KHTS Radio is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the station’s first time broadcasting on 98.1 FM in the Santa Clarita Valley.

On Feb. 1, 2018, KHTS AM-1220 started its first FM simulcast, officially launching the Santa Clarita Valley’s only local FM station.

“Launching the station one year ago was an exciting addition to our media outlet,” said Carl Goldman, owner of KHTS Radio. “Now we broadcast our local programming on FM 98.1 and AM-1220, along with our digital streaming, as well as our iPhone and Android phone apps and dozens of digital radio portals throughout the world.”

The FM transmission is the latest in audio advancements KHTS Radio has undergone over the years.

“We have been trying to add an FM signal to KHTS AM-1220 ever since we purchased the radio station in 1990,” Goldman said. “Until recently, Federal Communications Commission rules did not allow a commercial FM station in Santa Clarita because of our proximity to Los Angeles and the saturation of FM signals already in Southern California.”

Some History

The station first debuted on-air in 1989 under the call letters KBET, “The Beat of Santa Clarita.” The February 1990 issue of Radio World Magazine, listed KBET AM-1220 Stereo as the first digital, tapeless, paperless radio station in the world.

In January 1994, KBET became the emergency outlet for the Santa Clarita Valley during the Northridge Earthquake. After the 5 and 14 Freeway interchange collapsed, the Santa Clarita Valley was sealed off from Los Angeles.

AM-1220 was rebranded in 2003, rebranding it as KHTS, “Santa Clarita’s Hometown Station.”

As Santa Clarita’s only commercial radio station, KHTS is committed to broadcast programming, which highlights information about the Santa Clarita Valley, mixing in news, traffic, weather, sports and music from contemporary adult artists such as Maroon Five, Taylor Swift, Pink and Keith Urban.

Depending on the day, the on-air features differ with a variety of programming such as The Santa Clarita Business and Real Estate Show, the SCV Non-Profit Spotlight Show, and the Hometown Morning Show with Tori and Kyle. To see a full programming line-up, visit the station’s program page.

To stay ahead of the curve on modern audio trends, KHTS Radio also offers a variety of local programs as podcasts, available on Apple Podcasts and any other podcasting app.

That all changed with the AM Revitalization Act in 2015. The Federal Communications Commision rule allowed AM stations such as KHTS AM-1220 to add an FM signal onto existing broadcasts.

“The FCC created an AM Revitalization Act several years ago that allowed us to add our 98.1 FM signal as a simulcast to our AM signal,” Goldman said.

Into The Future

The station is consistently looking to expand coverage and provide more detailed information to the Santa Clarita Valley, Goldman said.

“Both stations will continue to stay focused on Santa Clarita by remaining hyper-local, covering our local news, important community events, and local emergencies,” Goldman explained. “We’re looking forward to building an additional audience with the newest addition to KHTS Radio, FM 98.1.”

The addition of the FM station will provide Santa Clarita residents with yet another outlet from which they can get their local news.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.