KBLA Talk 1580 is the first Black owned talk radio station in Los Angeles, launched in June 2021 by broadcaster Tavis Smiley, who bought the signal in November 2020 for 7.15 million dollars and owns it through Smiley Audio Media. Its studios sit on Crenshaw Boulevard in the heart of Leimert Park.
Services
Programmed as unapologetically progressive Black talk, KBLA carries the Tavis Smiley daily program alongside local news, politics, community affairs and cultural programming aimed at Black Los Angeles. The station is licensed to Santa Monica and covers the greater Los Angeles market on 1580 AM, with streaming through its website and app. It marked its fifth anniversary on Juneteenth 2026.