KCBS operates with a transmitter output of 50,000 watts, and during the daytime can be regularly received as far north as Sacramento and Hopland and south as far as San Luis Obispo. In good conditions it is also heard as far north as Redding and south to Santa Maria. At night, the station employs a directional antenna, primarily sending its signal to the southeast, in order to protect CFZM in Toronto, the dominant Class A station on the 740 kHz clear-channel frequency. KCBS's nighttime signal is heard throughout California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, in addition to several western states, including Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah. On rare occasions "DXers" (hobbyists who listen for distant stations) have reported receiving KCBS across the Pacific Ocean, and in Hawaii and Alaska.