KHTI

KHTI
Lake Arrowhead, California;
Broadcast area	Inland Empire
Frequency	103.9 MHz
Branding	Hot 103.9
Programming
Format	Hot AC
Ownership
Owner	All Pro Broadcasting, Inc.
Sister stations	KATY-FM
History
First air date	1978 (as KBON)
Former call signs	KBON (1978–1992); KCKC-FM (1992–1993); KABE (1993–1994); KAEV (1994–1995); KCXX (1995–2015)
Call sign meaning	"HoT I03.9" station moniker
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	2398
Class	A
ERP	180 watts
HAAT	548 meters (1,798 ft)
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Hot 103.9 Webstream
Website	hot1039.com

KHTI (103.9 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Lake Arrowhead, California, and broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino area of the Inland Empire. KHTI airs a Hot Adult Contemporary radio format as "Hot 103.9". It is owned by All Pro Broadcasting, a corporation controlled by the estate of Pro Football Hall of Fame member Willie Davis, which also owns KATY in nearby Temecula.

KHTI is a Class A FM station with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 180 watts. Its transmitter tower is on Ongo Camp Road in Lake Arrowhead.^[2] The radio studios are on Airport Drive in San Bernardino.

History

Beautiful music, AC and Oldies

In 1978, 103.9 signed on the air as KBON. It had beautiful music format, aimed at the growing adult population in the Inland Empire. It played quarter-hour sweeps of mostly instrumental music, with some soft vocals. The signal was strong enough to reach parts of the Morongo Basin and the Victor Valley areas.

In 1984, KBON changed to an adult contemporary format under the name "K-104". In 1987, KBON again changed formats to 1960s and 70s oldies.

Country and Urban

On September 1, 1992, KBON became KCKC-FM, making 103.9 a full simulcast of KCKC (1350 AM, now KPWK). KCKC had been broadcasting in San Bernardino for 25 years with a country music format, from 1966 to 1992.

On October 31, 1993, KCKC-FM became KABE as it changed to a simulcast of KACE (also on 103.9 FM), which broadcast to the nearby Los Angeles metropolitan area. Covering most of Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, the simulcast briefly experimented with a hip hop/R&B format as "The New V103.9".

On October 2, 1994, KABE became KAEV. Owner Willie Davis learned that sister station WLUM-FM in Milwaukee had personalities playing uncensored tracks and cursing on-air in late night FCC safe harbor hours, and had personally disapproved of the hardcore rap music which had become prevalent in hip-hop. KAEV tried a transitional format of lighter 'positive' rap, but the ratings were not promising.

Alternative Rock

On January 1, 1995, KAEV ended its simulcast with KACE, as the station flipped to alternative rock as "X103.9" and changed call letters to KCXX. The first song played was "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails. (This matched WLUM's post-1995 programming direction, also flipping to alternative rock.)^[3]

The rock format lasted two decades. 2015 marked KCXX's 20th (and, as it would turn out, last) year as an alternative station. On December 21, 2015, KCXX announced it would end its alternative format the following morning, citing falling ratings and increased competition from Internet music services for the reasoning behind the change.^[4]

Hot AC

On December 22, 2015, at 7 a.m., after playing "Snuff" by Slipknot, KCXX flipped to Rhythmic Hot AC as "Hot 103.9." The first song on "Hot" was "Time of Our Lives" by Pitbull. The station changed its call sign to KHTI on the same day as the flip.^[5]

An automated alternative format continued as a separate mobile app under the former "X103.9" brand, but the mobile app has been removed from Google and Apple's app stores as of May 2018. As of fall 2018, the station has adjusted to a more conventional hot adult contemporary format.