On July 29, 1956, at 6 p.m., KELE signed on the air as the second FM station in the city of Phoenix, joining KFCA, the radio station of Phoenix College, which began transmissions in 1951. The construction permit for the station, which bore the KONI-FM callsign for the first 19 days of its permit history in 1955, was owned by James T. Ownby; before signing on, Ownby sold the station to ANJO Broadcasters and Telecasters, which moved the station from the original 98.5 dial position to 95.5.