KSTN

KSTN is an American radio station licensed as a Class B station broadcasting at 1420 kHz in Stockton, California, with a power of 5 kW daytime and 1 kW night time.The station commenced broadcasting on November 27, 1949 at 6 AM. KSTN's first General Manager was Dave Greene and the original power was 100 watts. It was owned by the late Knox LaRue until his death on December 22, 2004. The current owner is Robert LaRue, through licensee KSTN, LLC.The LaRues sold KSTN & KSTN-FM to Independence Media Holdings of Dallas, Texas, for $24.25 million in 2008. Due to the bad economy, the deal fell through.The AM transmitter site is located at 2171 Ralph Avenue in Stockton, in a pasture adjacent to the station's studio and office complex.Format historyAt its inception, KSTN's programming was Big Band/Swing, with some Country western Music in the afternoons with Dusty Duncan as the host. Other early KSTN on-air personalities included Bud Hobbs, Bill Elliott and Paula Stone.The station switched to a Top 40 format in 1957. In 1962, station owner Knox LaRue contracted with Top 40 radio programmer Bill Drake to program KSTN.Upon leaving San Francisco's KYA in 1962, Bill Drake was hired to split time as program director of both KYNO in Fresno, and KSTN in Stockton, California.KSTN owner Knox LaRue (December 18, 1922 – December 22, 2004) was a business partner with KYNO owner Gene Chenault in various ventures. They co-hired Drake upon the recommendation of Jane Swain, LaRue's general manager at KSTN, who had worked with Drake at WAKE in Atlanta. While the classic KMAK–KYNO battle of Fresno has been well documented, KSTN and LaRue are certainly owed their debt as well.