KXSN (98.1 FM) is a commercial radio station in San Diego, California, branded as Sunny 98.1. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station airs a classic hits radio format. The studios and offices are located in San Diego's Stonecrest area, off Granite Ridge Drive, across the street from rival station KMYI. The transmitter is off La Jolla Scenic Drive South in La Jolla, amid towers for several other San Diego FM and TV stations. KXSN broadcasts in the HD Radio format. Its HD2 subchannel carries smooth jazz, using the call sign of former San Diego jazz outlet KIFM, which once was heard on 98.1. The HD3 subchannel carries "Channel Q," a Audacy format of LGBTQ-oriented talk and EDM dance music. History Middle of the road (1960-1974) The station first signed on the air on February 4, 1960, as KJLM. It was owned by E. Edward Jacobson and it operated at only 4,500 watts, a fraction of its current power. The station aired what it described as a "good music" format, a mix of middle of the road (MOR) and easy listening music. In 1968, Jacobson changed the station's call sign to KDIG but remained as owner and president, and continued the MOR format. The station changed hands in 1971, getting sold to West Coast Media. Soft rock (1974-1987) In 1974, the call letters were switched to KIFM and the format moved to what West Coast described as "mellow music," a mix of soft rock and soft adult contemporary. In the 1980s, KIFM experimented with a contemporary jazz program at night, called "Lights Out San Diego." Smooth jazz (1987-2011) In September 1987, as Lights Out San Diego gained in popularity, KIFM went with smooth jazz around the clock as "Smooth Jazz 98.1". In 1996, KIFM was bought by Jefferson-Pilot Broadcasting for $28.75 million. Jefferson-Pilot would be acquired by Lincoln Financial Group. The media division became Lincoln Financial Media. During smooth jazz's popularity, KIFM was one of the top rated stations in San Diego and was the 2005 winner of the Marconi Award. Rhythmic adult contemporary (2011-2013) In the Summer of 2011, as the smooth jazz format began to age, KIFM shifted its format to smooth adult contemporary, airing mostly pop artists with R&B roots, such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna and Anita Baker, with only an occasional Smooth Jazz instrumental, and rebranded as "98.1 Smooth FM". By the fall of that