KXTG

{{Short description|Radio station in Portland, Oregon}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox radio station | name = KXTG | logo = KXTG TheGame750 logo.png | logo_size = 150px | city = Portland, Oregon | country = US | area = Portland metropolitan area | branding = 750 The Game | frequency = {{Frequency|750|kHz}} | airdate = {{Start date|1926|12|13}} | format = Sports | power = {{ubl|50,000 watts days|20,000 watts nights}} | class = B | licensing_authority = FCC | facility_id = 948 | coordinates = {{coord|45|24|4.2|N|122|26|50.7|W|region:US-OR_type:landmark}} | callsign_meaning = "The Game" | former_callsigns = KXL (1926–2011)<ref name="fcc1"/> | former_frequencies = {{ubl|749.6 kHz (1926–1927)|770 kHz (2/1927-6/1927)|1360 kHz (1927–1928)|1250 kHz (1928–1929)|1420 kHz (1929–1941)|1450 kHz (3/1941-10/1941)}} | affiliations = {{ubl|BetMGM Network|Westwood One Sports|Fox Sports Radio|NFL on Westwood One Sports|Portland Timbers}} | owner = Connoisseur Media | licensee = Alpha Media Licensee LLC | sister_stations = {{hlist|KBFF|KINK|KUFO|KUPL|KXL-FM}} | webcast = {{ubl|{{listenlive|https://www.alphamediaplayer.com/750thegame}}|{{iHeartRadio|750-the-game-7576}}}} | website = {{URL|https://750thegame.com/}} }}

'''KXTG''' (750 AM, "The Game") is a commercial radio station licensed to Portland, Oregon, United States. It airs a sports radio format and is owned by Connoisseur Media, with studios on SW 5th Avenue in downtown Portland and transmitter sited off of SE Curtis Road in Damascus.

== History ==

=== Early years === The station signed on the air on December 13, 1926.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1977/C%20Section%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201977%20P-6.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1977'' page C-174. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2024]</ref> The original call sign was KXL. In its earliest days, KXL would broadcast on different frequencies. By the 1930s, the station was heard on 1420 kHz, sharing time with KBPS, now on 1450 AM.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1935/1935-BC-YB.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1935'' page 50. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2024]</ref>

In that era, KXL's power was limited to 250 watts by day, 100 watts at night. The studios were in the Multnomah Hotel on Pine Street in Portland. With the enactment of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) in 1941, KXL moved to 750 AM and got a boost in power to 10,000 watts. On 750, KXL was a daytimer, required to go off the air at night to protect Class I‑A station WSB Atlanta from interference.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1942/Radio-Alll-BC-YB-1942.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1942'' page 170. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2024.]</ref> KXL also relocated its studios to Washington Street.

=== Good Music === By the 1960s, the daytime power was increased to 50,000 watts.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1959/1959-BC-YB-All-Radio.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1959'' page B-217. Retrieved Nov. 21, 2024]</ref> By day, KXL played an easy listening format it called "Good Music". Artists included Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, and Henry Mancini. But KXL was still silent after sunset due to restrictions on 750 AM.

On May 13, 1965, the FCC approved the $125,000 sale of KGMG, a station at 95.5 FM. It was bought by KXL's parent company, Seattle, Portland & Spokane Radio.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1966/B-Section-Radio-Neb-Ter-BC-YB-1966.pdf |title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1966 page B-122 |access-date=26 March 2024}}{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Two months later, on July 5, 1965, KGMG became KXL-FM and began duplicating KXL's "Good Music" format as ''KXL & KXL-FM Stereo''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://feedback.pdxradio.com/forums/topic/this-day-in-portland-radio-history-july/ |title=Topic: THIS DAY IN PORTLAND RADIO HISTORY (JULY) |access-date=26 March 2024}}</ref>

In 1970, KXL-AM-FM switched to a middle of the road (MOR) format as "KXL-FM Stereo 95". Most large city FM stations by the 1970s could not fully simulcast their AM stations, but this rule did not apply to AM stations that were daytimers. KXL and KXL-FM continued this practice through 1974 when KXL-FM began airing a separate format.

On March 26, 1999, 95.5 FM became KXJM, with a successful rhythmic contemporary format that lasted until May 12, 2008, when it switched formats to sports. The KXJM call letters, hip-hop format and all other intellectual property were acquired by CBS Radio and moved to 107.5 FM.

The FCC had relaxed restrictions on its clear channel frequencies. With Portland {{convert|2,100|mi|km|sp=us}} from Atlanta, KXL was allowed to broadcast around the clock, using a directional antenna powered at 20,000 watts at night.

=== Move KXL to FM 101.1 === In the early 2000s, KXL's news/talk format was becoming more popular. Management saw that some listeners wanted to hear its programming in clearer FM sound, so plans were made to switch KXL to the FM band.

KXL was bought by Alpha Broadcasting in 2009, along with sister station KXTG 95.5 FM. Alpha was headed by veteran radio executive Larry Wilson.<ref name="bizj"/> At 8:47&nbsp;a.m. on March 15, 2011, KXL started simulcasting on 101.1 FM, replacing the active rock format of KUFO. For two months, KXL's news/talk format was heard on both stations. Then at 4 p.m. on May 25, 2011, the 750 frequency switched from news/talk to sports, changing its branding to "750 The Game"; the format was moved from 95.5 FM, which became KBFF.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://formatchange.com/750-kxl-becomes-the-game/ |title=750 KXL Becomes the Game |date=25 May 2011}}</ref> On June 1, 2011, after 85 years as KXL, the station took on 95.5's former KXTG call sign to match "The Game" branding.<ref name="fcc1"/>

In 2013, KXTG switched affiliations from Fox Sports Radio to NBC Sports Radio. Fox Sports Radio is now on KPOJ, owned by iHeartMedia. In October 2015, KXTG switched affiliations from NBC Sports Radio to CBS Sports Radio. In 2024, CBS Sports Radio changed its name to the Infinity Sports Network.

=== FM translator === In July 2014, KXTG began simulcasting on FM translator K274AR 102.7 FM. On December 19, 2014, K274AR upgraded from 10 watts at 102.7 FM to 99 watts at 102.9 FM. On February 3, 2015, K274AR changed call letters to K275CH.

In August 2019, KXTG dropped its simulcast on the 102.9 FM translator frequency, due to a format change to hip hop music.<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/179919/kxtg-to-drop-fm-simulcast/ KXTG to Drop FM Simulcast] Radioinsight – August 23, 2019</ref> KXTG's sports programming is now available on 750 AM, on the iHeartRadio platform and on the Alpha Media Player.

== Programming == KXTG is Portland’s flagship radio home of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.<ref name="timbers16">{{cite web |title=Portland Timbers announce broadcast schedule for 2016 season |website=Portland Timbers |date=2016-02-16 |url=https://www.timbers.com/news/portland-timbers-announce-broadcast-schedule-2016-season |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> It also carries Seattle Mariners baseball and broadcasts games from the NCAA March Madness tournament.<ref name="station">{{cite web |title=750 The Game — Portland’s Sports Radio |website=750TheGame.com |url=https://www.750thegame.com/ |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref> The station served as the radio home of the Portland Steel (AFL) during the 2016 season.<ref name="station" />

John Canzano hosts ''The Bald Faced Truth'' weekday afternoons on KXTG; his show was the station’s inaugural sports program when the format launched on May 12, 2008, with guests including golfer Peter Jacobsen and then–U.S. Senator Barack Obama.<ref name="station" /> In middays, the station airs nationally syndicated programming including ''The Dan Patrick Show'' and ''The Jim Rome Show'', while network programming from the Infinity Sports Network and select shows from the BetMGM Network fill other weekday and weekend slots.<ref name="station" />

== Ownership history == From 1955 to 1998, KXL was owned and operated under Les Smith’s leadership; contemporaneous industry directories list Smith as licensee/owner during this period.<ref>{{cite book |title=Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 |publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc. |year=1977 |page=C-174}}</ref> After more than four decades of Smith’s stewardship, Rose City Radio, a company controlled by Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen, acquired KXL and KXTG in 1998 in a deal reported at $42 million.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rose City Radio acquires KXL and KXTG in $42 million deal |work=Portland Business Journal |date=1998 |language=en}}</ref> In May 2009, Larry Wilson, the founder and former owner of Citadel Broadcasting, agreed to purchase KXL and KXTG from Rose City for approximately $11 million and organized the properties under newly formed Alpha Broadcasting (later part of Alpha Media).<ref>{{cite news |title=Larry Wilson to acquire KXL and KXTG from Rose City Radio |work=Portland Business Journal |date=May 2009 |language=en}}</ref> Alpha Media merged with Connoisseur Media on September 4, 2025.<ref name="ri-saletoconnoisseurcomplete">{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Introducing The New Connoisseur Media |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/307973/introducing-the-new-connoisseur-media/ |access-date=September 8, 2025 |work=RadioInsight |date=September 4, 2025}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="bizj">{{cite news |url=https://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/31/daily11.html |title=Wilson buys KXL and KXTG from Paul Allen |date=August 31, 2009 |work=Portland Business Journal}}</ref> <ref name="fcc1">{{cite web |publisher=FCC Media Bureau |title=Call Sign History |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=948&Callsign=KXTG |date=June 1, 2011 |access-date=June 2, 2011}}</ref> }}

==External links== *[https://750thegame.com/ KXTG official website] *{{AM station data|948|KXTG}} *[https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=45861 FCC History Cards for KXTG]

{{Portland, Oregon Radio}} {{Sports Radio Stations in Oregon}} {{Connoisseur Media}}

XTG Category:Sports radio stations in the United States Category:Radio stations established in 1926 Category:1926 establishments in Oregon Category:Infinity Sports Network stations Category:Connoisseur Media radio stations