On December 25, 1926 KEX began operation on 670kc. with the power of 2.5KW. KEX was owned by Western Broadcasting Co.(Northwest Radio Supply Co. of Seattle with KJR(now KOMO) Vincent I. Kraft). Studios were located at 201 Terminal Sales Building (446 S.W. Morrison St.) in Portland. Transmitter was located at East Glisan & Buckley Ave.(now S.E. Glisan & 122nd Ave.). The Towers: Two masts were of braced steel construction, with a base of about 18 feet, tapering to the top, which was 225 feet above the base. The masts were approximately 300 feet apart, with the transmitter building midway between. The lead to the aeriel took off out of the top of the building and led to the center of the aerial wire. KEX was built at a cost of $35.000. KEX slogans: Oregon's most powerful station. A public service necessity.

KEX as the first broadcaster in Oregon to be owned by a company not based in it's home town. This caused problums. Advertisers stayed away, but this was not the only reason. KEX was reduced to broadcasting only a few hours a day. Just days after the newly empowered Federal Radio Commission took control on April 24, 1927. KEX was one of the first stations to be inspected. The FRC had already received complaints from listeners & WMAQ. The complaints were that KEX was spilling it's signal onto other local & outlying station frequencies.(transmitter was not crystal controlled). Plus KEX's signal was interfering with WMAQ, a 5KW station on 670kc. from Chicago. KEX was reported averaging 3KW, but suspicion was the the station was utilizing it's full 20KW capability at times.

On May 5, 1927 KEX as re-assigned to the lower class frequency of 1240kc. On June 15, 1927 KEX was moved to 1250kc. On March 1, 1928 KEX switched to 1080kc. On October 3, 1928 KEX began carrying programs from the ABC Northwest Chain, based at sister KJR Seattle. On October 7, 1928 KEX carried it's first CBS Chain program, over the ABC Chain. On November 11, 1928 KEX switched to 1180kc. and doubled power to 5KW. The transmitter was now crystal controlled. Night broadcasts were divided with KOB State College NM.

On August 25, 1929 the now known ABC Western Chain folded. On September 1, 1929 KEX lost it CBS Chain affilation to KOIN. On December 22, 1929 KEX began carrying programs from the new NBS Chain, based at KJR. On Febraury 29, 1931 KEX also affiliated with the UBC Chain. On April 1, 1931 UBC folded.

On October 16, 1931 it was announced that KEX's Western Broadcasting Co., owned now by the Northwest Broadcasting Co. of Seattle with KJR, was now a subsidiary of the National Broadcasting Co.(NBC). On October 18, 1931 KEX carried the inaugural of the new NBC Pacific "Gold" Network.

On August 25, 1933 KEX as sold to the Oregonian Publishing Co., owners of KGW. In 1934 KEX moved studios to 801 Oregonian Building (537 S.W. 6th Ave. with KGW). In 1935 KEX's transmitter site moved to North Portland, off N. Denver Ave.(Pacific Hwy.) using a 300 foot tower.(KGW would move to this site in 1938).

On March 12, 1936 the NBC Pacific "Gold" Network became part of the NBC Blue Network. On November 29, 1939 KEX switched to 1160kc. KEX slogan: Your friendly Blue Network station.

On March 29, 1941 KEX moved to 1190kc. In September 1943 a studio fire at the combined KEX-KGW Studios forced a move to the home of KWJJ at 1011 S.W. 6th Ave. This was never covered in any newspaper, probably because of wartime.

On December 28, 1944 as a result of the FCC's new duoploy ruling, Oregonian Publishing Co. sold KEX to Westinghouse Radio Stations, Inc. for $400,000. In 1945 KEX studios moved temporarily to 815 S.W. Yamhill St. On June 15, 1945 the NBC Blue Network became ABC. KEX slogan: This is your Westinghouse station. On November 24, 1946 KEX moved to Radio Center.(1230 S.W. Main St.). KEX slogans: Radio 1190. Have a gay time, every day time, keep tuned to KEX.

On April 8, 1948 KEX raised power to 50KW at 6:30PM (fulltime directional) from it's new transmitter site located at Clackamas OR (9415 S.E. Lawnfield Rd.). Three Blaw-Knox 455 foot guyed towers were erected.(Westinghouse 50-HG transmitter). KEX slogan: Oregon's only 50,000 watt station. In 1953 the licensee name changed to Westinghouse Broadcasting Co.

On December 17, 1956 one of the largest Portland network switches took place. The catalyst was KGW-TV beginning operation, taking ABC-TV from KLOR ch. 12 & ABC Radio from KEX to KGW. KEX could have picked up NBC, it did not. NBC affiliated with KGON(on 1520kc. as of 7-30-56 from 1230kc.). KEX elected to go independent. A Gutsy move for a 50KW station at the time. Network Radio was losing to TV, but not to the degree that would happen by 1960. In newspaper ads, KEX celebrated Indpendence Day.(Barney Keep dressed as George Washington with the rest of the air staff). KEX became the only full time 50KW Independent in the West. This as the beginning of the KEX most of us grew-up with. Quality Local Programming.

In 1959 studios moved to 2130 S.W. 5th Ave. KEX slogans: You're in tune with Westinghouse, KEX in Portland. The Big K of West Coast Radio. The Mighty 1190. Here's what's new, KEX News.

On September 1, 1962 KEX was sold to Golden West Broadcasters, Inc.(entertainer Gene Autry) for $900.000. KEX as programming an MOR format at this time. Slogan: This is the 50,000 watt call of the Northwest, KEX in Portland.

In January 1973 KEX affiliated with the abc Information Netork.(taken from KXL). KEX was programming an AC format at this point. Slogans: KEX sounds like Portland. Music 1190. Full Color Radio.

In Fall 1978 KEX moved to new studios at 4949 S.W. Macadam Ave.(cost 1 Million to build). KEX slogans: Lets make the music together. Touching your life. KEX, what a team! Your full service station. In 1983 KEX added an affiliation with Mutual.

On March 14, 1984 KEX was sold to Taft Television & Radio Co. for $8,127,391 (price included KKRZ) & 50 acres of land. KEX slogans: The pulse of Portland. Radio for grown-ups. The 50,000 watt News leader of the Northwest. 1190 KEX. On October 15, 1987 the licensee name changed to Great American Broadcasting Co. On December 6 1988 KEX went non-directional day only. In the 1990's? Citicasters Licenses, Inc. became the licensee. KEX slogan: The 50,000 watt blowtorch of the Pacific Northwest, 1190 KEX.

On May 4, 1999 Citicasters Licenses, Inc. became part of Clear Channel Communications. Around this period KEX went News/Talk full time. KEX slogans: The News leader. News Radio 1190 KEX. Depend on us.

KEX was my favorite during the 1970's. It had the best format, I remember they played disco & oldies & from 11pm-midnight did comedy. All of that ended when KEX started "northwest at night." I wasn't a fan of talk at all, & soon switched the channel. The show started around 1981 if I remember. I remember Nick Diamond doing the all nighter & Bob Clarke & Steve (what was his last name?) doing evenings. Bob Swanson did middays & Eric Norberg & Barney Keep did mornings. During the 60s didn't they have an adult type format? I think they played top 40 until 1962. Am I close? Of course they later became news/talk, but I can't remember what year.

I wasn't sure that I remembered correctly that they were Top 40 before 1962, so I didn't mention it. Thanks for remembering for me!

That would be a Top 40 station that couldn't play Elvis? I'm not overly clear about what kids listened to before KISN. I've asked people over the years but the answer always seems rather vague. I've heard KEX mentioned as well as KXL and even KPOJ. I get the feeling that there really wasn't anyone before KISN but Elvis did play in Portland around 1957 and you'd think there must have been someone playing him.

PS: In 1972, KGW had a special day where they relived the year 1962 with old station jingles such as "the station with the happy difference" and songs from that year. They made it sound like they were Top 40 at the time but I'm sure they were not. If they had been, I would have heard about it. I knew about KGON.

I remember that KEX baned "Blue Christmas" by Elvis. It was thought that Rock & Roll stars like him, shouldn't play Christmas Music. So KEX did play other Elvis songs.

where is Art Smart?????

I was under the impression that someone at KEX got into trouble by playing Elvis in the late fifties. There was also an instance of payola but I don't believe it was the same occasion. I remember seeing Art Smart on "Stars of Tomorrow" and I didn't know who he was but his name stuck in my head until I became aware of such things.

This Just In....After searching almost 2 hours for the Sept 1943 KEX-KGW Studio Fire Story at the Multnomah County Library, using The Oregonian & Oregon Journal Microfilm to no avail, I then gave the Oregon Historical Society Library a try. They spent 3 hours searching and came up empty. At that point, I gave up. They did not! I thought they had exhausted all their sources. They kept on it and found the story, days later, with no mention in the headline of call letters, fire or the words: radio stations.

On September 23, 1943 shortly before midnight, a 3 alarm fire swept through the 7th floor of The Oregonian Building at S.W. 6th & Alder. The KEX-KGW Studios on the 7th floor were destroyed. Loss: approximately $75.000. This included the entire Transcription Library, a large Pipe Organ & Control Room Studios. The fire was confined to the 7th floor, but the entire building was evacuated. During the evacuation, 3 announcers on duty, grabbed several microphones and other equipment. Within a short time, they were broadcasting from the KEX-KGW Tower Site on N. Denver Ave. The Oregonian staff were later permitted to return and finish printing the Sept. 24th Edition of the paper, which held this story. A side note: This was KGW's first home, since it began operation on March 25, 1922.

A Special Thanks To The Oregon Historical Society Library.

By the way it was Steve O'Shea who replaced Bob Clarke in the late 70's. I know Steve worked on K-LOVE, but where is he now?

December 17, 1956, "The KEX Solid 7" were:
Barney Keep, 6AM
Kay West, 10:05AM
Russ Conrad, 10:30AM
Bob Blackburn, 4PM
Bob Atkins, 7PM
Jess Mason, 10:15PM
George McGowen, News
Pat Wilkins, News

I don't think KEX went non-directional until the early to mid 90s. Perhaps the 1988 date is CP grant date? I know it was still directional when I was working (1990-93) there.