In 1979, Heftel Broadcasting purchased KULA, pairing it with KSSK, which Heftel had owned since 1965."Hawaii Radio: Waipahu", Broadcasting Yearbook (1986 edition), page B-79. The company was owned by Cecil Heftel, a Hawaii businessman and one-time congressman. Heftel moved the station's studios to Honolulu and ended the automation, hiring a staff of DJs. The format later switched to soft adult contemporary using the slogan "Light Rock, Less Talk." In the late 1980s, KULA moved back to Top 40, becoming KXPW ("Power 92"), under long time Top 40 programmer Jay Stone. KXPW later re-branded to "92X", with initially Dean Stevens, and later, Brad Barrett as program director.
