KSZL (1230 AM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to and serves Barstow, California, United States. The station is owned by California Communications of Barstow, LLC and broadcasts a news/talk format.
The station first signed on in 1947 as KWTC. Originally owned by William T. Brown, Burton C. Boatwright, and Robert E. Reno—doing business as Mojave Valley Broadcasting Company—it broadcast at a power of 250 watts at all hours.[1][2] In June 1950, KWTC joined the Liberty Broadcasting System, an early radio network that carried live re-creations of Major League Baseball games.[3] In 1959, KWTC applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its power to 1,000 watts during the day; the FCC approved the adjustment in 1961.[4][5]
In late 1980, Mojave Valley Broadcasting sold KWTC and its sister stationKWTC-FM (93.5 FM) to Inland Empire Broadcasters—headed by Howard N. Fisher, owner of KPROinRiverside, California—for $385,000.[6] The new owner changed the station's call sign to KPRD in March 1983.[7] In September 1985, Inland Empire Broadcasters sold KPRD and its FM counterpart, now called KZNS, to First American Communications Corporation for $300,000.[8] The following April, the station adopted the KSZL call letters.[9]
In June 2008, Dos Costas Communications Corporation sold KSZL, KDUC, KDUQ, and KXXZ to California Communications of Barstow, LLC for $4.3 million.[12][13]
KSZL previously aired programming from Air America before that network's demise in January 2010.
^"FCC Actions"(PDF). Broadcasting/Telecasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. April 11, 1949. p. 185. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"Front Office"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. June 26, 1950. p. 40. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. October 26, 1959. p. 119. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. March 27, 1961. p. 108. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. December 1, 1980. p. 110. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. March 21, 1983. p. 182. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. September 23, 1985. p. 68. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"For the Record"(PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications Inc. April 14, 1986. p. 184. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
^"Format Changes & Updates"(PDF). The M Street Journal. Vol. 12, no. 34. New York City: M Street Corporation. August 23, 1995. p. 1. ISSN1052-7109. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
^"Changing Hands"(PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. R.R. Bowker. December 14, 1998. p. 69. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
