First heard in September 1949 with the call letters KECC (for Eastern Contra County County), Pittsburg’s new radio station had studios on Railroad Avenue in Old Town and a transmitter site across the San Joaquin River in Collinsville (Solano County).
Early programming was hyper-local, including replays of local City Council meetings and the first-ever broadcast of a Contra Costa County Athletic League basketball game (Alhambra High vs. Pittsburg High).
Station power was authorized for an increase from 1,000 watts to 5,000 watts in 1954.
The call letters were changed to KATT in 1957, and again in 1958. Contra Costa Broadcasting Corporation bought the station for $225,000 and changed the call letters to KKIS.
Among the station’s notable features: the KKIS Emergency Alarm Service. Aimed at boaters on the Delta, the service included hourly wind updates for inland waterways, as well as a call system allowing anyone to leave a message at the station that would be rebroadcast to those out on the water. In pre-cellular-telephone days, it was a surefire way to reach a loyal audience.
KKIS aired a popular music format through the 60’s and 70’s, undergoing several ownership changes. The studios would be relocated to Walnut Creek and then Concord, though Pittsburg remained the city of license. One notable interlude saw legendary DJ Al “Jazzbeaux” Collins (BARHOF 2006) transport his mythical “Purple Grotto” to KKIS in the early 80’s.
A 1983 ownership change brought KKIS and Walnut Creek’s KDFM into the same group. KDFM was re-licensed as KKIS-FM (92.1 MHz).
The legendary Dr. Don Rose (BARHOF 2006) appeared on KKIS in 1987, after his departure from KFRC.
By the early 90’s, financial difficulties landed KKIS in receivership. A 1993 transfer of ownership led to another change of call letters. KATD was first heard in October 1993, and for several years, has re-broadcast the Spanish-language programming of San Francisco station KIQI (1010 AM), under the ownership of Multicultural Radio Broadcasting Inc.
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