In the late 1970s, Tucson residents Paul Bear, Frank Milan, and Roger Greer began preliminary work on the idea of a new, non-commercial radio station with a community-centered focus.^[5] They received a construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in November 1982 after a frequency search and FCC filings were complete.

The original concept for the naming of their call sign was to run a contest to create a call sign, and then see if it was available. However, upon receiving a letter from the FCC regarding the need to select call letters, a volunteer came up with the 'KXCI' idea, and that was the top choice out of five submitted to the FCC. Those calls were available and were assigned.^[6]

The station signed on the air on November 19, 1983; 40 years ago (1983-11-19). It began at 7 p.m. with a stunt format, playing reggae music for two days to promote a station benefit concert featuring Eek-A-Mouse. The station then ran a three-week promotion called the "Big Broadcast of 1983", a historical journey from the earliest music to contemporary. It included almost every genre of music, and ended on December 5 with a live concert at the studio.

There was some controversy about the final format of the new station, including one that the station was going to play urban contemporary music 24/7, causing Top 40 station KHYT 1330 (now silent) to bill itself as "Tucson's First Rock and Soul Station". KHYT's promotion abruptly ended once the true format was known. It would be a 'music mix' during the day, and over 29 musical styles and genres during nights and weekends.^[7] The station still airs many genres and styles not generally found on other stations in the Tucson radio market.^[8]

The station was originally located at 91.7 FM. In the early 1990s, the station moved to its present 91.3 frequency to permit the station formerly known as KFMA 92.1 (now KCMT) to raise its power and cover more of the Tucson area.

Specialty shows on KXCI are heard mostly on weeknights and weekends.^[8] Its Monday night show, Locals Only!, broadcasting since May 1998, features Tucson's musicians with interviews and live performance by the bands. KXCI is also a local carrier for Democracy Now!.^[9]

In 1995, Michael Metzger quoted the station's then board president Shirley Shade in a Tucson Weekly article that illustrates the station's diversity of musical offerings: "If you don't like something that you're hearing at this moment, just wait a minute and something different will be on," says Shirley Shade, president of the Foundation for Creative Broadcasting's board of directors. (The foundation is a non-profit corporation holding KXCI's broadcast license and overseeing the station's operation.) "It's a learning experience, it exposes you to different types of music that you might not normally listen to."^[10]

KXCI is a non-profit organization that operates under the corporation name The Foundation for Creative Broadcasting, Inc. and is designated as a cultural entity, according to the Arizona Corporation Commission website.^[11]

Per its non-profit status, and due to FCC and grant regulations, KXCI doesn't air traditional radio commercials. Instead, KXCI's DJs read underwriters' spots that highlight the underwriters' businesses/events.^[12] The disc jockeys also share public service announcements that feature Tucson's local non-profits and their initiatives/events.^[13]

According to its website, "membership is the largest form of support at KXCI". Memberships range from one-time gifts in any amount to monthly sustaining members in any amount.^[14]

In September 2015, the City of Tucson awarded KXCI, Brink Media and Wavelab Studios a "contract to operate Tucson's new Community Media Center, officially replacing the now-defunct Access Tucson and City Channel," according to the Arizona Daily Star, which also wrote: "The partners will oversee public-access television broadcasting and local content designed to grow the economy, and provide training in media arts."^[15]

KXCI also collaborates with Tucson Weekly and Arizona Public Media's Jim Nintzel by airing the political journalist's show, Zona Politics on Sundays from 5 p.m.-5:30 p.m.^[16]

KXCI has won, or been a runner-up, in Tucson Weekly's "Best of Tucson" awards for over two decades.^[17][18]

• List of radio stations in Arizona
• List of community radio stations in the United States

• KXCI Website
• KXCI in the FCC FM station database
• KXCI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database