KONA (AM)

Last updated
KONA
KONA610.jpg
Broadcast area Tri-Cities, Washington
Frequency 610 kHz
BrandingNews Radio 610 KONA
Programming
Format News/talk
Affiliations ABC News Radio
Compass Media Networks
Premiere Networks
Salem Radio Network
Westwood One
Seattle Seahawks
Ownership
Owner
KEYW, KFLD, KONA-FM, KORD-FM, KXRX, KZHR
History
First air date
January 1948 (1948-01)
Former call signs
KWIE (1948–1957)
KEPR (1957–1969)
Technical information [1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID 67668
Class B
Power 5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
46°10′23″N119°4′7″W / 46.17306°N 119.06861°W / 46.17306; -119.06861
Links
Public license information
Webcast Listen Live
Website 610kona.com

KONA (610 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, Washington, and serving the Tri-Cities region in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla Counties. It broadcasts a news/talk format with farm reports, weather and sports. It is owned by Townsquare Media, through subsidiary Townsquare License, LLC, and calls itself "News Radio 610 KONA."

Contents

KONA is powered at 5,000 watts. It uses a directional antenna at all times to protect other stations on 610 AM. The transmitter is off East Perkins Road at 2048 PR SE in Richland. [2] The studios and offices are on West Lewis Street in Pasco. [3]

Programming

KONA airs a mix of local and nationally syndicated shows. Weekdays begin with a block of news, information, farm reports and call-in shows. There are also hour-long newscasts at noon and 5pm. National hosts include Armstrong & Getty, Markley, Van Camp & Robbins, Lars Larson, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal .

Weekends feature shows on money, health, home repair, law, technology, science, pets, cars and wine. Weekend hosts include Kim Komando, Mike Gallagher, Chris Plante, Science Fantastic with Dr. Michio Kaku, The Pet Show with Warren Eckstein , Bill Handel on the Law and Somewhere in Time with Art Bell . World and national news is provided by ABC News Radio.

History

The station signed on the air in January 1948. [4] It was originally on 1230 kHz and its call sign was KWIE. It was owned by Mid-Columbia Broadcasters and was powered at only 250 watts, a fraction of its current output. In the 1950s, it got permission from the Federal Communications Commission to move the station to 610 kHz and boost the power to 5,000 watts, allowing it to be heard over the entire the Tri-Cities of Washington.

In 1957, the station was acquired by Cascade Broadcasting. Cascade already owned KEPR-TV Channel 19, so the AM station switched its call sign to KEPR to match the TV station. [5] Because the TV station aired CBS television shows, KEPR Radio became a CBS Radio Network affiliate. In 1967, it added an FM station, 105.3 KEPR-FM.

In 1969, the radio stations split from the TV station, acquired by Tri-Cities Broadcasting. The call signs were switched to KONA and KONA-FM. AM 610 had a middle of the road format of popular music, news and sports, while the FM station played beautiful music. In the 1980s, as music listening switched from AM to FM, KONA 610 gradually reduced the music shows and added more talk programming, until it made the transition to all-talk.

In 2003, KONA-AM-FM were acquired by CCR-Tri Cities IV. [6]

Effective June 17, 2022, Cherry Creek Radio sold KONA as part of a 42 station/21 translator package to Townsquare Media for $18.75 million.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDAL (AM)</span> Radio station in Duluth, Minnesota

KDAL is a commercial AM radio station in Duluth, Minnesota, serving the Duluth-Superior area of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin. KDAL is owned and operated by Midwest Communications and broadcasts a talk radio format. The radio studios and offices for KDAL, KDAL-FM, KDKE, WDSM, WDUL and KTCO are at 11 East Superior Street, Suite 380, in downtown Duluth.

WBOB is a commercial AM radio station in Jacksonville, Florida. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation. Weekdays begin with a local news and information show, followed by mostly syndicated programming, including shows from Mark Levin, Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Jay Sekulow and Red Eye Radio. Most hours begin with Townhall News. Some hours are paid brokered programming. The station calls itself "Talkradio AM 600 & FM 101.1 WBOB".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KEPR-TV</span> CBS/CW affiliate in Pasco, Washington

KEPR-TV is a television station licensed to Pasco, Washington, United States, serving the Tri-Cities area as an affiliate of CBS and The CW Plus. Owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the station maintains studios on West Lewis Street in Pasco and a transmitter on Johnson Butte near Kennewick.

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

KCSP is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kansas City, Missouri. The Audacy, Inc.-owned station broadcasts a sports radio format. Its studios and offices are located on Squibb Road in Mission, Kansas. KCSP is one of the oldest radio stations in the Kansas City metropolitan area, going on the air in 1922.

<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.

WNBF is a commercial radio station in Binghamton, New York. It airs a news/talk format and is owned by Townsquare Media. The studios and offices are on Court Street in Binghamton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KROD</span> Radio station in El Paso, Texas

KROD is a commercial AM radio station in El Paso, Texas, United States. It airs a sports format and is owned and operated by Townsquare Media. The offices and studios are located on North Mesa Street in Northwest El Paso.

WJCW is a commercial radio station, licensed to Johnson City, Tennessee and serving the Tri-Cities radio market. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a news/talk format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WFNT</span> Radio station in Flint, Michigan

WFNT was a commercial AM radio station in Flint, Michigan. It was owned by Townsquare Media and until December 31, 2023, broadcast a talk radio format. The studios and transmitter were on East Bristol Road in Burton.

WJIM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Lansing, Michigan. It is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts a news/talk format. It is also the flagship station of the Michigan Talk Network. Studios and offices are on Pinetree Road in Lansing.

WPLY is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Roanoke, Virginia, and serving Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley. WPLY simulcasts a sports radio format with WPLI 1390 AM in Lynchburg. Both stations are owned and operated by Mel Wheeler, Inc. Most programming is supplied by Fox Sports Radio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNIS</span> Radio station in Hampton Roads, Virginia

WNIS is a commercial radio station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads media market. WNIS is owned and operated by Sinclair Telecable, Inc. It airs a talk radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMAC</span> Radio station in Macon, Georgia

WMAC is a commercial Class B radio station in Macon, Georgia. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a news/talk format. The studios and offices are on Mulberry Street in Macon. It is one of the oldest radio stations in Georgia. WMAC is a primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTEM</span> Radio station in Temple, Texas

KTEM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Temple, Texas. It serves the Killeen-Temple area with a talk radio format. KTEM is owned by Townsquare Media, through licensee Townsquare Media Killeen-Temple License, LLC. Its studios and offices are on Moody Lane in Temple.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KDXU</span> Radio station in St. George, Utah

KDXU is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to St. George, Utah, the station is owned by Townsquare Media. The studios are on Ridgeview Drive in St. George.

KALE is a radio station licensed to Richland, Washington, United States, the station serves the Tri-Cities, Washington area. The station is owned by Stephens Media Group.

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

WBEC is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a talk and sports radio format. It is licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and is owned by Townsquare Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KIXZ</span> Radio station in Amarillo, Texas

KIXZ is a commercial AM radio station in Amarillo, Texas, airing a news/talk format. It is owned by Townsquare Media, with the license held by Townsquare License, LLC. The studios are on SW 34th Avenue in Amarillo.

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

KHEY is a Fox Sports Radio AM affiliate in the El Paso, Texas, United States, area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The station is licensed to broadcast in HD radio, but does not currently broadcast in HD.

KARN is a commercial AM radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas, owned and operated by Cumulus Media. It airs a sports radio format known as "920 AM The Sports Animal." The station's studios are located on Wellington Hills Road in West Little Rock. The transmitter tower is located off North Hills Boulevard in North Little Rock. KARN broadcasts at 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna at night to avoid interfering with other stations on AM 920. KARN is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast a digital HD signal.

References

  1. "Facility Technical Data for KONA". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. Radio-Locator.com/KONA-AM
  3. 610KONA.com/new-contact-us-2021
  4. Information from Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 313
  5. Broadcasting Yearbook 1959 page B-252
  6. Information from Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-580