KATL (AM)

Last updated
KATL
KATL 770AMetc. logo.png
Broadcast areaEastern Montana
Frequency 770 kHz
Branding770 KATL
Programming
Format Adult contemporary
Affiliations ABC News Radio, Westwood One
Ownership
OwnerYellowstone Newspapers Group
History
First air date
September 9, 1941 (as KRJF at 1340)
Former call signs
KRJF (1941–1955)
Former frequencies
1340 kHz (1941–1987)
Technical information
Facility ID 62297
Class B
Power 10,000 watts (day)
1,000 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
46°23′46″N105°46′44″W / 46.39611°N 105.77889°W / 46.39611; -105.77889
Links
Webcast KATL Webstream
Website KATL Online

KATL (770 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Miles City, Montana. [1] The station is owned by the Yellowstone Newspapers Group, and managed by Don Richard. [2] It airs an Adult Contemporary music format, [3] as well as local and state news, local sports, and several other programs.

Contents

Miles City is known as the "Cow Capitol of the West" and this is reflected in the KATL (pronounced "Cattle") callsign. [4] The station was assigned the KATL call letters by the Federal Communications Commission. [5]

History

KATL first aired September 9, 1941 under the call letters KRJF. At the time, they were a 1,000-watt Class D station on the frequency of 1340 AM. After being purchased by Star Printing Company, the call letters were changed to KATL and they began to broadcast at 250-watts at night as well. In 1985, KATL changed its broadcasting to 10,000-watts during the daytime, and 1,000-watts at night. They also changed frequency to 770 AM at this time. KATL continues to broadcast at this frequency and power today, covering several counties in Southeastern Montana.

Many popular local personalities were on the air including Fred Hunnes, Terry Virag, Skip Walters, and more. Local programming included the popular Party Line program, an on-air call-in show which usually featured regular callers discussing the issues of the day.

As of October 1961, Ian Elliott was the manager of the radio station. [6]

Programs

KATL currently airs Dial Global adult contemporary throughout the day. Wednesday mornings at 10 am there is a local-interest program, KATL Live, during which Don Richard interviews guests regarding upcoming events in Miles City and the surrounding area. These interviews are available on the KATL website for 3 weeks after airing.

Throughout the day, several programs air during commercial breaks, including Kookin' With Karla (a cooking program that includes at least 3 recipes per week in a rotation), a community calendar, and local and state news with Andrew Bern, the station's news director. Bern also serves as the station's sports director, anchoring daily sportscasts as well as serving as the play-by-play broadcaster for Cowboys and Cowgirls athletics. Monday through Friday, the Clark Howard radio program airs from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Throughout the school year, KATL runs a 2-minute Athlete of the Week program every Thursday for high school students from Miles City and the surrounding area. At the end of the school year, one male and one female athlete are chosen from the Athletes of the Week to be the recipients of the Athlete of the Year award during a banquet held in May. These athletes are all given plaques, donated by Bozeman Trophy, and copies of the program that aired on KATL during the week in which they were honored.

KATL also holds an annual radio auction during July and a Pumpkin Chase in October, as well as several contests and giveaways throughout the year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWKB</span> Radio station in New York, United States

WWKB is a commercial radio station in Buffalo, New York. It broadcasts a sports gambling format and is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. It is one of two sports radio stations owned by Audacy in the Buffalo radio market, with WGR primarily broadcasting local sports programming. The studios are on Corporate Parkway in Amherst, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOR (AM)</span> Clear-channel AM radio station in New York City

WOR is a 50,000-watt class A clear-channel AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia and licensed to New York City. The station airs a mix of local and syndicated talk radio shows, primarily from co-owned Premiere Networks, including The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. CBS Eye on the World with John Batchelor, from CBS Audio Network is heard at night. Since 2016, the station has served as the New York outlet for co-owned NBC News Radio. The station's studios are located in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan at the former AT&T Building, with its transmitter in Rutherford, New Jersey. WOR began broadcasting on Wednesday, February 22, 1922, and is one of the oldest continuously operating radio stations in the United States with a three–letter call sign, characteristic of a station dating from the 1920s. WOR is the only New York City station to have retained its original three-letter call sign, making those the oldest continuously used call letters in the New York City area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WVNN (AM)</span> Radio station in Athens, Alabama

WVNN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Athens, Alabama, serving parts of North Alabama including Huntsville and Decatur. Owned by Cumulus Media, it airs a news/talk format. Programming on WVNN is simulcast on WVNN-FM 92.5 MHz, which is licensed to Trinity, Alabama. Collectively, the stations are branded as "NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN." The studios and offices are on U.S. Route 72 East in Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWVA (AM)</span> Radio station in Wheeling, West Virginia

WWVA is an American AM radio station that broadcasts with studios in Wheeling, West Virginia. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and uses the on-air nickname "The Big One".

CBLA-FM is a non-commercial radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the station is the flagship station of the CBC Radio One network, broadcasting a mix of news and talk. In addition to the Toronto market, CBLA also reaches much of Central Ontario with a network of twelve rebroadcasters. The studios are in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WDAE</span> Sports radio station in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

WDAE is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Petersburg, Florida and serving the Tampa Bay area. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. WDAE is one of the oldest radio stations in Florida still broadcasting today, going on the air in 1922. The studios and offices are on West Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa. The transmitter site is located near the Gandy Bridge in St. Petersburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WISN (AM)</span> Radio station in Wisconsin, United States

WISN is a commercial AM radio station in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It broadcasts a news/talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on Howard Avenue in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFXR (AM)</span> Radio station in Dallas, Texas

KFXR is a commercial AM radio station in Dallas, Texas, and serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a conservative talk radio format. Its studios and offices are located along Dallas Parkway in Farmers Branch.

WGDJ is a commercial radio station licensed to Rensselaer, New York, and serving the Capital District. It airs a talk radio format and is owned and operated by Capital Broadcasting, Inc. The transmitter is off River Road in Rensselaer. Programming is also heard in Albany and Rensselaer on 80-watt FM translator W254DA at 98.7 MHz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJOX (AM)</span> Sports radio station in Birmingham, Alabama

WJOX is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Birmingham, Alabama. It is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a sports format. WJOX is the Birmingham affiliate of the UAB Blazers Radio Network, the Tennessee Titans Radio Network and the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. It used to be the broadcast home of the Birmingham Barons. The station has studios and offices in Homewood.

KFEQ is a commercial AM radio station in St. Joseph, Missouri. It is owned by Eagle Communications and airs a news-talk-sports-farm reports radio format. The studios and offices are on Country Lane in St. Joseph along with sister stations KKJO, KSJQ, KESJ, and KYSJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTTH</span> Radio station in Seattle, Washington

KTTH is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned by Salt Lake City–based Bonneville International, a broadcasting company owned by of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It airs a conservative talk radio format. The station's transmitter site is on Vashon Island, while its studios are located in Seattle's Eastlake district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTKS (AM)</span> Radio station in Savannah, Georgia

WTKS is a radio station licensed to Savannah, Georgia. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., with iHM Licenses, LLC holding the license. WTKS airs a news/talk format. Its transmitter is located behind WTKS's studios on Alfred Street in Garden City, Georgia, with a Savannah address.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTMS</span> News/talk radio station in Santa Barbara, California

KTMS is a commercial radio station in Santa Barbara, California. It is owned by Rincon Broadcasting and airs a talk radio format. The studios are on East Cota Street in Santa Barbara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFNN</span> Radio station in Mesa, Arizona, United States

KFNN is a commercial radio station licensed to Mesa, Arizona, and serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. News Talk Radio in Phoenix, it airs a financial news and talk radio format, broadcasting from studios in North Scottsdale. KFNN is owned by CRC Broadcasting Company, Inc., headed by Ronald Cohen. The company also owns sports radio 1580 The Fanatic KQFN, as well as KJJZ 102.7 The Fanatic in the Palm Springs area, and a financial expo called Financial Fest. KFNN has a lineup of local and national money related programs, with some nationally syndicated conservative talk show hosts. KFNN says it had the first full-time financial format of its kind in the U.S., starting in 1988.

KJNP and KJHA are non-commercial radio stations which simulcast their programming. KJNP is licensed to North Pole, Alaska and serves the Fairbanks area. KJHA is licensed to work in Houston, Alaska, just north of Anchorage. The stations air a Christian radio format.

KVTA is a commercial radio station licensed to Ventura, California, and serves Ventura County and southern Santa Barbara County. The station is owned by Gold Coast Broadcasting and airs a talk radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KFH (AM)</span> Sports radio station in Wichita, Kansas

KFH is a commercial AM radio station in Wichita, Kansas. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. It airs a sports radio format. The station's studios and offices are located on East Douglas Avenue.

KEXS is a radio station licensed to Excelsior Springs, Missouri, and serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. The station is owned by the Catholic Radio Network, and airs a Roman Catholic religious radio format. The call letters stand for its city of license, EXcelsior Springs. To support the station, KEXS periodically holds on-air pledge drives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miles City, Montana</span> City in Montana, United States

Miles City is a city in and the county seat of Custer County, Montana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2020 census.

References

  1. Clarke, Norm (1997-11-04). "Talk of the Town". Rocky Mountain News. KATL heads the herd in Miles City, Mont.
  2. Lambert, Brian (2003-05-20). "Bucking Horse Sale A Mardi Gras For Cowboys". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Don Richards is president of the Bucking Horse Sale board of directors, and station manager of KATL-AM, the voice of Miles City.
  3. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01.
  4. Patterson, Caroline (1999-05-01). "Getting your buck's worth in Montana". Sunset. Drive through Miles City, Montana, built at the confluence of the Tongue and Yellowstone rivers in 1878, and you'll see why it's known as the Cow Capital of the West. Pickups and stock trucks line the streets. The radio station is KATL-AM.
  5. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  6. "Five Trainmen, Truck Driver Die As Train/Truck Collide". Galveston Daily News. 1961-10-26. The exact death toll was not determined until all bodies had been recovered from the wreckage, which Ian Elliott manager of radio station KATL, Miles City, described as "a horrible mess."