15). The two outlets share studios at The Conrad Prebys Media Complex in Copley Center on Campanile Drive, part of the SDSU campus.

KPBS-FM is a Class B station. It has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 26,000 watts. The station's transmitter is on Mount Soledad in La Jolla.^[3] In addition, KPBS-FM is simulcast on two other transmitters: 89.1 MHz K206AC in La Jolla, and on 97.7 MHz KQVO in Calexico.

KPBS-FM and KQVO have a public radio news-talk format. Weekdays begin with Morning Edition from National Public Radio, with local news updates from the KPBS-FM staff. Most of the other programs are also supplied by NPR and other public radio networks: All Things Considered, Marketplace, Fresh Air, 1A, Here and Now and The World. Monday through Thursday, KPBS-FM produces a one-hour San Diego-focused interview and call-in show, Midday Edition, hosted by Jade Hindmon. It airs live at noon and is repeated at 8 p.m.

Weekends feature one-hour specialty shows on a variety of topics: The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life, Latino USA, A Way with Words, Snap Judgment, Travel with Rick Steves, Hidden Brain, It's Been A Minute, Reveal, Throughline, Freakonomics Radio, The TED Radio Hour, Code Switch and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Overnight, the BBC World Service is heard.

The station signed on the air on September 12, 1960; 64 years ago (1960-09-12).^[4] The original call sign was KEBS-FM. It was owned by what was then San Diego State College. KEBS-FM was a college radio station, used for students to train for careers in broadcasting. In its first decade, the station was powered at 2,000 watts, a fraction of its current output.

It changed its call letters to the current KPBS-FM in 1970. When National Public Radio was launched in 1971, KPBS-FM became one of the network's three charter members in California, along with KCRW in Los Angeles and KQED-FM in San Francisco. KPBS-FM was one of the 90 stations that aired the initial broadcast of All Things Considered when it premiered on May 3, 1971.

In 2005, San Diego State University bought a commercial FM radio station in an underserved part of Southern California. It paid $1.1 million for 97.7 KQVO, a Class A station in Calexico.^[5] KQVO first signed on the air in March 1984. Over the years, it aired a variety of formats.

KPBS-FM wanted to give Imperial County its first public radio station. KQVO began simulcasting KPBS-FM, airing news, talk and NPR programming. The station switched to non-commercial status.

KPBS-FM primarily played classical music until mid-1990s, when it started adding more NPR programs and news to its format. The wake-up broadcast Morning Edition was put on the schedule along with midday talk shows including Fresh Air. Beginning May 23, 2011, the station discontinued its classical music programming in the evening hours and moved all music to an online stream.^[6] When it began broadcasting using HD Radio technology, KPBS-FM added a full time classical music subchannel.

In 2009, the radio, TV and digital news operations were merged into a single content-producing division. This allowed KPBS to produce television and radio news simultaneously.^[7]

The California wildfires of October 2007 in the San Diego area affected KPBS broadcasts. Power was lost to the tower shared by KPBS-FM and KPBS-TV on Mount San Miguel.^[8]

Within three hours, alternative rock station 94.9 KBZT agreed to air KPBS' wildfire coverage until the station could return to a backup operation from its studios on the San Diego State University campus, which occurred the next day. KPBS later restored full coverage from Mount San Miguel using a backup generator.

On October 1, 2012, KPBS boosted its effective radiated power from 2,700 watts to 26,000 watts. It also moved its tower from San Miguel Mountain to Mount Soledad.

Presently, KPBS has three HD Radio channels. KPBS-HD1 is a digital simulcast of the main analog channel that airs NPR news and talk shows. KPBS-HD2 airs "Classical San Diego", featuring music from the syndicated Classical 24 service. KPBS-HD3 offers SomaFM's syndicated "Groove Salad" format.

The KPBS Radio Reading Service broadcasts the readings of newspapers, books, and magazines to those with low vision, blindness, and other impairments. The Reading Service is available 24 hours a day over a private audio channel, and online via audio webstream.

• Official website
• Facility details for Facility ID 6124 (KPBS) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KPBS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

FCC History Cards for KPBS-FM

• Facility details for Facility ID 8175 (KQVO) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KQVO in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• KPBS-FM stays on air, with help
• NPR: KPBS Radio Covers Wildfires Using Many Sources