KFAX marked a century of broadcasting in 2025 as the direct descendant of pioneering San Francisco station KJBS, which went on the air in 1925.
After a lengthy run as a significant voice among Bay Area radio stations, KJBS found itself facing increasing competition in the 1950s. The station was sold in 1960. New owners Ray Rhodes and Gil Paltridge tried something different. Their Argonaut Broadcasting launched KFAX on May 16, 1960, billing it as “America’s first all news station”. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Terrence O’Flaherty called the new format “the most noteworthy innovation in the Bay Area’s radio world in a decade.”
Rhodes and Paltridge had been friends since their college years, when they ran a daily newspaper. Their concept for KFAX mimicked a newspaper, with hourly “editions” and an advertising policy that broke with radio industry tradition by forbidding advertisers from sponsoring programs. Instead, they could buy commercial spots that stood alone from the station’s content.
Former Oakland Tribune city editor Ed Salzman was recruited to be managing editor, and contributors included women’s sports commentator Dorothy Levy, the wife of University of California football coach Marv Levy.
The ambitious “Newsradio” concept lasted barely a year. Argonaut Broadcasting was unable to find enough national advertisers to augment what the sales team was able to line up locally. From a programming perspective, later critics would note that the attempt to replicate a newspaper on radio fell short of capitalizing on the richness of radio. By the late 1960s, industry giants Westinghouse and CBS had launched successful all news radio stations.
In 1961, with a newly-authorized 50,000 watt signal, KFAX began to carry religious programming. 
Salem Media Group acquitted KFAX in 1984, describing the station’s format as “Christian Teaching and Talk”.
KFAX has an unusual history. They shared the 1100 frequency with a Class A 50 Kw station in Cleveland (presently WTAM). As such, they originally had a daytime only license for 1000 watts from their Pine St. studios and tower. They later obtained permission to return to the air during what was then called the Experimental Period from midnight to 6 AM Cleveland time. So KFAX would sign off the air at local sunset and then return to the air from 10 PM to 4 AM SF time.
When they built the 50 Kw plant in Hayward it only operated during the day, signing off at sunset. Then at 10 PM the 1000 watt signal from Pine Street would return until 4 AM. This continued through the 1960s until the clear channels were broken down and another fulltime station on 1100 was allowed in Grand Junction, CO. After that KFAX was granted a fulltime 50 Kw license from their Hayward transmitter site.
Excellent information, Lou.
This is also covered in our history of KJBS, located elsewhere on our website.