KNWN-FM

Last updated
KNWN-FM
Simulcast of KNWN Seattle
KNWN Northwest News Radio logo.png
Broadcast area Seattle metropolitan area and Olympic Peninsula
Frequency 97.7 MHz
BrandingNorthwest News Radio
Programming
Format All-news
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
KNWN, KPLZ-FM, KVI
History
First air date
October 26, 1984 (1984-10-26) (as KSWW)
Former call signs
  • KSWW (1984–1999)
  • KFMY (1999–2009)
  • KOMO-FM (2009–2022)
Call sign meaning
"Northwest News"
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 51167
Class C
ERP 69,000 watts
HAAT 701 meters (2,300 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 47°18′47″N123°22′19″W / 47.313°N 123.372°W / 47.313; -123.372
Translator(s) 99.7 K259BG (Chehalis)
Repeater(s) 101.5 KPLZ-HD2 (Seattle)
Links
Public license information
Website www.nwnewsradio.com

KNWN-FM (97.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Oakville, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area and the Olympic Peninsula. It is owned by Lotus Communications. [2] KNWN-FM broadcasts an all-news radio format, simulcast with sister station KNWN 1000 AM. It is a network affiliate of ABC News Radio. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza (formerly Fisher Plaza) in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.

Contents

KNWN-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 69,000 watts. The transmitter is off West Skokomish Valley Road in Skokomish, Washington, just south of the Olympic National Forest. [3] With its high power and tower at 701 meters (2,300 feet) in height above average terrain (HAAT), KNWN-FM covers Seattle, Tacoma and much of the Olympic Peninsula with a 60 dBμ signal. KNWN-AM-FM are also heard on FM translator or booster stations in the region.

History

On October 26, 1984, the station first signed on in Raymond, Washington. [4] The first call sign was KSWW. It was originally a Class A FM station, powered at only 230 watts, a fraction of its current output. It was owned by Pacific Broadcasting Company and had an adult contemporary format.

In 1997, it was bought by Jodesha Broadcasting, Inc., for $182,400. [5] The call letters switched to KFMY, and it began airing a classic rock format as "Eagle 97.7". [6] It later was granted a power boost and increase in its antenna height, allowing it to be heard in the more lucrative Seattle-Tacoma radio market.

In May 2009, while still owned by South Sound Broadcasting, the station began simulcasting KOMO, with Fisher Communications operating 97.7 FM under a local marketing agreement. [7] On May 18, 2009, the call letters changed to KOMO-FM. In June 2017, the outright sale of the station to the Sinclair Broadcast Group (which had acquired Fisher several years earlier) for $6.75 million was announced. [8] The sale received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval several years later, and was consummated on June 9, 2020. [7]

On June 3, 2021, Sinclair announced they would sell KOMO-AM-FM, KVI, and KPLZ-FM to Lotus Communications for $18 million. Of the $18 million, $5 million was in cash paid at closing; the remainder was Lotus' choice of either cash or advertising for Sinclair properties on Lotus' stations. Sinclair retained KOMO-TV, as well as rights to the KOMO call letters. Lotus and Sinclair also agreed to allow Lotus to use Sinclair equipment and IT systems, including sub-leasing the current KOMO studios, for 18 months following the sale. [9] The sale was completed on September 28, 2021. [10] As required by the terms of the sale, the KOMO radio stations changed their call signs to KNWN on February 2, 2022, in conjunction with a rebranding as "Northwest News Radio"; during the week preceding the relaunch, competitor KIRO-FM preemptively began promoting itself as "Your Northwest News Station". [11]

Translators

KNWN-FM is also carried on the following booster and FM translator stations to improve reception of the station:

Related Research Articles

KOMO-TV is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside Bellevue-licensed CW affiliate KUNS-TV. The two stations share studios within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle adjacent to the Space Needle; KOMO-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNWN (AM)</span> Radio station in Seattle, Washington

KNWN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Seattle, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. Owned by Lotus Communications, the station primarily airs an all-news radio format. It is the local affiliate for ABC News Radio and identifies itself as "Northwest News Radio".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KJR (AM)</span> Sports radio station in Seattle

KJR is an all-sports AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia in Seattle, Washington. KJR is the Puget Sound region's home of Fox Sports Radio and Infinity Sports Network, mostly carrying their national programming, while co-owned KJR-FM has local sports talk shows during the day and evening. KJR-AM-FM are the flagship stations for Seattle Kraken hockey. During the Seattle Seahawks season, the stations use the slogan "Home of the 12th Man". The studios are in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood northwest of downtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WZLX</span> Classic rock radio station in Boston

WZLX is a classic rock radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. This station is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. WZLX was one of America's first classic rock FM stations. Its studios are in Medford, and its transmitter is atop the Prudential Tower.

WVCW is a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to Wilmington, Delaware. Owned by VCY America, the station serves the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia. The WVCW transmitter is located 8 miles north of downtown Wilmington on Bellows Drive, less than 1/4 mile from the Pennsylvania state line. Besides a standard analog transmission, WVCW broadcasts over HD Radio. The station is best known for its 67-year legacy as WJBR and WJBR-FM, a Delaware-targeted adult contemporary station, which was consistently rated as one of the top stations in the Wilmington area, even amidst competition from Philadelphia stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KARJ (FM)</span> Air 1 radio station in Escondido, California

KARJ is an FM radio station serving the North County of San Diego County, California, United States, airing a Worship music format from the Air1 network, and is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fisher Communications</span> Defunct American media company

Fisher Communications was a media company in the United States. Based in Seattle, Washington, the company primarily owned a number of radio and television stations in the Western United States. It was the last company in the Seattle area to own a local TV station before being acquired by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Fisher was acquired the same year KOMO-TV's competitor KING-TV's owner, Belo, was acquired by the Gannett Company.

KPLZ-FM is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned and operated by Lotus Communications and it airs a gold-based country music radio format. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KPTR (AM)</span> Talk radio station in Seattle

KPTR is a commercial AM radio station in Seattle, Washington. It airs a Conservative talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia. The studios and offices are in the Belltown neighborhood northwest of Downtown Seattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSWD (FM)</span> Soft adult contemporary music radio station in Seattle

KSWD is an FM radio station in Seattle, Washington. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format. KSWD's studios are located on Fifth Avenue in Downtown Seattle; the station broadcasts from two transmitters located near Issaquah on Tiger Mountain, with its main transmitter operating at 73 kW effective radiated power (ERP) and its auxiliary transmitter operating at an ERP of 53 kW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KXVV</span> Radio station in Victorville, California

KXVV is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Victorville, California and serves the Victor Valley area. The station is owned by El Dorado Broadcasters and broadcasts a regional Mexican format. KXVV's studios and transmitter are located in Hesperia. KXVV is also simulcasted on Sister Station 910 AM

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KVI</span> Talk radio station in Seattle

KVI is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. Owned by Lotus Communications, it airs a conservative talk radio format called "News Talk 570 KVI." Its transmitter is on Vashon Island and its studios and offices are located with former sister station KOMO-TV at KOMO Plaza in Seattle.

Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the company's President and CEO is Howard Kalmenson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKSI-FM</span> Radio station in Stephens City, Virginia

WKSI-FM is a contemporary hit radio formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Stephens City, Virginia, serving the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. WKSI-FM is owned and operated by iHeartMedia

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

KHHO is a commercial radio station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, United States, the station serves the Tacoma portion of the Seattle-Tacoma radio market. The station is an affiliate of Black Information Network and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.

KSLY is a non-commercial radio station that is licensed to San Luis Obispo, California. Owned by Educational Media Foundation, the station carries a contemporary Christian music format from the nationally syndicated K-Love network as of October 16, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBEC-FM</span> Radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

WBEC-FM is a commercial radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format.

WRZE is a radio station airing a classic rock format. Licensed to Kingstree, South Carolina, United States, the station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., through licensee iHM Licenses, LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W239BV</span> Radio station in Winchester, Virginia

W239BV is a classic country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Winchester, Virginia and serves Frederick County, Virginia. W239BV simulcasts sister station WKSI-FM's HD2 feed. W239BV is owned and operated by iHeartMedia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIGY-FM</span> Country music radio station in Mexico, Maine

WIGY-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Mexico, Maine. The station is owned by Stan Bennett, through licensee Bennett Radio Group, LLC. Established in 1988 as WTBM, WIGY-FM broadcasts a country music format, which it simulcasts with WOXO-FM (92.7).

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KNWN-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ FCC.gov/KNWN-FM
  3. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/KNWN-FM
  4. ↑ Information from Broadcasting Yearbook 1988 page B-301
  5. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 2000 page D-482
  6. ↑ "KFMY Becomes KOMO-FM". 15 May 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Deal Digest: Sinclair Now Owns Another FM In Seattle Market". Inside Radio. June 11, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  8. ↑ Station Sales Week Of 6/23: Sinclair Purchases KOMO-FM Lance Venta, Radio Insight, June 23, 2017
  9. ↑ "More Details On Lotus' Purchase Of Sinclair's Seattle Radio Properties". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  10. ↑ Venta, Lance (September 28, 2021). "Lotus Closes On Purchase Of Sinclair's Seattle Radio Properties". RadioInsight. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  11. ↑ Venta, Lance (January 28, 2022). "A Northwest News Battle Arises In Seattle As KOMO Is Set To Become KNWN". RadioInsight. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
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.