KGNW
 | |
| Broadcast area | Seattle metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 820kHz |
| Branding | 820 AM The Word |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian talk and teaching |
| Network | SRN News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KKOL | |
| History | |
First air date | October 10, 1970(as KQIN at 800) |
Former call signs | KQIN (1970[1]-1986)[2] |
Former frequencies | 800 kHz (1970–1986) |
Call signmeaning | KinG(County)NorthWest |
| Technical information[3] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 28819 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 50,000wattsdays 5,000 watts nights |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kgnw |
KGNW(820kHz) is acommercialAMradio stationlicensedtoBurien, Washington,and serving theSeattle metropolitan area.It airs aChristian talk and teachingradio formatand is owned by theSalem Media Group.Theradio studiosand offices are on 5th Avenue South indowntown Seattle.
By day, KGNW is powered at 50,000watts,the maximum for commercial stations. But820 AMis aclear channel frequencyreserved forClass AWBAPFort Worth.So to avoid interference, at night KGNW reduces power to 5,000 watts. It uses adirectional antennawith a three-tower arrayat all times. Thetransmitteris off 105th Street SW onVashon Island.[4]The station is licensed to broadcast in theHD Radioformat.[5]
Programming
[edit]KGNW airs a mix of local preachers and national Christian leaders. They includeDavid Jeremiah,Chuck Swindoll,Jim Daly,Alistair Begg,Greg Laurie,John MacArthur,J. Vernon McGeeandCharles Stanley.Two secular programs are also heard fromEric MetaxasandJay Sekulow.
KGNW uses abrokered programmingmodel. Hosts pay for their time on the station and may ask for donations to their ministries during their shows. National news is supplied bySRN News.
History
[edit]800 AM KQIN
[edit]The stationsigned onthe air on October 10, 1970.Its originalcall signwas KQIN and it broadcast on 800 kHz. The station was adaytimer,required to go off the air at sunset. It was owned and operated by John Mowbray who also served as general manager.[6]
KQIN playedcountry musicand competed with 1150 KAYO (nowKKNW), 101.5 KETO (nowKPLZ) and later KMPS-FM 94.1 (nowKSWD). As more country music listeners switched to the FM band, KQIN changed to aBeautiful Musicformat in 1977. But that put it in competition with such FMeasy listeningstations as 94.1 KEUT (now KSWD), 98.9 KEZX (nowKPNW-FM), 100.7 KSEA (nowKKWF) and 103.7 KBRD (nowKHTP). KQIN also airedChristian radioprograms as well as old-time radio dramas and comedies. KQIN changed to anAdult Contemporary musicformat in 1983.
Move to 820 AM
[edit]On September 19, 1984, Salem Communications acquired 1150 AM in Seattle and changed its call letters to KGNW. Salem is the nation's largest owner ofChristian radiostations and gave the 1150 station a Christian talk and teaching format. But that station does not have a very good signal. Salem had plans to acquire KQIN's daytime-only signal on 800 AM and improve it, making it a place to relocate KGNW.[7]
In the mid-1980s, theFederal Communications Commissionrelaxed rules that restricted lesser-class stations on Class A, clear channel frequencies. Fort Worth and Seattle are separated by more than 2,000 miles (3,200 km). So Salem Media engineers applied to move KQIN to 820 AM, even though WBAP 820 Fort Worth is a Class A station powered at 50,000 watts.
KQIN moved to the 820 AM dial position on January 1, 1987. The KGNW call letters and its Christian talk and teaching format were removed from 1150 AM and relocated to 820 AM. The move allowed KGNW to increase its daytime power to 50,000 watts and add nighttime power at 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna.[8]Today, the KQIN call sign belongs to aPBS-affiliatedtelevision station owned byIowa Public TelevisioninDavenport, Iowa.The 1150 AM station in Seattle was sold toHubbard Broadcastingand is nowtalk radiooutletKKNW.
References
[edit]- ^History Cards for KGNW,fcc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^Call Sign History,fcc.gov. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ^"Facility Technical Data for KGNW".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
- ^Radio-Locator /KGNW
- ^http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=28819 FCC station search details
- ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1977page C-224. Retrieved Jan. 18, 2024.
- ^Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010page D-574. Retrieved Jan. 18, 2024.
- ^"KQIN Radio commercial from 1986".YouTube.
External links
[edit]- KGNW website
- Facility details for Facility ID 28819 (KGNW)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
- KGNWinNielsen Audio's AM station database