KCFA

Christian Services, Inc. received a construction permit on 23 October 1958 to build a radio station on 1330 kHz in Spokane, Washington at 5408 South Freya Street on the Moran Prairie. The station's callsign was KCFA and was to operate in the daytime only. A license to cover the construction permit was granted on 4 February 1960. Roger L. Stensland was the president and Henry J. "Bud" Chandler was the manager. By 1965, Gordon F. Paul was named president and by 1974, Norman H. Huff was named president.

The station was called Spokane's "Station of Inspiration" and its programming was said to be Christian oriented. According to a program schedule from 1969, KCFA broadcast syndicated religious programs as well as some locally produced programming.

In the late 1960's, Christian Services, Inc. built an FM station, KCFA-FM, and this allowed them to extend their program schedule into the evening. In 1974, the Moody Bible Institute purchased the station from Christian Services, and on 1 July 1974 changed the callsigns from KCFA-AM and KCFA-FM to KMBI-AM and KMBI-FM.


KMBI

KMBI has its own history page. Please click here to see it.

The station continues to transmit on 1330 kHz in the daytime and on 107.9 mHz 24 hours per day in the Spokane area with numerous FM translators and repeaters throughout Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana. It is also heard in more distant locations on cable and satellite.


For further information about the station's transmitter plant, please go here.


AIR CHECK

This is an air check from 1989 recorded by Bill Harms. Click Here.

If you have an air check from KCFA or an earlier KMBI air check please contact Bill Harms at wjharms@!radiotowers.info. (be sure to remove the "!" from the email address.)


Compiled and edited by Bill Harms - updated 20 September 2008


SOURCES:

  • Construction Permit for Standard Broadcast Station for KCFA. Federal Communications Commission. Washington, DC. File No. BP-11,666. Granted 23 October 1958. From National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
  • License Application - Engineering Data - Standard Broadcast for KCFA. Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC. Signed by George Frese 26 May 1959. From National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
  • Standard Broadcast Station License for KCFA. Federal Communication Commission. Washington, DC. File No. BL-7575. Granted 4 February 1960. From National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
  • Standard Broadcast Station License for KCFA. Federal Communication Commission. Washington, DC. File No. BR-3830. Granted 28 March 1969. From National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
  • "Call Sign Change." Telegraphic message from the Federal Communications Commission dated 25 June 1974 to Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Spokane, Washington. From National Archives, College Park, Maryland.