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KSUN (1400 AM) is a Spanish-language radio station broadcasting out of Phoenix, Arizona, and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is locally owned by the Marques brothers and operates a regional Mexican music format under the branding "La Mejor". The station simulcasts on translator at K293CO 106.5 FM. The station is also the Spanish-language play-by-play home of Phoenix Suns basketball games and Phoenix Rising FC soccer matches.

History

The station signed on August 28, 1954, as KONI, the ninth radio station in Phoenix; originally KBLR, the station's callsign changed by the time it signed on. KONI became KXIV in 1961. Until 1982, KXIV was programmed with a middle of the road (MOR) music format. The station was co-owned by Ira Lavin and actor Dick Van Dyke (an Arizona resident). Disc jockeys included George Scott, Jack Dey, Jim Hutton, Paul B. Mundt, and Jim Spero (who also served as program director).

Van Dyke and Lavin sold KXIV in 1982 to local real estate developer Michael Levin, who relaunched the station with a news/talk format as KSUN, featuring personalities from ABC's TalkRadio Network, NBC's Talknet and audio from CNN2. The call letters had been sold to Levin by the previous KSUN in Bisbee, at the time silent and in receivership. Hourly discount auctions through a segment called "BarterBank" were also heavily advertised. Levin's tenure running KSUN was marred by suspicious vandalism and layoffs. The station fell into bankruptcy and went silent on Memorial Day weekend 1983.

CAZ Broadcasting bought KSUN out of bankruptcy in 1984, and brought the station back the next year as an affiliate of the original Radio AAHS, a radio service developed for children, with adult-oriented music at night. By 1986, KSUN was running jazz full-time with minor league baseball play-by-play of the Phoenix Firebirds, having lost Radio AAHS when Children's Radio Network opted to cease distributing it outside of its owned-and-operated stations. After an abortive attempt to sell the station to TransCom, owners of KLZI 99.9 FM, and going silent again at the end of summer, Fiesta Radio purchased the station in November 1986. Radio Fiesta officially signed on March 23, 1987. The station became a sports play-by-play specialist; it was the long-time home of Spanish broadcasts of the Arizona Diamondbacks (now on KHOV), first carrying all 162 games in 2004, and continues to carry Suns games. In 2021, the station will broadcast Phoenix Rising FC games.

In 2015, the station partnered with Mexican radio company MVS Radio to launch its regional Mexican La Mejor format in Phoenix.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for KSUN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "9th Valley Radio Station Takes To Air 6 A.M. Today". Arizona Republic. August 28, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
3. "Ownership changes", Broadcasting. August 23, 1965. p. 84. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
4. "Changing Hands", Broadcasting. July 5, 1982. p. 69. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
5. "KXIV Radio". Archived from the original on January 21, 2010. Retrieved September 30, 2008.
6. Wilkinson, Bud (August 8, 1982). "Owner tones down programming game plan for KSUN". Arizona Republic. p. 99. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
7. Hatfield, David (June 4, 1982). "Quality picks are NBC, new 'Arizona Illustrated'". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
8. "KSUN down: Vandals twice knock radio station off the air". Arizona Republic. February 21, 1983. p. D20. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
9. Wilkinson, Bud (January 2, 1983). "Stiff competition inspired better programming in 1982". Arizona Republic. p. F12. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
10. ^ Wilkinson, Bud (June 21, 1984). "KSUN sold; new owners plan autumn debut". Arizona Republic. p. F5. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
11. Wilkinson, Bud (May 17, 1985). "KSUN plans to usher in dawn of children's radio programs". Arizona Republic. p. E15. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
12. Wilkinson, Bud (April 3, 1986). "Radio station KSUN forced to drop children's format". Arizona Republic. p. E5. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
13. Wilkinson, Bud (June 25, 1986). "'NewsChannel 3' adds new sportscasters to lineup". Arizona Republic. p. G5. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
14. Wilkinson, Bud (December 11, 1986). "NBC's '1986' TV news magazine will never see 1987". Arizona Republic. p. F6. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
15. Wilkinson, Bud (March 23, 1987). "KTVK-TV wins contract to show ASU sports package". Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
16. "MLB: Diamondbacks". Arizona Republic. January 30, 2004. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
17. "Phoenix Rising FC 2021 Broadcast Schedule". Phoenix Rising Communications. November 11, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 21430 (KSUN) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KSUN in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
• FCC History Cards for KSUN

• Hispanic and Latino American culture in Phoenix, Arizona
• Mexican-American culture in Arizona
• Radio stations in Arizona
• Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States
• Radio stations established in 1954
• 1954 establishments in Arizona