KCLS (defunct)

KCLS was the second radio station to broadcast in Flagstaff, Arizona. The first station failed. Charles J. Saunders put it on the air in 1950, and the station left the air shortly after a 1986 sale, though its license hung around for another decade and was used in a frequency swap to move KVNA.

KCLS signed on the air in 1950 and was owned by Saunders Broadcasting. The call letters were based upon the name of the owner's daughter "Cheryl Lynn Saunders." KCLS moved several times in its early history, being initially allotted at 1220 but later moving to 1340 kHz, followed by 1360 kHz in 1953 and finally 600 kHz in 1954. On this frequency, 5,000 watts of power in the daytime and 500 watts directional at night. This made it the most powerful AM radio station in Northern Arizona. The KCLS studios were originally a quonset hut.

Throughout most of its history, KCLS broadcast "middle-of-the-road" or "adult contemporary" music. It was also an early communications link for members of the nearby Navajo tribe, broadcasting in Navajo for one hour a day from 5 to 6 in the morning until the mid-1970s. The station had a long tradition of local news, with several radio announcers moving on to news positions in larger markets and with networks. The station carried with the National Weather Service to have their meteorologists deliver the weather. KCLS was also well known for broadcasting Northern Arizona University sports and also the high school sports.

Charles Saunders also owned stations KUPI and KQPI in Idaho Falls, Idaho at different times in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Saunders, who was known as "C-J the D-J", served as mayor of Flagstaff from 1958 to 1960.

KCLS was sold to Charles T. Goyette and James A. Kurtz in 1986; while Goyette exited the partnership, KCLS went dark shortly thereafter. The license's final owners were TVNA Limited Partnership. In the mid-1990s, the owners of KVNA AM obtained the license for KCLS and switched frequencies, with KCLS moving to 690 (never to broadcast there) and KVNA relocating from 690 to 600. The KCLS license was canceled in February 1997 for failure to transmit in a 12-month period under Section 312(g) of the Communications Act.

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