| Broadcast area | Boise metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1060 kHz |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian radio |
| Affiliations | USA Radio News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Nelson M. And Karen E. Wilson |
| History | |
First air date | October 5, 1960 (at 910) |
Former frequencies | 910 kHz (1960-1978) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 48249 |
| Class | D |
| Power | 10,000 watts day |
Transmitter coordinates | 43°43′13″N 116°31′58″W / 43.72028°N 116.53278°W |
| Links | |
| Website | kbgnradio.com |
KBGN (1060 AM) is a daytime only radio station licensed to Caldwell, Idaho, and serving the Boise metropolitan area. The station broadcasts a Christian radio format and is owned by Nelson M. and Karen E. Wilson.[1]
By day, KBGN is powered at 10,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna. But 1060 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A stations KYW Philadelphia and XECPAE Mexico City. So to avoid interference, KBGN must go off the air at sunset. The transmitter is on Blessinger Road near Willis Road in Star, Idaho.[2]
In the 1950s, evangelist and Southern gospel singer F. Demcy Mylar and architect Harold Shaw sought to put a Christian radio station on the air in the Boise area. They formed the Christian Broadcasting Company of Idaho. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted the company a construction permit on July 14, 1960.[3]
KBGN signed on the air on October 5, 1960.[4] It located its studios on East Chicago Street in Caldwell. It originally broadcast at 910 kilocycles. It was powered at 1,000 watts, as a daytimer, required to go off the air at night. KBGN says it was Idaho's first Christian radio station. Mylar served as the original general manager.
When an airport was going to be built in the 1970s, KBGN was told its tower site would be taken for the airport's construction. Losing its site was an opportunity for KBGN to construct a new tower, move to the 1060 frequency and increase its power to 10,000 watts in 1978. That expanded the coverage area to much of Southwest Idaho and part of Oregon. Now four decades old, the station must replace the transmitter and microwave system. The station is holding fundraisers on the air and appealing for donations on its website.