20, 2015. On October 14, 2015, KMIK signed off the air to allow for a transmitter relocation. While off the air, Gabrielle Broadcasting asked the FCC to change its call letters to KHEP, which were the longtime call letters of 1280 from 1956 until 1999. AM 1280 is now known as KXEG. Gabrielle began work on downgrading 1580 from a Class B to a Class D station, along with a tower relocation and a major nighttime power decrease from 50,000 watts directional to 95 watts non-directional, diplexed with KXEG west of central Phoenix. In November 2016, it was announced that KHEP was sold by Gabrielle Broadcasting to CRC Broadcasting Company, Inc., owners of business news KFNN, with the sale closing on May 1, 2017 at a price of $450,000. CRC owner Ron Cohen tapped Mike Muraco, who had been hosting a brokered sports talk show on crosstown KDUS (which he would later return to on a brokered-time basis in 2019) to develop a brand new sports station. On February 14, 2017, KQFN filed an application for a Federal Communications Commission construction permit to increase night power to 700 watts. The application was accepted for filing on February 17, 2017. The station returned to the air on February 13, 2017, under a local marketing agreement with CRC, airing an all-sports format. On March 16, 2017, following the closing of the station's sale to CRC, KHEP changed their call letters to KQFN. K257CD translator history K257CD is one of Phoenix's oldest translators, having rebroadcast a number of different stations since going on air in 1984. It initially provided a simulcast of KSTM in Apache Junction, but by the mid-90s it was dependent on KRIM which itself was one of several transmitters for KBZR/KPTY. After a stint simulcasting KNRJ, it most recently served as a translator for KFNN prior to being transitioned to KQFN; at that time, KFNN built a new translator on 105.3 MHz. References External links 1580 The Fanatic Facebook FCC History Cards for KQFN QFN Radio stations established in 1960 1960 establishments in Arizona Sports radio stations in the United States Former subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company