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KCLU
Satellite of KCLU-FM, Thousand Oaks
Santa Barbara, California;
Broadcast area	Santa Barbara, California
Frequency	1340 kHz
Branding	KCLU Santa Barbara
Programming
Format	Public radio
Affiliations	NPR
Ownership
Owner	California Lutheran University
Sister stations	KCLM, KCLU-FM, KSYV
History
First air date	1946
Former call signs	KLDZ (1998); KIST (1998); KXXT (1998–2000); KIST (2000–2003); KTLK (2003–2005); KIST (2005–2008)
Call sign meaning	K California Lutheran University
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	10327
Class	C
Power	740 watts day ; 700 watts night
Transmitter coordinates	34°25′8″N 119°41′10″W / 34.41889°N 119.68611°W
Translator(s)	102.3 MHz K272DT (Santa Barbara, California)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	kclu.org

KCLU (1340 AM) is a United States Non-commercial educational radio station licensed to and serving Santa Barbara, California. The station airs a public radio format simulcasting NPR member station KCLU-FM in Thousand Oaks. KCLU is rebroadcast on translator station K272DT (102.3 FM) in Santa Barbara. The two stations form part of a five-signal network owned by California Lutheran University.

History

The station first signed on in 1946 as KIST under the ownership of Harry C. Butcher. It was affiliated with the NBC Radio Network.^[2] In 1958, Butcher sold KIST to Western States Radio — a group consisting of A.R. Ellman, A.C. Morici, and station manager Karl A. Rembe — for $197,500.^[3]^[4]

For many years, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, KIST was a premier top 40 music station. Under the ownership of Joseph Patterson "Patt" Wardlaw, Jr., who purchased Western States Radio in 1960,^[5] KIST not only played the popular music of the day but also claimed one of the finest news broadcasting teams in the Santa Barbara area. The station won awards from the Southern California Broadcasters Association for its coverage of the Sycamore Fire in 1977. Each on-air disc jockey and many of the support staff carried two-way mobile radios in their vehicles; these enabled instant on-scene news reporting. The KIST staff from this era included program director Hal Bates, music director Dick Williams (since deceased), news director Patrick C. Riley, and chief engineer Doug Allan. On-air personalities included morning drive host Baron Ron Herron, reporter Ed Foley, and disc jockeys scotty johnson PD & C. Engineer, Tom Payne, Jack Kinney, Mike Hennie, Jim Cordes (aka Jim Evans), Frank Catalano, and Steve Dezormo (since deceased). Station bumper stickers of the time read, "Get KIST 1340!"

Beginning in 1983–84, KIST broadcasts in C-QUAM AM Stereo. By the early 1990s, KIST had changed its format to oldies. In March 1993, RSB Communications sold KIST and KMGQ to Channel Islands Broadcasting for $850,000.^[6] Three years later, in September 1996, Channel Islands Broadcasting sold the combo to Engles Enterprises for $3.5 million.^[7]^[8]

In September 1997, Engels sold KIST to Jacor Communications for $850,000;^[9] Jacor subsequently was absorbed by Clear Channel Communications. The new owner changed the station's call letters to KLDZ. Soon it became all-sports outlet KXXT branded "XTRA Sports 1340". One of the station's on-air hosts was Jim Rome, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. On March 29, 2000, the call sign was changed back to KIST.

On August 8, 2003, the call sign was again changed, this time to KTLK. This change accompanied a format flip to progressive talk radio, part of a national rollout of the format by Clear Channel.^[10] Those call letters remained in place until February 3, 2005, when they were changed back to KIST for a third time.

On January 11, 2007, Clear Channel sold all of its radio stations in Santa Barbara, including KIST, to Rincon Broadcasting, headed by John Hearne, for $17.3 million.^[11] The new owner immediately donated KIST to the Santa Barbara Community Broadcasting Company.^[12]

On June 19, 2008, R & R Radio, LLC announced it had sold KIST to California Lutheran University for $1.44 million.^[13]^[14]^[15] On October 7, the university, owner of NPR member station KCLU-FM, converted the station to non-commercial educational status and changed its call letters to KCLU. On October 28, Rincon Broadcasting picked up the KIST call and format on KBKO (1490 AM).

In December 2021, KCLU's 198-foot red-and-white transmitting tower, which it shares with KOSJ and KZSB, and had long been slightly bent, was shortened to 128 feet and topped with four 12-foot "whiskers" in a horizontal X shape, to give the tower extra electrical length. It was also painted dark green to better blend with its surroundings. Because the shortened tower is a less efficient radiator, KCLU compensated by raising its power from 650 watts on the original tower to 740 watts in the daytime and 700 watts at night on the new configuration.^[16]

References

^ "Facility Technical Data for KCLU". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
^ "Directory of Standard Broadcasting Stations of the United States" (PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting 1948 Yearbook Number. Broadcasting Publications Inc. 1948. p. 94. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. May 5, 1958. p. 68. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. June 2, 1958. p. 92. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. May 2, 1960. p. 98. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "Interep Firms Show Ins, Outs of Mergers; Eagle Change Hovers; KMEL Staff Switches" (PDF). Billboard. March 20, 1993. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
^ "New Age Sells Miami Combo; Evergreen Picks Up Philly Pair" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 27, 1996. p. 8. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "For The Record" (PDF). Radio & Records. October 4, 1996. p. 10. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "SFX Acquires Nashville Trio" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 5, 1997. p. 6. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
^ "Liberal Talk Gets Boost From CC" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 3, 2004. p. 3. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
^ Mackie, Drew (January 11, 2007). "Clear Channel Sells Santa Barbara Stations". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
^ "Buyer Spins Off Two CC Santa Barbara Stations To Non-Profit". All Access. All Access Music Group. January 16, 2007. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
^ "Media 8-7". Santa Barbara Independent. August 7, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
^ "Media 8-14". Santa Barbara Independent. August 14, 2008. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
^ "College Buys KIST-A/Santa Barbara". All Access. All Access Music Group. June 19, 2008. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
^ "Three Local Radio Stations Off the Air While Monopole Undergoes Modifications: Height reduction, 'whiskers' added to the top of the tower, which serves three AM stations". Noozhawk. December 8, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2022.