The station officially signed on the air on November 11, 1955, originally broadcasting on 980 kHz as a 1,000-watt daytime-only station. [3] In 1958, KOFI moved to 930 kHz and increased its power to 5,000 watts, though it remained restricted to daylight hours to prevent interference with distant stations. [4] A major turning point occurred in 1968 when the station migrated to its current frequency of 1180 kHz, allowing for 10,000 watts of full-time operation and a significantly expanded broadcast footprint. [5]
For over five decades, the station's identity was synonymous with George Ostrom, a legendary Montana broadcaster who joined in 1956 and became a household name for his local news and storytelling. Ostrom retired from KOFI in 2008, though later returned to the airwaves at Kalispell station KGEZ from 2011 to 2017.[6] Eventually, KOFI boosted its daytime power to 50,000 watts, the maximum allowed for commercial AM stations in the United States, earning it the reputation as the most powerful radio signal in Northwest Montana.[7] Because 1180 AM is a clear-channel frequency, the station reduces its power to 10,000 watts at night to protect WHAM in Rochester, New York, though its signal can still be heard as far away as Washington and Utah.
In late 2024, an application was filed to transfer control of KOFI, Inc. from David and Tana Rae to new owners Donald Walter and Scott L. Davis. [8] Tragedy struck the station on November 9, 2024, when a devastating fire completely destroyed the 50,000-watt transmitter building in Evergreen, forcing the station to temporarily broadcast at low power.[9][10] Despite the loss of the main AM facility, the station continued to reach listeners via its FM translator, K282BP, which broadcasts on 104.3 MHz. The station quickly ordered a new 1,000-watt transmitter to serve as a sustainable "bridge" while the primary facility was rebuilt. [11][12]
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