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{{other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name            = KFI
| logo            = KFI AM640 logo.png
| city            = [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]]
| area            = [[Southern California]]
| branding        = KFI AM 640
| airdate         = {{Start date and age|1922|4|16|p=y|br=yes}}
| frequency       = 640 [[Hertz|kHz]]
| repeater        = 103.5-2 [[KOST]]-HD2
| format          = [[Talk radio]]
| power           = 50,000 [[watt]]s
| class           = A (Clear channel)
| facility_id     = 34425
| coordinates     = {{ubl|{{coord|33|52|47|N|118|0|47|W}} (main antenna)|{{coord|33|52|47|N|118|0|55|W}} (auxiliary antenna)}}
| callsign_meaning = none (randomly assigned)<ref>{{cite webpage |last=Harvey |first=Steve |title=Early radio call letters had a suggestive air about them|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jul-12-me-then12-story.html |access-date=October 14, 2025 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=July 12, 2009|location=Los Angeles, California}}</ref>
| owner           = [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
| licensee        = iHM Licenses, LLC
| affiliations    = {{ubl|[[iHeartRadio]]|[[ABC News Radio]]|[[Premiere Networks]]|[[Los Angeles Dodgers]] (alternate)}}
| webcast         = {{iHeartRadio|kfi-177}}
| website         = [https://kfiam640.iheart.com/ kfiam640.iheart.com]
| sister_stations = {{hlist|[[KBIG]]|[[KEIB]]|[[KIIS-FM]]|[[KLAC]]|[[KOST]]|[[KRRL]]|[[KSRY]]|[[KVVS]]|[[KYSR]]}}
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}

'''KFI''' (640 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[radio station]] in [[Los Angeles]] owned and operated by [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] It began operations in 1922 and became one of the first high-powered, [[clear-channel station|clear-channel]] [[List of North American broadcast station classes|Class A]] stations. It was the first U.S. station west of [[Chicago]] to broadcast at 50,000 [[watt]]s.<ref name=Variety>{{cite journal|title=KFI 50,000-Watt Program|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 21, 1931|page=60|url=https://archive.org/details/variety103-1931-07/page/n179/mode/1up|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

Studios and offices are in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], between the [[Warner Bros.]] Studios and [[The Burbank Studios]]. The [[transmitter]] site is in [[La Mirada, California|La Mirada]] near the Artesia Boulevard exit of Interstate 5, the [[Santa Ana Freeway]]. By day, its signal can be heard throughout [[Southern California]], with city-grade coverage in [[San Diego]], [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] and [[Tijuana|Tijuana, Mexico]] and secondary coverage as far as [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]] and northwestern Mexico, and at times can be heard some distance into [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]]. At night, it can be heard across much of the western half of North America.

KFI and [[KNX (AM)|KNX]] (AM 1070 and [[KNX-FM|97.1 FM]]) serve as the primary entry points for the Southern California [[Emergency Alert System]], which are responsible for activation of the EAS when [[Severe weather terminology (United States)|hazardous weather alerts]], [[disaster area]] declarations, and [[Amber alert|child abductions]] are issued.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gabbert |first=Jim |author-link=California Governor's Office of Emergency Services |date=October 11, 2017 |orig-date=December 20, 2012 |editor-last=Gabbert |editor-first=Jim |title=Emergency Alert System |url=https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Warning-Center/Documents/StateofCaliforniaEAS-Plan.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326181415/https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Warning-Center/Documents/StateofCaliforniaEAS-Plan.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-format=PDF |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=California Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |page=12 |language=en |type=Downloadable PDF from publisher’s website |publication-place=www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/response-operations/warning-center/emergency-alert-system |via=caloes.ca.gov |agency=State Emergency Communications Commission}}</ref>

KFI is licensed by the U.S. [[Federal Communications Commission]] to broadcast in the [[HD Radio|HD]] (hybrid) format;<ref>{{cite web |title=Station Search Details - KFI |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=34425 |website=licensing.fcc.gov |access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref> however, it was reported that KFI turned off its HD signal as of August 12, 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Is KFI switch a sign AM radio is really dead? |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2015/08/12/is-kfi-switch-a-sign-am-radio-is-really-dead/ |website=dailynews.com |access-date=27 Aug 2019 |date=12 Aug 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=2|title=HD Radio station guide for Los Angeles, CA|access-date=2015-09-15|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128180245/https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=2|archive-date=January 28, 2017|df=mdy-all}} HD Radio Guide for Los Angeles</ref> Like other stations owned by iHeartMedia, KFI uses iHeartRadio to stream its webcast.

==Programming==
KFI is one of two iHeartMedia stations in Los Angeles which carry a [[talk radio]] [[Radio format|format]]. KFI features mostly local hosts while [[KEIB]] (1150 AM) has a schedule of [[radio syndication|nationally syndicated]] talk shows.  Morning [[drive time]] on KFI has been hosted by [[Bill Handel]] since 1993. He is followed by Gary Hoffmann and Shannon Farren in middays, [[John and Ken]] in early afternoons, Tim Conway, Jr. (the son of comedian [[Tim Conway]]) in late afternoons and Mo' Kelly in the evening.  One syndicated show is heard overnight, ''[[Coast to Coast AM]] with [[George Noory]]''.  Two Los Angeles TV stations do live segments with cameras in KFI's studios: [[KTTV]] (Bill Handel) and [[KTLA]] (John and Ken).

Weekends feature specialty shows, some of which are nationally syndicated from KFI:  ''Handel on the Law with Bill Handel, [[The Tech Guy|Rich DeMuro on Tech]]'' and ''[[The Jesus Christ Show]] with Neil Saavedra''.  Other weekend shows focus on money, psychology, food, home repair and unsolved crimes. KFI has news and traffic updates every 15 minutes and is an [[network affiliate|affiliate]] of [[ABC News Radio]].

==History==
===Earle C. Anthony===
[[File:Earle C. Anthony of KFI, 1925 photo by the Gilliams Service.jpg|thumb|Anthony at KFI in 1925]]
Effective December 1, 1921, the U.S. government adopted regulations formally defining "broadcasting stations". The wavelength of 360 meters (833&nbsp;kHz) was designated for entertainment broadcasts, while 485 meters (619&nbsp;kHz) was reserved for broadcasting official weather and other government reports.<ref name="regs">[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435066705633&view=1up&seq=200 "Miscellaneous: Amendments to Regulations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', January 3, 1922, page 10.</ref>

KFI was first licensed on March 31, 1922.  It was owned by [[Earle C. Anthony]], Inc.  It operated on the 360-meter entertainment wavelength.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxhh8g&view=1up&seq=1069 "New Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', May 1, 1922, page 3. Limited Commercial license, serial #589, issued for a three month period to Earle C. Anthony, Inc. in Los Angeles, California, for operation on 360 meters.</ref> The KFI [[call sign|call letters]] were randomly assigned from a roster of available call signs. The station made its debut broadcast on April 16, 1922.  It featured vaudeville performers [[Howard Brothers|Eugene and Willie Howard]].<ref name="respects">[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n656/mode/1up "We Pay Out Respects to—Earle C. Anthony"], ''Broadcasting'', July 15, 1932, page 17.</ref> Earle Anthony had trained as an electrical engineer and in 1903, founded the [[California Pelican]], [[UC Berkeley]]{{'}}s first humor magazine.<ref name="berkeley/anthony-hall">{{cite web |title=Anthony Hall |url=https://dac.berkeley.edu/navigating-cal/buildings/anthony-hall |website=Disability Access & Compliance |publisher=berkeley.edu |access-date=10 September 2023}}</ref> He was best known as the owner of a [[Packard]] automobile dealership.

KFI was originally located at Anthony's home, using a 50-watt transmitter Anthony had personally constructed on a kitchen table.<ref name=encyclopedia>"KFI Los Angeles, California Station" by Jim Hilliker, ''Encyclopedia of Radio'', 2004, pages 1343-1346.</ref><ref name="oldradio/LA/nw">{{cite web |last1=Weisenberger |first1=Newcomb |title=Remembers KFI: 1. I Remember Earle C. Anthony |url=https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/LA/nw.htm |website=oldradio.com}}</ref><ref name="oldradio/LA/nw2">{{cite web |last1=Weisenberger |first1=Newcomb |title=Remembers KFI: 2. The tower's story |url=https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/LA/nw2.htm |website=oldradio.com}}</ref><ref name="oldradio/LA/nw3">{{cite web |last1=Weisenberger |first1=Newcomb |title=Remembers KFI: 3. EARLE C. ANTHONY'S FIRST CAR |url=https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/LA/nw3.htm |website=oldradio.com}}</ref><ref name="oldradio/LA/nw4">{{cite web |last1=Weisenberger |first1=Newcomb |title=Remembers KFI: 4. Epilog |url=https://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/LA/nw4.htm |website=oldradio.com}}</ref><ref name="earthsignals/Newcomb/WALK">{{cite web |last1=Weisenberger |first1=Newcomb |title=WALK WITH ME: A Virtual Tour of KFI Engineering (From 1933 – 2005) |url=https://earthsignals.com/Newcomb/WALK_WITH_ME.html |website=earthsignals |access-date=10 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315213900/https://earthsignals.com/Newcomb/WALK_WITH_ME.html |archive-date=15 March 2011}}</ref>

===Shared time===
In 1922, there was a rapid expansion in the number of broadcasting stations, most sharing the single entertainment wavelength of 360 meters, which required progressively more complicated time sharing schedules among stations in the same region. In mid-May 1922, KFI was assigned 1:45 to 2:30 and 4:30 to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. weekdays.<ref>"Broadcasting Times Changed" by John S. Daggett, ''Los Angeles Times'', May 11, 1922, Part II, page 1.</ref> An August 1922 schedule reported that KFI was conducting broadcasts, in conjunction with the ''Los Angeles Examiner'', on both the 360-meter "entertainment" wavelength (daily from 1:45-2:15 p.m, with additional hours of Tuesday, 9 to 10 p.m; Wednesday, 6 to 7 p.m; Friday 9 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 6 to 7 p.m., and Sunday 10:45 to 11:30&nbsp;a.m. plus 4 to 5 p.m.), and on 510 meters (588&nbsp;kHz) on Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Journal/20s/Radio-Journal-1922-08.pdf#page=39 "On the Air: Los Angeles"], ''Radio Journal'', August 1922, page 161.</ref> A regional schedule adopted November 1, 1922, listed KFI's slots as 1:00 to 1:30&nbsp;p.m. Monday through Saturday, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m Tuesday and Saturday, 10:30 to 11:30&nbsp;a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00&nbsp;p.m. Sunday, and 9:20 to 10:00 p.m daily.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Doings/Radio-Doings-1922-12-16.pdf#page=5 "Broadcasting Schedule: Los Angeles Stations"], (effective November 1, 1922), ''Radio Doings'', December 16, 1922, page 5.</ref>

[[File:KFI antenna (1925).jpg|thumb|right|200px|1925 photograph of KFI's rooftop "T" antenna.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=chi.098692728&seq=10 "A Forerunner of Tomorrow's Broadcasting"], ''Popular Radio'', July 1925, page 2.</ref>]]
Earle C. Anthony moved quickly to expand operations. The station's studios and transmitter were moved to the top of the [[Packard]] dealership building, formerly located at Tenth and Hope Streets in Los Angeles, with a rooftop "T" antenna mounted between two short towers. The installation reportedly cost $30,000, and included a 500-watt [[Western Electric]] transmitter, the most powerful commercially available transmitter at the time.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Doings/Radio-Doings-1922-12-16.pdf#page=6 "K. F. I.: The New Earle C. Anthony Station"], ''Radio Doings'', December 16, 1922, page 6.</ref> This new facility went into operation on January 27, 1923.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XWlOAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA4-PA37 "News of the Broadcasters: The New KFI"], ''Radio'', April 1923, page 37.</ref> In September 1922 the Department of Commerce set aside a second entertainment wavelength, 400 meters (750&nbsp;kHz) for "Class B" stations that had quality equipment and programming,<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.319510008420257&view=1up&seq=462 "Amendments to Regulations: Regulation 57"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', September 1, 1922, pages 10-11.</ref> and KFI was assigned to this more exclusive wavelength,<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.319510008420265&view=1up&seq=27 "Alterations and corrections"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', February 1, 1923, page 7.</ref> joining [[KHJ (AM)|KHJ]] on a timesharing basis.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxhh8g&view=1up&seq=1262 "Alterations and corrections"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', December 1, 1922, page 6.</ref> In May 1923 additional "Class B" frequencies were made available, with Los Angeles allocated 640 and 760&nbsp;kHz,<ref>[https://archive.org/details/radioage12unse/page/n362/mode/1up/ "Radio Conference Recommendations: New Wave Lengths"], ''Radio Age'', May 1923, page 11. Beginning with these assignments radio stations ended the practice of broadcasting their market reports and weather forecasts on the separate 485 meter wavelength.</ref> and KFI was reassigned to 640&nbsp;kHz, with KHJ moving to 760&nbsp;kHz.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.319510008420265&view=1up&seq=112 "Alterations and corrections"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', June 1, 1923, page 10.</ref>

From 1922 to 1926, early programming consisted of such things as reading [[news]] from a [[newspaper]] and local gossip. Broadcasting hours were very short, since Anthony was involved in many other activities, and programming sources were limited. However, Anthony stressed the need for quality programming that would be in keeping with his status as the seller of luxury automobiles.<ref name=encyclopedia/>

===Expanded programming and higher power===
{{Main|Golden Age of Radio}}
[[File:1930.05.06 Advertisement for Radio Broadcast With Lisa Roma.gif|thumb|right|Advertisement for a live radio broadcast featuring soprano [[Lisa Roma]], published in the ''Los Angeles Times'' on May 6, 1930]]

In November 1926, the [[National Broadcasting Company]] (NBC) was incorporated. When NBC's network facilities were extended to the west coast of the United States, KFI immediately became one of its [[Network affiliate|affiliates]]. In joining this network, KFI had the advantage of NBC's vast entertainment and news resources. One of the first NBC programs to originate on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]], and KFI, was the broadcast of the 1927 Rose Bowl Game from [[Pasadena, California]], with announcer [[Graham McNamee]].

On November 11, 1928, the [[Federal Radio Commission]]'s (FRC) [[General Order 40]] divided transmitting frequencies into "clear", "regional" and "local" classifications.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221814&view=1up&seq=245 ''Commercial and Government Radio Stations of the U.S.''] (Edition June 30, 1928), page 173.</ref> 640&nbsp;kHz was now classified as a "clear channel", and KFI remained on this frequency, now  designated as its dominant station.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c021003683&view=1up&seq=237 "Revised List of broadcasting stations, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time"], ''Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission'' (June 30, 1928), page 201.</ref> KFI was allowed to operate with a non-[[directional antenna]] at the highest allowable power of 50,000 watts, while other stations on the frequency were required to protect KFI's signal from interference.

NBC operated two radio networks, the [[NBC Red Network|Red Network]] and the [[Blue Network]]. The Red Network carried sponsored commercial programs, while the Blue Network carried the sustaining ones where the network sold individual commercials within the shows. In 1931, NBC reorganized its West Coast operations, creating regional Orange and Blue networks that replaced its previous Pacific Coast network. KFI was part of the Orange group, along with [[KGO (AM)|KGO]] in [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[KPOJ|KGW]] in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[KNWN (AM)|KOMO]] in [[Seattle]], and [[KQNT|KHQ]] in [[Spokane, Washington|Spokane]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Two Pacific Coast Networks Are Formed By the NBC After Buying Four Stations|url=https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n55/mode/1up|access-date=December 10, 2021|agency=Broadcasting|date=November 1, 1931|page=10}}</ref>

===50,000 watts===
In July 1931, KFI increased its transmitter power from 5,000 to 50,000 watts, becoming the first U.S. station west of Chicago to broadcast with that power.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1935/1935-BC-YB.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook'' 1935 page 22.  Retrieved Sep 15, 2023.]</ref>  A special 4-hour program was aired, featuring congratulatory speeches by NBC West Coast vice president and others, joined by entertainers from New York and Chicago on a coast-to-coast live hookup. ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported that Los Angeles mayor [[John Clinton Porter]] was comically effusive in his praise.<ref name=Variety />

NBC's, and KFI's, programming expanded in 1930s and 1940s. The NBC radio network was owned by the [[Radio Corporation of America]] (RCA), which also owned the Keith–Albee–Orpheum vaudeville circuit, later renamed Radio–Keith–Orpheum (RKO). [[RKO]] handled many vaudeville comedians and singers, including [[Jack Benny]], [[Burns and Allen]], [[Fred Allen]], [[Eddie Cantor]], and [[Rudy Vallee]], whose programs were highly rated. During the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, many people could not afford movie tickets, but they could purchase a radio where they could listen to commercially sponsored entertainment for free. During its early days, KFI carried such sporting events as the [[World Series]] and the [[Rose Bowl Game|Rose Bowl]]. Although KFI's call letters were randomly assigned, many people assumed that the "FI" stood for "Farmers Information". Every winter evening from 1924 to 1956, KFI delivered a frost report at 8&nbsp;p.m. telling citrus farmers whether to turn on wind machines or light "[[smudge pots]]" to keep their orange and lemon groves from freezing.<ref>Blackstock, Joe. "Pomona radio legend was citrus ranchers' savior - On frosty nights, Jack Benny lost ratings to Floyd Young". ''[[Los Angeles Newspaper Group|Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]]'', December 8, 2002.</ref> The frost warnings moved to 7&nbsp;p.m. until the late 1970s when they were removed from the schedule.<ref>John C. Baker, "[http://publications.iowa.gov/30172/1/Farm-Broadcasting-The-First-Sixty-Years-Baker-1981.pdf Farm Broadcasting: The First Sixty Years]" (1981), pp. 75-76.</ref>

From 1929 to 1944, Earle Anthony also owned KECA, now [[KABC (AM)|KABC]].  KFI was an affiliate of the NBC Red Network, while KECA carried programming from the Blue Network. However, in August 1941 the [[Federal Communications Commission]] (FCC) adopted a "duopoly" rule, which restricted licensees from operating more than one radio station in a given market.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting21unse#page/n304/mode/1up "Ban On Multiple Ownership in Same Area"], ''Broadcasting'', August 11, 1941, pages 6-7.</ref> Therefore, Anthony sold KECA in 1944 to the Blue Network for $800,000.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting27unse/page/n239/mode/1up "Seven Station Transfers Granted by FCC"], ''Broadcasting'', July 24, 1944, page 14.</ref> (In 1942, under the provisions of the [[Sherman Anti-Trust Act]], NBC had been required to divest itself of its Blue Network, which later became the Blue Network Incorporated, and subsequently the [[American Broadcasting Company]].)

===World War II===
During [[World War II]], KFI was a prime source for war news in the Los Angeles area. It was feared that an attack on the west coast of the United States was possible, and people were warned to turn off lights and drape black cloths over windows, so that enemy bombers would not see identifying landmarks. Periodically, KFI and the other Los Angeles radio stations signed off so that any hostile aircraft could not use their signals as a guide for bombing attacks, which had been the case in the December 1941 [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].

On November 29, 1944, KFI officials broke ground on [[Mount Wilson (California)|Mount Wilson]] for construction of a new FM and TV facility. The ceremony was broadcast from noon to 12:15&nbsp;p.m. over KFI. [[KFI-FM]] began broadcasting with its first test program on 105.9 [[Hertz|MHz]] in July 1946, although other sources say the station went on the air in 1947. KFI-FM only lasted until 1951, when Earle C. Anthony decided to end operations and returned the station license to the FCC for cancellation.<ref name=Hilliker>[http://www.earthsignals.com/add_CGC/KFI-FM_History.html "The History of KFI-FM -- Mt. Wilson's First FM Station"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326055609/http://www.earthsignals.com/add_CGC/KFI-FM_History.html |date=March 26, 2022 }} by Jim Hilliker, December 2009 (earthsignals.com)</ref> Also in 1951, KFI-TV was sold to the [[General Tire and Rubber Company]]. The station is now [[KCAL-TV]].

===Full service radio format===
[[file:KFI advertisement (1959).gif|thumb|1959 station advertisement, displaying its extensive  nighttime coverage.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcastingtele56unse_0/page/n738/mode/1up "KFI (advertisement)], ''Broadcasting'', May 18, 1959, page 19.</ref>]]

In the 1950s, sponsors began a gradual migration from radio to television, reducing radio advertising revenue, and less money became available for  quality radio network entertainment programming. NBC and the other radio networks began dropping large-budget entertainment shows in favor of news and information programming. "NBC News on the Hour" and "Emphasis" became the network staples as entertainment programs were slowly phased out.

NBC radio affiliates like KFI had to decide whether to reduce or eliminate their network connections in order to maintain profits. KFI began using [[disc jockey]]s playing [[phonograph]] records.  KFI programming transitioned during this period from block programming, often featuring 15-minute shows, to a [[full service radio|full service]] [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] format. Popular [[disk jockey]]s played records and chatted about local events, interspersed with aggressive local news and sports coverage. The station also carried ''[[Monitor (NBC Radio)|Monitor]]'', the NBC network's weekend radio service.

In the 1980s, as FM replaced AM radio as the primary source for contemporary music, KFI became a news and information outlet. KFI was the [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship station]] for the [[Los Angeles Chargers]] professional football team during its inaugural year in the [[American Football League]] in 1960, when the team was based in Los Angeles, before spending the next five decades in San Diego.<ref name="Chargers">[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/117645/kfi-serve-flagships-los-angeles-chargers/ KFI To Serve As Flagship For Los Angeles Chargers] by Lance Venta, (RadioInsight.com)</ref> From 1960 to 1973, the station was the radio flagship station of the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] [[MLB|baseball]] team.  KFI aired all the games as well as feeding the play-by-play broadcasts to other stations in the Southwest.

KFI's founder, Earle C. Anthony, died on August 6, 1961.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Memory of Earle C. Anthony |date=August 10, 1961 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=41}}</ref> In April 1972, KFI celebrated its 50th birthday. Festivities included a 12-hour special, featuring interviews and commentaries from many former NBC Radio personalities.

===Cox Broadcasting ownership===
[[File:KFI 50th anniversary advertisement (1972).gif|thumb|right|In 1972, KFI celebrated its 50th anniversary.<ref>[https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1972/1972-06-12-BC.pdf#page=47 "KFI"] (advertisement), ''Broadcasting'', June 12, 1972, page 47.</ref>]]
In 1973, [[Cox Media Group|Cox Broadcasting]] headquartered in [[Atlanta]], purchased KFI for $15&nbsp;million, which at the time was the highest amount paid for a radio station. James Wesley, Cox's general manager at [[WIOD]] in [[Miami]], and that station's operations manager, Elliott "Biggie" Nevins, were dispatched to Los Angeles to manage KFI.

Cox instructed Wesley to find an FM station in the Los Angeles market to buy, and a deal was reached with [[Dallas]] broadcaster Gordon McLendon to purchase [[KOST]] (103.5 FM) for $2.2&nbsp;million. Wesley also decided against renewing the long term agreement for carrying Dodger baseball, allowing KABC to become the new Dodger radio station in Los Angeles.

===Top 40 format===
Starting in the mid-1970s, KFI switched to [[top 40]] music. Cox Broadcasting hired [[John Rook]] as the program director. Rook is considered to be the force behind the success of [[WLS (AM)|WLS]] in [[Chicago]]. One of his first hires was Dave Sebastian (Williams), formerly of [[KHJ (AM)|KHJ]], as music director and air personality. Rook's first air staff included "The Lohman and Barkley Show" with [[Al Lohman]] and [[Roger Barkley]] (top-rated in the morning), Mark Taylor (midday), [[Bob Shannon (radio)|Bob Shannon]] (afternoon [[drive time]]) and music director Dave Sebastian (evenings).  Within the first year Dave left abruptly for crosstown Top 40 competitor [[KTNQ]] (1020 AM; Ten-Q). John Rook then moved in Eric Chase (midday), Charlie Fox (early evening) and Dave Diamond (late night). KFI shot to #1 in the ratings, at some points being the most listened-to Top 40 station in the nation at 50,000 watts.

By the late 1970s the staff was revised to [[Al Lohman|Lohman]] & [[Roger Barkley|Barkley]] mornings, Tim & Ev Kelly in middays, [[Big Jack Armstrong|Jack Armstrong]] afternoons, [["Big" Ron O'Brien|Big Ron O'Brien]] evenings, and Charlie Fox at night.

===Personality radio format===
[[Image:Opt logo kfi.jpg|thumb|KFI logo from 1981 to 1988]]

Rook and several of the on air personalities left in the early 1980s.  At that point, KFI began softening its [[playlist]] to [[adult top 40]] (in between top 40 and [[adult contemporary]]). By the mid-1980s the station was more news and personality driven than music intensive with a full service format.

In the 1970s and '80s, the station featured a hybrid [[radio format|format]] combining adult contemporary music with comedian hosts. In addition to Lohman and Barkley, other hosts included [[Hudson & Landry]], Charlie and Mitzi ([[Charlie Brill]] and [[Mitzi McCall]] of ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]),'' and [[Gary Owens]]. In winter 1984, KFI began broadcasting in [[AM stereo]], with the [[Motorola]] [[C-QUAM]] system. The stereo broadcasts ended in January 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Offenders of the Faith |url=http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca:80/~amstereo/offenders.htmwebsite=eastlink.ca |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010109103400/http://users.hfx.eastlink.ca:80/~amstereo/offenders.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2001}}</ref>

===Transition to talk format===
By the mid-1980s ratings began to slip, as music listening switched to the FM band.  In the spring of 1984, KFI was ranked 28th in the Los Angeles [[Arbitron ratings]], ahead of only KHJ among the market's AM music stations. KFI moved the music to more of a soft [[oldies|gold-based AC]] and began to play less of it. The talk shows moved from a blend of entertainment, comedy, and lifestyle to more political issues.

Writer/producer John Thomas was assigned to Lohman & Barkley in 1984 and helped raise their ratings for the morning show to a tie for #1 in the 25-54 demographic in Fall 1985. Shortly after Thomas left KFI for WLS in Chicago the morning show fell apart.  Barkley split off from the morning show to go to KABC.

The music was dropped in 1988 as KFI evolved to an issues-oriented [[talk radio|talk]] format. The first hosts were psychologist Dr. [[Toni Grant]], TV game show host [[Geoff Edwards]] and [[Tom Leykis]] hosted a politically oriented "combat radio" program.<ref>"Rosen, Craig. Radio News & Notes -Competition Heats Up on AM Dial". ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'', July 18, 1988. Page L20</ref>
Competitor KABC, which had been doing talk radio for some time, sued KFI in U.S. District Court to have KFI cease and desist using the term "Talk Radio" with the call letters. Therefore, the slogan ''More Stimulating Talk Radio'' was created.<ref>"KFI Granted Conditional OK to Label Itself 'Talk Radio'", ''Los Angeles Daily News'', May 6, 1989.</ref> [[Rush Limbaugh]]'s [[radio syndication|nationally syndicated]] [[conservative talk]] show replaced Edwards in 1988 after Edwards refused to play promotional spots for the controversial Leykis show.

===iHeartMedia ownership===
In 1999, Chancellor Media traded 13 stations to Cox to acquire KFI and KOST. Cox opted to exit the Los Angeles [[media market|market]] and focus on medium radio markets and its TV stations. Chancellor merged with [[Capstar]] in 1999 and became known as AMFM Inc. In 2000, AMFM merged with [[Clear Channel Communications]] making KFI Clear Channel's top AM radio station in Los Angeles. In 2014, Clear Channel changed its corporate name to [[iHeartMedia]] to identify its radio stations with its [[iHeartRadio]] internet streaming platform. The station license continued to be held by a subsidiary of Capstar.

On the day of the [[9/11]] attacks, [[Bill Handel]] was on the air for seven consecutive hours. Handel hosted his morning show from 5-9 am, then continued hosting from 9-noon as an emergency fill-in on the syndicated [[Rush Limbaugh]] show. Limbaugh was scheduled to be off that day, but his planned fill-in host could not broadcast from New York due to communication problems in the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-09-21.pdf|title=Radio & Records|website=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> Handel's broadcast was also carried on the other Clear Channel stations in Los Angeles. In summer 2004, KFI became the most listened to talk radio station in the United States, beating New York City's [[WABC (AM)|WABC]] in cumulative audience during the rating period. That year KFI was named the ''[[Radio & Records]]'' "News & Talk Radio Station of the Year".

The syndicated ''[[The Rush Limbaugh Show|Rush Limbaugh Show]]'' was heard on KFI from July 4, 1988, to January 20, 2014, when it moved to sister station [[KEIB]]. On August 10, 2015, KFI began a simulcast on KOST's HD 2 signal. KFI served as the flagship station of the [[Los Angeles Chargers]], carrying all of the team's game day broadcasts from the team's return to the Los Angeles market in 2017 until 2020, when games were moved to co-owned 98.7 [[KYSR]].<ref name="Chargers" />

===Federal Election Commission complaint===
In recent years, especially since the [[California gubernatorial recall election, 2003|2003 recall of the Governor of California]], afternoon drive hosts John and Ken have become actively involved in several political causes, most notably that of [[illegal immigration]]. In the months leading up to the [[U.S. House election, 2004|2004 election]], the hosts instigated several political rallies advocating the defeat of Congressmen [[David Dreier]] (a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]) and [[Joe Baca]] (a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]), both of whom they felt were wrongly supportive of illegal immigration.

As a result, the ''John and Ken Show'' was the subject of a [[Federal Election Commission]] complaint filed by the [[Republican National Committee]], alleging that John and Ken engaged in an illegal campaign against Congressman Dreier. The "Political Human Sacrifice" campaign, as they dubbed it, was not successful, since both Dreier and Baca were re-elected, albeit Dreier by a substantially smaller percentage than in past terms. On March 16, 2006, the complaint was dismissed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqsdocs/000050DC.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-08-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070627072538/http://eqs.sdrdc.com/eqsdocs/000050DC.pdf |archive-date=June 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

==Transmitter site==

The main transmitter was eventually relocated from Anthony's Packard dealership to its present location in [[La Mirada, California]], where a "T" antenna was erected between two medium height towers, and the studios of the KFI and its sister station, KECA, were moved to 610 South Ardmore Avenue. The 610 South Ardmore Avenue building is now gone, replaced by a parking lot. (The Packard dealership site was retained as an emergency transmitter for many years, but powered by a 5,000 watt transmitter.)

In 1948, the "T" antenna was replaced by a {{convert|722|ft|m|adj=on}} vertical tower and a {{convert|200|ft|m|adj=on}} emergency vertical tower, as long before vertical antennas had been determined to be superior to "T" antennas for high-powered stations, although 195 degrees (which would be {{convert|828|ft|m}} on 640&nbsp;kHz) would have been optimum. Competitor KNX employs just such a 195 degree tower, as do many other U.S. Class A non-directional stations, and even some Class B non-directional stations. KFI was relatively late to convert from a horizontal to a vertical antenna: same-market Class A KNX converted to a vertical in 1938, and same-state Class As KGO and KPO (now [[KNBR (AM)|KNBR]]) converted to verticals in 1941 and 1949, respectively.

There is an unpatched bullet hole in the ceiling of the transmitter building, where a [[National Guard of the United States|National Guardsman]] accidentally discharged a rifle during World War II on December 10, 1941. The bullet hole has been preserved as a monument to KFI's wartime service.

===2004 tower collapse===
On Sunday, December 19, 2004, at 9:45&nbsp;a.m., Jim and Mary Ghosoph were killed when their rented [[Cessna 182|Cessna 182P]] single engine airplane, traveling from the [[El Monte Airport]] to [[Fullerton Municipal Airport]], struck KFI's [[radio masts and towers|transmission tower]].<ref>[https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=LAX05FA054&rpt=p National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report on the plane crash December 19, 2004]</ref><ref>[https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=LAX05FA054&rpt=fa National Transportation Safety Board factual report on the plane crash December 19, 2004]</ref><ref>[https://soundcloud.com/user-426575149-584973630/kfi-radio-12-19-2004-transmitter-destroyed 11pm newscast on KFI about the plane crash and destruction of KFI's transmitter tower in La Mirada.] (Retrieved 12-05-2017 from [[SoundCloud]])</ref> The solid steel [[truss]], originally built in 1948, collapsed upon itself, mostly landing in a parking lot to the north of the site. KFI's signal was knocked off the air for approximately one hour.

The Ghosophs had taken off from the El Monte Airport with a planned stop at the Fullerton Airport to pick up two passengers. From there, the plan was to fly to the island of Catalina to spend the day, after which they would make the return route to Fullerton and then to El Monte. Pilots had complained for years to KFI management that it needed to put strobe lights on the tower and highly reflective balls on the [[guy-wire]]s. KFI and Clear Channel Communications management responded by saying the tower was in compliance with FCC and [[Federal Aviation Administration]] regulations and that it did not need to make any changes.

Until a replacement was erected, the station transmitted from the {{convert|200|ft|m|adj=on}} auxiliary tower at a power of 25,000 watts, but provisions had been made to transmit from the disused KRKD (KIIS) 1150 AM site just north of downtown Los Angeles, whenever the RF field towards the tower erection crew would exceed safety limits. Work was conducted at the site on November 19, 2006, temporarily interrupting a broadcast of [[Leo Laporte]]'s talk show KFI Tech Guy at 11:55&nbsp;a.m.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20061213025800/http://leo.am/radio/ShowNotes/Show302 The Tech Guy Show Notes, Note #302].</ref>

===2008 replacement tower collapse===
At 2:30&nbsp;p.m. on March 18, 2008, the replacement tower collapsed while under construction.<ref>[https://www.ocregister.com/2008/03/18/kfi-tower-topples/ "KFI Tower Topples"] by Eric Carpenter, ''Orange County Register'', March 18, 2008 (ocregister.com)</ref> The tower was about {{convert|300|ft|m|sp=us|abbr=off}} tall (the final height was to be {{convert|684|ft|m|sp=us}} when a guy wire support failed, causing the tower to tip over in the opposite direction. There were no major injuries, and only limited collateral damage.

The reason for the failure is assumed to be a combination of factors, including the much higher per unit weight of the new {{convert|84|in|cm|sp=us|adj=on}} cross-section tower, compared to the 1948 tower which had a {{convert|42|in|cm|sp=us|adj=on}} cross-section, and the inadequacy of the 1948 pier and guy wire terminations, one of which had previously been modified to a cantilever design to facilitate the passage of vehicles under that termination (and, it was the cantilever termination which catastrophically failed during this erection attempt). All of these structural components were replaced or strengthened in preparation for erection of the third tower, which is identical in design to the (failed) replacement tower.

===Third tower construction===
[[File:Paoli-plaque.jpg|thumb|right|Plaque for LA Radio engineer John Paoli on the wall of the tower compound at KFI]]
Construction began on a new tower at the end of July 2008 and was completed on August 14, 2008, by Eli the Construction Guy (structural engineer). It has a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} top-loading "capacitance hat", which electrically extends the tower's height another {{convert|75|ft|m|sp=us}}, effectively, without actually needing more tower sections. The tower was equipped with high intensity strobe lights due to its proximity to the [[Fullerton Municipal Airport]], and additional safety upgrades because of the previous plane crash. It has torque arms which limit the twisting of the tower in high winds. (Local regulation authorities in apparent defiance of electrical engineering principles, and communications law, demanded "a 10 percent reduction in overall height", otherwise the necessary permits would be refused, not withstanding the federal government's [[primary authority]] over radio communications, and KFI's strategic role as an [[Emergency Alert System]] station for the western U.S. region).

The station returned to full 50,000 watt power on September 25, 2008, at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. The tower has been dedicated to the memory of John Paoli, KFI Chief Engineer from 2000 to 2008, who died suddenly from a previously unknown genetic heart condition soon after overseeing the construction of the new tower. A plaque bearing the words "John A. Paoli, 1958-2008, Memorial Tower. Dedicated on this day, November 18, 2008 to our friend and colleague whose passion and talent brought KFI AM 640 to millions of listeners." and his likeness now graces the wall around the tower's base.<ref>[http://sakrison.com/radio/KFITower3.html "KFI Replacement Tower #2 8/14/2008"] (sakrison.com)</ref>

==Former hosts and on-air alumni==
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2007}}

*[[Jack Angel]] is the former [[KSPN (AM)|KMPC]] overnight host and cartoon voiceover, heard primarily on afternoon shows 1970-76.
* Jerry Bishop was the announcer for [[Judge Judy]] and worked for the [[Disney Channel]]. He had an afternoon drive show in 1973.
*[[Tammy Bruce]] hosted weekend talk show from 1993 to 1998. She was fired for making unflattering comments about [[Bill Cosby]] and his wife Camille, who had recently lost their son Ennis in a murder. Bruce was later syndicated on 153 stations including [[KABC (AM)|KABC]] in Los Angeles.
*[[Bill Carroll (broadcaster)|Bill Carroll]] was on Monday–Friday from 10am–1pm and hosted an edition of his show from Los Angeles for [[Toronto]] radio station [[CFMJ]]
*[[Michael Castner]] was a news reporter and later hosted ''The Daily Wrap'' from the ''[[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]]''. The syndicated show was heard in Los Angeles on [[KEIB]].
*[[Chuck Cecil (The Swingin' Years)|Chuck Cecil]] hosted "The Swingin' Years", focusing on [[big band]] music, from 1956 until the early 1970s. The program was nationally syndicated for more than 25 years and moved to [[KKJZ]] [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] last airing on February 8, 2014.
*[[Joe Crummey]] hosted evening talk show from 1988 to 1994.
*Mark Denis worked at the KFI Traffic Center from 1986 until his death in April 2000. He was the imaging voice of "KFI, More Stimulating Talk Radio"
*[[Dave Diamond]] hosted overnights on KFI's top-40 format in the late 1970s. Diamond died on May 5, 2014.
*[[Matt Drudge]] is a syndicated internet news personality who was heard on KFI Sunday nights until September 2007.
*[[Dale Dye]] - During the Iraq War, Dye was hired as a military commentator by KFI and given a two-hour radio show.
*[[Scott Ellsworth]] is the creator and on-air host of the popular radio program, "Scott's Place" that aired on KFI from 1969 through 1972. It was on from midnight until 4 AM and featured [[jazz]] and big band music, interspersed with live interviews with musicians. 
*[[Terri-Rae Elmer]] was a news anchor from 1983 to 2011. She hosted ''TNT in the Morning'' with [[Tracey Miller]] from 1990 to 1993.  For the last 18 years she was with the station, she was the in studio news anchor during the [[The John and Ken Show|John and Ken Show]]. The program was later heard on morning drive at KABC with [[Doug McIntyre]].
*Charlie Fox hosted late nights on KFI's Top 40 format in the late 1970s.
*Ken Gallacher is a former news anchor for the ''Bill Handel Show.''
*[[Daryl Gates]], the former [[Los Angeles Police Department]] chief replaced [[Tom Leykis]] as part of the station's shift toward conservative politics. Gates died on April 16, 2010.
*[[Phil Hendrie]] hosted an evening talk show from 1989 to 1990 (sometimes alternating with Joe Crummey). Hendrie also hosted a syndicated comedy show ''[[The Phil Hendrie Show]]'' from 1996 to 2006.
*[[Captain Mikey|Mikel Hunter Herrington]] worked as a disc jockey at KFI in 1969.
*[[Dave Hull]] broacast in the1960s and 1970s. The "Hullaballooer" was heard primarily 9&nbsp;pm-12&nbsp;am weekday evenings. He spent more than 15 years at KWXY(FM) Cathedral City-Palm Springs. Hull began a syndicated weekend talk show in 2013.
*[[Geoff Edwards]] was first heard as a KFI music host in 1966. He hosted the early drive show from 1987(?) to 1989. Resigned as a protest to Leykis crushing listener donated [[Cat Stevens|Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam]] records after Stevens called for a [[fatwa]] on [[Salman Rushdie]]. Edwards was also known as a TV [[game show]] host.
*Tim Kelly hosted middays with his wife Evelyn during the 1977-78 Top 40 format.  He later moved to [[KIIS-FM]] and was a founder of [[Premiere Networks|Premiere Radio]], the nation's largest radio syndication company.
*[[Tom Leykis]] hosted a KFI talk show from 1988 until 1992, which was politically oriented. He later hosted a syndicated show which leaned more toward comedy and pop culture.
*[[Hudson & Landry]] - the radio comedy team hosted afternoon drive 1974-75
*Rabbi Mentz hosted a show from 1997 to 2002 from 10 to midnight, and sometimes filled in for [[Bill Handel]] on morning drive. From politics to family life, sports to matchmaking, the show provided an entertaining perspective. Guests including [[Gray Davis|Governor Gray Davis]], [[Laura Bush|First Lady Laura Bush]], [[Paula Abdul]], and [[Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)|Bill O'Reilly]] dropped by the show.
*[[Tracey Miller]] co-hosted ''TNT in the Morning'' with KFI newscaster [[Terri-Rae Elmer]] from 1990 to 1993.  It was the first morning drive show in a major market to feature two women in the lead roles. Miller died in 2005.
*[[Kevin Mitnick]] is an infamous computer hacker who co-hosted a two-hour early Sunday morning show known as ''The Dark Side of the Internet'' with Alexis Kasperavicius (as "Alex Kasper") from 2000 to 2002.<ref name="Mitnick1">{{cite web |title=US to yank Kevin Mitnick's radio license |url=https://www.theregister.com/2002/01/03/us_to_yank_kevin_mitnicks/ |website=The Register |publisher=Situation Publishing |access-date=25 December 2023}}</ref>
*Karel & Andrew - [[Charles Karel Bouley|Karel Bouley]] and Andrew Howard were the first [[Coming out|openly gay]] radio talk show hosts on a U.S. major-market radio station in 1998 and they also dated. Bouley was hired for the afternoon drive slot at KFI, the duo replaced KFI mainstays John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou (the [[The John and Ken Show|John and Ken Show]]). "I'm sure there are a million gay [radio] hosts, but not many of them are open, and no one had ever appeared on the air as a gay couple," said Ron Rodrigues, the editor-in-chief of ''[[Radio & Records]]'' magazine." The backbone of their on-air banter was their contrasting world views. Bouley, who dominated the conversation, could be stopped in his tracks with a well-placed word from Howard". Al Peterson, a ''Radio & Records'' editor said, "They didn't feel like it was their job to be the poster boys for the gay community or to effect social change, just because they were the first openly gay hosts who were partners off the air.
*Mr. KFI - [[Marc Germain]] hosted a question-and-answer talk show from 1993 to 1996. He was fired from KFI in 1996 and then hired by competitor KABC. Germain hosted a similar show to [[Mr. KABC]] for ten years before leaving KABC for [[KEIB|KTLK]] (AM 1150). He later created, hosted and produced shows for talkradioone.com, an online network.
*Scott and Casey - Scott Hasick and Casey Bartholomew hosted a show from 1994 to 1997, and again from 1998 to 1999. Hasick was involved in ''The Stephanie Miller Show'' while Miller was on KFI, performing many of the character voices heard on the broadcasts, as well as serving as production director and board operator. Bartholomew was involved in the ''John and Ken Show'' as the board operator, as well as writing and performing many popular "updates", and imaging for KFI.                                             The pair exited KFI in 1999, for weekday afternoons on [[WKXW]] "New Jersey 101.5".  After leaving [[New Jersey]], Hasick and Bartholomew were on the air for stints in [[Detroit]], [[St. Louis]], and [[San Francisco]]. Hasick spent time on the airwaves in [[Charleston, South Carolina]] before the duo re-united in St. Louis. Hasick was later heard at Bonneville's [[WXOS|WMVN]] and [[WARH]] in St. Louis. Hasick recently returned to New Jersey 101.5 as the afternoon replacement for [[Craig Carton]].
*''The Tim & Neil Show'' - Tim Kelly and Neil Saavedra hosted a weekend show, then replaced [[Tammy Bruce]] on weeknights. From 1997 to 2001, Kelly and Saavedra hosted various shifts and often filled in for Bill Handel. Kelly was a longtime contributor to the Bill Handel Program, penning and recording the bits and parodies which the show featured under the moniker "Dick Cabeza". Neil Saavedra is with KFI as the marketing director and on air with ''The Fork Report'' on Saturdays and ''[[The Jesus Christ Show]]'' on Sundays.
*Mike Nolan  was known as "KFI in the Sky" and also employed by sister station [[KOST]] 103.5 for airborne traffic reports in the morning and evening drive times. He was let go after 20 years with the station due to a restructuring on November 30, 2007. As of January 14, 2008, he was back on air with KFI and KOST as a ground-based traffic reporter with an occasional KFI in the Sky from his own plane. He serves as an expert for aviation related topics and news stories.
*[[Ron O'Brien (DJ)|Big Ron O'Brien]] hosted nights on KFI during Top 40 format period of the late 1970s. He later hosted afternoon programs at KIIS-FM and [[WOGL]] in [[Philadelphia]]. O'Brien died April 27, 2008, at age 56 of complications of [[pneumonia]].
*[[Ted Rall]] broadcast on Saturday evenings on KFI, briefly. He can still be heard filling in on the Bill Handel Show occasionally.
*Deborah Rich hosted a weekend, topic-driven show on Saturday evenings.
*[[Hilly Rose]] was on from 1972 to 1979. He hosted an overnight show on KFI known as ''The Hilly Rose Night Owl Show''. He and his listeners conversed on the air about various subjects. As a child actor, Rose appeared on radio programs including ''[[Ma Perkins]]'', and ''[[The First Nighter Program]]''. Hilly Rose broadcast in Los Angeles on KABC from 1970–72; KFI, 1972–79; KMPC, 1979–82; and on KABC from 1982-84. Rose also hosted a program on the [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] SciFi Channel.
*Turi Ryder hosted a weekend show for KFI in the late 1990s.
*[[Laura Schlessinger]] hosted the syndicated ''Dr. Laura Show'' from 1988 to 2009, giving listeners advice on romance and life. She moved to [[KFWB]] on September 8, 2009, and later hosted a weekday show on [[Sirius XM]] radio.
*Bob Shannon - afternoon drive MOR personality who survived the format change to Top 40 in 1977 and later went on to having a successful film/television acting career and acting coach in Los Angeles
*Paul T Wall was a former board operator for the Bill Handel show and on-air contributor to ''Handel on the News''. Wall left KFI in February 2008.
*[[April Winchell]] - hosted a variety talk show from 2000 until 2002
*Bruce Wayne (Bruce F. Talford) was a "KFI in the Sky" traffic reporter. He was killed on June 4, 1986, in a crash just after take-off from [[Fullerton Airport]] in a KFI airplane.
*[[John Ziegler (talk show host)|John Ziegler]] - hosted a political talk show from 10 p.m to 1 a.m. from 2004 until 2005.  He was heard in the 7 to 10 p.m. time slot from 2005 until November 13, 2007. Each show ended with a remembrance of the [[September 11 attacks]].

==See also==
* [[List of initial AM-band station grants in the United States]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://kfiam640.iheart.com/}}
{{AM station data|34425|KFI}}
*{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=37800 |title= History Cards for KFI|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--> (covering 1927-1980)
* [https://laobserved.com/archive/2008/01/john_ziegler_fires_at_joh.php "John Ziegler fires at 'John & Ken'"] by Kevin Roderick, January 10, 2008 (LAObserved.com)
* [https://oldradio.com/archives/warstories/640.htm Pictures of the KFI - 640 tower that fell. La Mirada (Los Angeles), CA December 19, 2004] (oldradio.com)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20210506034453/http://earthsignals.com/images/kfi KFI's Main Tower is Destroyed by a Private Aircraft December 19, 2004] Photos and descriptions by Marvin Collins, some additional text by Bob Gonsett (earthsignals.com), archived.
* [https://sakrison.com/radio/KFITower3.html KFI Tower Completed in 14 Days August 14, 2008] (sakrison.com)

{{Los Angeles Radio}}
{{IHeartMedia}}
{{Clear Channel AM}}

[[Category:Radio stations in Los Angeles|FI]]
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