Rádio KBZY-AM (Salems First Choice)

KBZY (1490 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Salem, Oregon, USA. The station, established in 1957, has been owned by Capital Broadcasting, Inc., since 1982.

Late-1960s station logoThis station began broadcasting in May 1957 as KBZY, a 250 watt AM radio station licensed to serve the community of Salem, Oregon, and whose broadcast license was held by Salem Broadcasting Company. Salem Broadcasting Company was, in turn, part of the Fisher Stations Group which then also owned radio station KUGN and KUGN-FM in Eugene, Oregon and KUMA in Pendleton, Oregon. KBZY increased its signal strength to 1,000 watts in the daytime and 250 watts at night in 1960. The station played a rock-leaning Top 40 format through the 1960s and 1970s.

After more than a quarter-century of continuous ownership, Salem Broadcasting reached an agreement in September 1980 to sell KBZY to Friendship Communications Company. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 16, 1981. This change would prove short-lived as Friendship Communications Company agreed in April 1982 to sell this station to Capital Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 15, 1982.

In October 1985, James J. Opsitnik contracted to sell KBZY license holder Capital Broadcasting, Inc., to Leroy W. Dittman. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 26, 1985, and the transaction was consummated on January 22, 1986. As of March 2009, Roy Dittman is the sole voting shareholder in Capital Broadcasting, Inc.