Vegas Bits & Bytes: Nevada’s “First” FM Stereo Station-KRGN

Many thanks to Allen Sandquist "Roadsidepictures" for providing the ad from the 1964 "Nevada" Magazine. Click the image to check out his photostream on Flickr.

One may surmise after looking at this display ad from the Centennial edition of Nevada Magazine in 1964 that Nevada’s first FM station to broadcast in stereo was at 101.9 on the dial:  KRGN-FM.  The point is debateable but in later years KRGN-FM would be the first to broadcast in Quadraphonic (”QS Quadraphonic”) in the 1970s, a point Casey Kasem brought up in one of his American Top 40 shows. 

KRGN-FM signed on the air March 22, 1963 with studios and transmitter on East Sahara next to Commercial Center, the original owner was Mrs. Ernie Cragin, Cragin Park off of West Charleston was named after one of Las Vegas’ early mayors.  The call letters paid homage to it’s original owners, who also opened the El Portal in 1914. 

Gilday Brodcasting acquired the station in 1968 and began an evolution to a more contemporary format, by 1973 the annual Broadcasting Yearbook listed the format as “Contemporary/Country/Pop/MOR.”  

The following year the ownership changed with Broadcast Associates taking control December 1, 1974.  “The Best on Record” became the station slogan, and the call letters were changed to KFMS.  KFM-102 would became a full contemporary format, the automation equipment for this largely-unmanned station were in full view through the windows of neighboring Garwo0od Van’s Musicland at 850 E. Sahara.  Steve Gold and BVroadcast Associates would move the facilities to 1555 E. Flamingo and the transmitter moved to atop Black Mountain toward the end of the decade.  Additionally, the station began broadcasting in QS-Quadraphonic during this period, the automation equipment was retired and live announcers took over.  Doug Shane, Lark Williams, and Jay Ford were among the first on-air crew. 

Down the dial Lotus Broadcasting lit up 92.3 FM with an Album Oriented Rock format in 1977 and KFM answered going head-to head with “K-92″ “KFM Rocks Las Vegas!”   The line-up was Doug Shane, morning drive;  Jay Ford, Middays; and Russ Ryan, afternoons.  Rick Diego was recruited from competitor K-92 KENO-FM to handle evenings, and in 1979 this author was hired to replace Doug Shane doing morning drive…a stint which only lasted two months.  Big Marty would come on board to do mornings the following year.  K-92 would change to a more pop format by the end of the decade and KFM would continue to rock Las Vegas until 1981…when a dramatic change would occur. 

The change was Country, and KFM started honkin’ the howdy hits — a change which proved to be very successful for the station.  But the change did not come without protest.  Program director Jay Ford recalls, “The day the station flipped to a Country format was one of the darkest days of my life.  What a drag it was showing up to work with protesters in the parking, on the roof with banners, tv crews, eggs thrown on the windows, disturbing calls to the switchboard.  It was unbelievable!”   Bill Gardner would take over morning drive,  Teddy Brown handled middays, Shari Singer Noon-3pm, Dick Riley afternoons, Joe Farmer evenings, and Richard Sainte overnights.   For the rest of the decade and into the 90s KFM remained a market leader with its country format.

When the station signed on the air in 1963 it was listed in the Broadcasting Yearbook for that year at 909 E. Sahara, which is on the southeast corner of the main entrance to Commercial Center.  When Gilday Broadcasting acquired the station they moved across the street to 850, next to Garwood Van’s Musicland.  Gilday also owned the Las Vegas franchise for Muzak which transmitted on a subcarrier of KRGN.   After Broadcast Associates’ purchase of the property in 1974 they moved to 1555 East Flamingo, the “1555″ office complex would later also be home to KMZQ-FM 100.5.  The station would relocate to the Valley Bank building on Convention Center Drive until Regent Broadcasting took control in 1995 and a former First Western Savings branch at 1130 East Desert Inn Road would become home, the location used for filming the bank scenes in the movie “Casino” also housed Regent’s other Las Vegas acquisitions:  KEYV-FM 93.1, KSNE-FM 106.5, and KWNR-FM 95.5. 

Another ownership change occured in the late 90s when Jacor bought out Regent, Jacor (now Clear Channel) relocated to 2880 Meade Avenue.  After 19 years as a country station in early 2000 the format flipped to CHR and was rebranded “KISS” and carried Rick Dees in the mornings.  In 2003 they went from “KISS” to “Wild” and changed call letters to KWID.  Clear Channel sold the property to Lotus Broadcasting in 2004 the format became Spanish Oldies ”La Preciosa.”

Whether 101.9 was the first Nevada station to broadcast in stereo is a point subject to debate, but as far as I know they were the only facility in Las Vegas to broadcast in Quadraphonic.  The station was launched by a pioneer Las Vegas family in 1963 and now joins the growing rank of Spanish-language signals in Las Vegas.

Many thanks to Allen Sandquist aka “Roadsidepictures” on Flickr for allowing me to use the display ad for KRGN and El Portal Theatre, which appeared in the Centennial Edition of “Nevada” Magazine in 1964.