For what reason did KNX become trusted for breaking news?

I remember sitting in my car during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and KNX was the only station that stayed on the air without skipping a beat. They had reporters on the ground within minutes, giving us live updates on freeway collapses and aftershocks while other stations were still playing music. That kind of relentless commitment to getting it right first, without sensationalism, made them the go-to source for Angelenos whenever something big happened.