The station was founded in 2002 by Art Bell. Bell was the founder and original host of Coast to Coast AM, which became a nationally syndicated all-night radio show across the U.S. and Canada. Bell often did the program from Pahrump. The station was created as a personal project, with Bell's broadcast studio and transmitter located on his home's property.[1][2] The station was created to serve the local Pahrump community and ran an oldies format, often commercial-free for periods as a "thank you to Pahrump" from Bell.[3] Bell coined several distinctive slogans for the station and the region, including the famous "From the Kingdom of Nye, this is 95.1 KNYE Pahrump" and "Where things go Pahrump in the night." The KNYE call letters directly reference Nye County, where Pahrump is located.
In January 2006, Bell chose Karen Jackson, a former banker, to manage and operate the station. Jackson implemented major changes, including introducing the station's first-ever live talk show to provide a daily forum for local community news and events.[4]
On May 29, 2008, Art Bell sold the station to Jackson for a reported $600,000, with Jackson continuing the station's focus on community service.[5] The station promotes local efforts such as food fundraisers, coat drives, and school supply drives.
In 2013, the station adopted the current slogan, "The Big Voice of The Valley".[6]
Offices and broadcast antenna of KNYE in Pahrump, Nevada.
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