The station was originally built on 1570kHz with a power of 500 watts and the transmitter located in the 'Sugarhouse' area of Salt Lake City in 1956.[3] It operated during daytime hours only.[3] In 1965, the station's frequency was changed to 1550kHz, and its power was increased to 10,000 watts.[3] The transmitting tower was moved to 5265 West 2100 South in what is now West Valley City, Utah.[3]
On March 4, 1968, the station's callsign was changed from KWIC to KRGO.[3] As KRGO, the station aired a country music format.[4][5][6] In 1977, nighttime operation at 500 watts was added.[3] In the mid 1980s, the station's country music programming was simulcast on KRGO-FM 107.9.[7]
On January 1, 1988, the station's callsign was changed to KZQQ,[8] and the station aired the Z Rockheavy metal format.[9] By 1990, the station's format had changed to Spanish language music, and was branded "La Fabulosa".[10] The station later adopted a religious/gospel format during the day, while Spanish language programming remained on the station at night.[11]
On July 31, 1992, the station's callsign was changed to KRGQ, and the station began airing a country music format during the day, while Spanish language programming remained on the station at night.[8][11] On September 14, 1992, the station's country music programming began to be simulcast on 107.9 KZQQ-FM and 103.1 FM, and was branded "KRGO".[12] In December 1993, the station's country music programming began to be simulcast on KQOL 106.5, as well.[13]
By 1995, the station had been taken off the air.[14] In 1997, the station was rebuilt at its current transmitter location of 6211 West 2100 South in West Valley City. On March 10, 1997, the station's callsign was changed back to KRGO.[8] The station returned to the air, airing a Country Western format.[15]
On January 16, 1998, the station's callsign was changed to the current KMRI.[8] The station began airing a religious format.[16][17] The station's callsign stood for "Miracle Rock Incorporated Church", which owned the station when it was assigned.[18] In 2003-2004 the station made arrangements with the then–owner of KCPW (AM) (now KIHU), Community Wireless of Park City, to share its single tower as "Tower 2" of the other stations two tower directional array.
In 2005, the owners of the radio station made a contract with David J Velasquez, president of Radio Exitos Communications Inc and began transmitting Regional Mexican Music which also included Spanish Christian Music a program of 4 hours everyday from 2-6 p.m. Musica para tu alma played for 1 year, then two hours a day for two years. The president of Radio Exitos Communications Inc sold the contract to Victor Galindo owner of Victor's Tire. For the remainder of the contract. The contract was renew with Victor Galindo owning the new contract. Then the radio station was sold to the new corporation.
The former logo of the station
Tower Collapse
On March 18, 2020, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake happened near Magna, Utah, southwest of the station's tower. The earthquake knocked the station off the air after its tower collapsed. The earthquake's epicenter was 3.7 miles (6km) north-northeast of the city of Magna, putting it near the Great Salt Lake or close to the towers. The collapse also affected KIHU, which was operating at reduced power. KMRI filed for special temporary authority to go silent.[19][20]
Legal Proceedings and Chapter 11 Subchapter V Reorganization
On March 26, 2020, AASAA Media LLC DBA KMRI Radio was placed into involuntary receivership by Judge Matthew Bates of the Third Judicial District Court of Salt Lake County.[21] KMRI's license was auctioned on July 17, 2020 by the court appointed receiver Jacob Hibbard,[22] with the plaintiff in the foreclosure auction acquiring KMRI's license by placing a $75,000 credit bid.[23][24]
On July 28, 2020, AASAA Media LLC DBA KMRI Radio voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 reorganization under Subchapter V and became Debtor-in-Possession [Trustee] of the FCC License and other assets; and is continuing operations of KMRI Radio via digital streaming until its antenna tower can be restored.[25] One of the members of AASAA Media LLC, Nicolas Alejandro Vicente, died on August 21, 2020.[26] The bankruptcy case previously filed by AASAA Media, LLC, was dismissed on October 26, 2020.[23] On October 30, 2020, Barry Wood, the owner of KMRI LLC, submitted an application to the FCC to assign KMRI's license to the newly created LLC.[23] An application for extension of the STA to remain silent was filed with the FCC on January 28, 2021 by receiver Jacob Hibbard, in order to resolve the legal disputes currently preventing KMRI from resuming broadcasting.[27] On March 16, 2021, KMRI briefly resumed broadcasting with reduced power and an emergency wire antenna in order to prevent the station's license from lapsing before the expiration of the one year silent period. According to the Special Temporary Authority (STA) application filed with the FCC by receiver Jacob Hibbard, KMRI's Nautel transmitter sustained minor damage during the March 18, 2020 Salt Lake City earthquake which caused the station's tower to collapse. Replacement parts for the transmitter were obtained and installed prior to the temporary resumption of operations on March 16, 2021.[28] On January 19, 2023, the FCC dismissed receiver Jacob Hibbard's Petition for Reconsideration, denying the standard renewal period of 8 years for the station's license. The FCC license for KMRI is currently set to expire on April 21, 2023, and the station remains off the air as of February 8, 2023.[29] On March 3, 2023, KMRI briefly resumed broadcasting with a temporary antenna to preserve the station's license before the expiration of the one year special temporary authority silent period on March 9, 2023. The current engineering STA expires on August 28, 2023.[30]
Return to the Air with Sports
On October 2, 2024, KMRI returned to the air with a sports talk format, branded as "SLC Sports Radio", with programming from Sports Byline USA.[31]
Related Research Articles
KLO-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Coalville, Utah, and serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. It airs a classic alternative radio format, known as "103.1 The Wave," and it is owned by Capital Broadcasting. The station is the radio home for Weber State University sporting events. The radio studios and offices are at the 257 Tower in Downtown Salt Lake City.
KUER-FM is a public radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Owned by the University of Utah, its studios are located in the Eccles Broadcast Center on the University of Utah campus, while its main transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak; an extensive transmitter network rebroadcasts its signal across Utah. KUER-FM features programming from NPR and other public radio distributors as well as local news coverage for Utah.
KODJ is a commercial radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah. The station airs a classic hits radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station's studios and offices are located in West Valley City.
KSFI is a radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. KSFI maintains studio facilities located at the KSL Broadcast House building in Salt Lake City's Triad Center, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City.
KWDZ was a broadcast radio station licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah, serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The station was owned and operated by iHeartMedia. The KWDZ broadcast license was held by Citicasters Licenses, Inc.
KRCL is a listener-supported community radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
KTKK was a news/talk radio station broadcasting out of Sandy, Utah, to the Salt Lake City area. Called, "K-Talk 630", it was locally owned by United Broadcasting Company. The station featured local talk, including women's interest, political and other subjects live for over 18 hours every day.
KNIT is an AM radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is one of the oldest stations in Salt Lake City, established in 1922 as KDYL. The studios are on South Murray Boulevard. KNIT carries a Christian radio format supplied by Your Network of Praise, featuring Christian music and teaching programs. The non-profit organization also has stations in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and North Dakota. The network holds periodic fundraisers on the air to support its ministry. National religious leaders heard on KNIT include David Jeremiah, Joni Eareckson Tada, Chuck Swindoll and Jim Daly.
KALL is a sports radio station in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area licensed to North Salt Lake, Utah, though in station identifications and the FCC database, the station is listed as being licensed to "North Salt Lake City". The station is owned by Dell Loy Hansen's Broadway Media. The station's studios are located in Downtown Salt Lake City and its transmitter site is located in Legacy Nature Preserve west of Bountiful. Their sister station KOVO is also an ESPN Radio affiliate.
KAAZ-FM is a mainstream rock formatted radio station broadcasting to the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The station's city of license is Spanish Fork, Utah. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. The station's studios are located in West Valley City and its transmitter site is located southwest of the city on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains.
KKAT is an AM radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. KKAT is licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah and is owned by Cumulus Media. The station's studios are located in South Salt Lake.
KDYL is an AM radio station licensed to South Salt Lake, Utah broadcasting a Spanish Variety format. The station is owned by Eric Palacios, through licensee Radio Activo 3 LLC.
KZNS is an AM commercial radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah. It airs a Sports radio format and is owned by Jazz Communications LLC. Programming is simulcast on co-owned KZNS-FM 97.5, licensed to Coalville, Utah. On weekdays, KZNS-AM-FM have local hosts discussing Salt Lake City and national sports. Nights and weekends, programming is supplied by Fox Sports Radio. KZNS-AM-FM are the flagship radio stations for the Utah Jazz basketball team, the Utah Hockey Club of the NHL, the Salt Lake Bees Minor League Baseball team, Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, Utah Royals FC of the National Women's Soccer League, and Utah State Aggies football and men's basketball of the Mountain West Conference. When multiple games are occurring simultaneously, the AM and FM signals will air different live sports.
KUMT is a radio station licensed to Randolph, Utah, United States, and serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The station's transmitter is located on Humpy Peak in the Uinta Mountain range. Under the previous calls, KUDD and prior, the stations transmitter was located near Promontory Point, Utah, in Box Elder County.
KMER is an American radio station broadcasting on 940 kHz and is licensed to Kemmerer, Wyoming. It primarily broadcasts a country format, but occasionally broadcasts local high school football and basketball games from Kemmerer as well. KMER has national news at the top of the hour and weather during commercial breaks. KMER has a sister station KDWY 105.3 FM, which is licensed to Diamondville.
KNAK was a radio station broadcasting a talk format. It was known on the air as "YAH Radio". Licensed to serve Delta, Utah, United States, the station was last owned by KYAH, LLC.
KOVO is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Provo, Utah, United States, the station serves the Provo area. The station is currently owned by Dell Loy Hansen, through licensee Broadway Media LS, LLC. It is an affiliate for ESPN Radio, which is also the affiliate of sister station KALL.
KSOS was a radio station broadcasting on 800 kHz from Brigham City, Utah. First licensed in 1948, it was deleted in 2004.
KNRS is an AM radio station licensed to Salt Lake City, Utah. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. KNRS and sister station 105.9 KNRS-FM simulcast a talk radio format. The studios are located in West Valley City and the transmitter site is located off West 2300 North Street in Salt Lake City. KNRS operates with 5,000 watts around the clock, covering most of Northern Utah. Other iHeart stations in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area include KAAZ-FM, KZHT, KJMY, and KODJ.
KIHU is a Catholic radio formatted radio station licensed to Tooele, Utah, United States. The station is owned by Relevant Radio, Inc. The station has a construction permit from the FCC for a power increase to 50,000 watts Daytime, 42,000 watts Critical Hours and 194 watts night. The facilities authorized by the Construction Permit were built in 2004 and the station was operating under "Program Test Authority" with those facilities.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
