WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
RADIO STATION KDXU-AM
St. George, Utah
LOCATION
Radio KDXU AM-890750 W. Ridge View Dr.
St. George, UT 84770-2678
(435)673-5890
http://www.newstalk890.com
Cherry Creek Radio
750 W. Ridge View Dr., Suite 204
St. George, UT 84770-2678
(435)673-3579
Antennas (three towers) are located in the South Washington Fields
37° 4' 4.79" North Latitude, 113° 31' 11.50" West Longitude
37.068000° North Latitude, 113.519862° West Longitude
2,635 feet (803 meters) MSL
HISTORY
KDXU-AM was first licensed on July 3, 1957 and was the first broadcast radio station in Washington County. It operated on a frequency of 1450 kHz (then called 1450 kilocycles or 1450 on the AM radio dial) with a transmitter power of 250 watts. The owner was Jeannette B. Arment of St. George Broadcasting. Offices were at 63 East 100 North in St. George, upstairs in the Pickett Lumber Building. The telephone number was ORchard 3-3579. The remotely controlled transmitter and antenna were located at 300 East and 800 South, behind Dixie High School on what is now the J.C. Snow Park.The station was sold to Roy C. & Ellen Winkelmann on on October 2, 1958.
In June of 1960, the station's physical studios were moved to 118 East 100 North in St. George, a building located behind Dick's Cafe. The telephone number remained ORchard 3-3579. By September of 1972, the telephone number had been revisted to 673-3579.
On June 27, 1966, the FCC authorized KDXU to increase its transmitter power to 1,000 watts during the day and keeping 250 watts at night.
The station was sold to John & Julie P. Miner on July 10, 1968. They officially took over management of the station on October 1, 1968.
When school officials wanted to expand Dixie High School, the transmitter site was relocated near the St. George sewer plant, then located on the south side of I-15 on what is now called Sunland Drive.
Transmissions moved from 1450 kHz to 890 kHz in September of 1985. Transmitter power was increased to 10,000 watts. A directional antenna is used from sunset to sunrise to prevent nighttime interference with station WLS in Chicago.
The station was sold to Simmons Family Broadcasting of Salt Lake City around 1986 or 1987.
The station was sold to the Bonneville Corporation.
The station was sold to Cherry Creek Broadcasting of Denver, Colorado. The station is currently owned by Cherry Creek Radio.
PHOTOS
TBDREFERENCES
Southern Utah Memories: KDXU was the first radio station to operate in Washington County, Utah,by Loren R. Webb, August 30, 2013
FCC Facility Record (KDXU)
FCC Form BC-126: Broadcast Station License Record (KDXU)
Wikipedia article on KDXU