KDWN

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KDWN
KDWN Logo 2018.png
CityLas Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast areaLas Vegas Valley
Frequency720 kHz
Branding101.5 FM 720 AM KDWN
Programming
FormatTalk and Brokered programming
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Westwood One
Fox News Radio
KSNV weather coverage
Ownership
OwnerBeasley Broadcast Group, Inc.
(Beasley Media Group Licenses, LLC)
KKLZ, KCYE, KVGS, KOAS
History
First air date
April 7, 1975; 46 years ago (1975-04-07)
Call sign meaning
K DaWN
Technical information
Facility ID54686
ClassB
Power25,000 watts day
7,500 watts night
Translator(s)101.5 K268CS (Las Vegas)
Repeater(s)96.3 KKLZ-HD-2
Links
WebcastListen live
WebsiteKDWN.com

KDWN (720 kHz) is a commercial AM and FM radio station in Las Vegas, Nevada, owned and operated by Beasley Broadcast Group. The station pronounces its call letters as "K-Dawn." The station's studios are located in the unincorporated Clark County area of Spring Valley. Programming is simulcast on 250-watt FM translator station K268CS at 101.5 MHz.[1]

KDWN airs a talk radio format. It runs several nationally syndicated conservative talk hosts, along with local shows, most of which are brokered programming. National hosts include Brian Kilmeade, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. Other hours are devoted to money, health, real estate and sports. In most cases, the local hosts pay for their time on the air and are permitted to run their own advertising. Most hours on weekdays begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio. A local staff provides Nevada news, weather and traffic. Weather coverage is supplied by NBC Network affiliate KSNV Channel 3.

KDWN's original 50,000-watt transmitter was on Galleria Drive in Henderson, and was nondirectional in the day and used three inline towers to produce a directional night signal nulled toward WGN (AM) on the same channel in Chicago. In 2020 it moved to a new site shared with KXST/1140 AM on North Sloan Lane in North Las Vegas. There KDWN broadcasts with 25,000 wats during daytime hours and 7,500 watts at night, still protecting WGN with an asymmetrical three-tower pattern.[2] While the old nighttime signal could be heard throughout most of the Western United States, north into Canada and south into Mexico.[3], the new signal is more economical, continuing to cover the same metro with less spent power. KDWN also broadcasts using HD radio technology and is heard on the HD-2 digital subchannel of co-owned 96.3 KKLZ.[4] KDWN is Southern Nevada's primary entry point station for the Emergency Alert System.

History[]

From music station to talk radio[]

KDWN first came on the air on April 7, 1975.[5] It was founded by A.J. Williams and Jack Reeder. Williams owned KTYM-AM-FM in Inglewood, California and also owned KAIL TV in Fresno. Reeder was the chief engineer of AM 1110 KRLA. Reeder died, leaving his half of the station to Williams, who owned the station until his death in 2005.[6]

The station began by broadcasting a full service format of Middle of the road music, news, sports and talk. The music format lasted longer on KDWN than on most AM radio stations of the day. In the 1970s, many AM stations were leaving music formats to FM, and switching over to talk programming.

KDWN's transition from music to talk began slowly. In the late 1970s, KDWN aired a mix of music and some talk during the day. In January 1980, KDWN began broadcasting talk around the clock. KDWN was the top news/talk outlet in the Las Vegas radio market and won an award for its coverage of the 1980 MGM Grand Fire.[7]

Unlike most Las Vegas-area stations, KDWN remained locally owned even as most of its competitors were bought out by large radio corporations such as Clear Channel Communications and Infinity Broadcasting. The continuity of ownership kept a consistent style of station sound. The station continued to rely on experienced, yet older, hosts who may have had been with the station since it began broadcasting in the talk radio format. The station did well in the ratings as one of the first generation of talk radio stations. Call screening was not used until recently.[8]

Art Bell and Rush Limbaugh[]

Noted radio talk host Art Bell, after minor jobs at several California radio and TV stations, began hosting an all-night show on KDWN in 1983. KDWN had just been granted permission from the Federal Communications Commission to increase its nighttime power from 10,000 watts to 50,000 watts.[9] KDWN was now audible with a good radio between nighttime and dawn in Los Angeles, San Francisco and around the West Coast. So Bell called the show "West Coast AM" because it aired between 1 and 6 a.m. Pacific Time.

Bell began by discussing mostly politics. But he increasingly added discussions of the paranormal and conspiracy theories to the program, resulting in increased ratings and national attention. The show got nationwide syndication in 1993, when it was renamed "Coast to Coast AM." Bell did the show from the Plaza Hotel, where KDWN had studios. Later it moved to a studio in his home in nearby Pahrump, Nevada, in Nye County. Eventually KDWN, no longer in control of the program, decided not to continue carrying it in syndication and it was picked up by rival Las Vegas talk station KXNT, 840 AM.

KDWN was one of the first radio stations to carry Rush Limbaugh's nationally syndicated show in 1988. Limbaugh helped boost KDWN's midday ratings. But in 1996, with the rates to carry it increasing, KDWN decided not to renew the show. Like Coast to Coast AM, The Rush Limbaugh Show moved to KXNT. KDWN produced and broadcast a local morning show, The Snoozebusters, from the early 1980s until 2006. It was hosted by Ken Stahl and Hart Kirsch.

Beasley Broadcasting acquisition[]

In March 2006, Beasley Broadcast Group, a Naples, Florida–based company, announced plans to buy the station for $17 million.[10] A Las Vegas newspaper reported a rumor that KDWN would change to an all-sports format, effective July 1, 2006, although the switch did not happen. Host Jim Dallas reported on Wake Up, America on July 21, 2006, that audience backlash against the change forced Beasley to retain the talk radio format.

In the fall of 2006, Beasley introduced a morning drive time news and information show hosted by Heidi Harris, with the remainder of its weekday talk format consisting of nationally syndicated shows and local brokered programming. Harris' show was discontinued in 2012, with the nationally syndicated Laura Ingraham show moved into the morning time slot which was later discontinued. Harris had also been heard on KDWN from 1988 to 1998.

In June 2017, the Oakland Raiders, in preparation for their relocation to Las Vegas, announced that a two–year deal had been reached with the Beasley Broadcast Group to carry Raiders games on KDWN and FM sister station 102.7 KCYE, starting with the 2017 NFL season.[11] In 2019, the team moved their broadcasts to KYMT.

Current and former hosts[]

  • Art Bell (deceased)
  • Alan Stock (Now at KXNT)
  • Jerry Doyle until his death in 2016
  • Ken Thomson (Sports X Radio: Monday through Friday from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
  • Steve Sanchez (2016–present) (Local Evening Drive Monday Through Friday 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) conservative talk show host in Arizona, Southern California, Southern Nevada and Southern Utah)
  • Jim Dallas (1998–?) (Now with KMZQ as part of Live & Local – Now! with Kevin Wall)
  • Nick Bonsanto (Fill–in co–host of The Vegas Take for Sharp and Shapiro)
  • Jason Dick as J.D. Sharp (2018–present) (Co–host of The Vegas Take)
  • Brian Shapiro (2018–present) (Co–host of The Vegas Take)
  • Dr. Daliah Wachs (2009–present) Doctor Daliah show website
  • Rabbi Yitzchak Wyne (2009–present)
  • Heidi Harris (1998–1999, 2007–2012) (Now with KFTK-FM) Heidi's Website
  • "Mystic" Mona Van Joseph (2003–2011)
  • Nathan Tannenbaum (2006–2008) (Former weatherman and Saturday matinée host for KTNV and KVBC, formerly a freelancer for KVVU-TV and KXNT. Now with KLAS-TV as a traffic reporter.)
  • Jon David Wells (2004–2005) (Now at KBDT and USA Radio Network)
  • Tru Hawkins (1982–2006) (Relocated to San Marcos, Texas and continues to do Internet talk-radio and voice work. [2]
  • 007 (Chuck Emery) (?–2001) (Traffic reporter and station announcer in 1980s, deceased.)
  • Norman Lane (Commentator)
  • Ted Bair (?–2004) (Retired in December 2004, currently in Idaho.)
  • Jack Daniels (?–1990?) Deceased 2009 http://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/00s/09/RR-2009-02-06-OCR-Page-0023.pdf#search=%22kdwn%22[permanent dead link]
  • Linda Fallover (1980–?) (News anchor and reporter.)
  • Lee Peterson
  • Jack London (KDWN Program Director 1975–?)
  • Jim Allen/Jim Villanucci (Currently employed by KKOB AM 770 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.)
  • Harvey Allen (1988–1994) (Currently doing voice-over work for commercials.)
  • Gayle Allen (1988–1999) (Host of Lifelines with Gayle Allen)
  • Jim Austin (?–1992) (Moved to Galveston, Texas; co-host of the Morning Zoo with Steve and Jim.)
  • Lou Epton (Talk Host) (Deceased Feb 25, 2013) www.forevermissed.com/lou-epton/ (Host of 'The Lou Epton Show'.)
  • Stephanie Roberts (1984–1987) (AM Drive host, retired from KNX AM 1070 in Los Angeles, California) Inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
  • Ken Stahl (1983–?) Deceased December 16, 2009
  • Mark Edwards (?–2005) (Hosted Wake Up, America, moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (Died April 24, 2019) http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/neptune-society/obituary.aspx?n=Harry-FORAN&lc=1908&pid=192844384&mid=8263865
  • Mike England (1983–1985)
  • Ken Koester (?–2001) (Former USAF officer, UNLV professor, and Las Vegas, Nevada politician. Retired from radio in 2001, moved to Northern California. Has a son, [3] [4][5], local artist, and a daughter, Rachel F. Koester [6] living in Reno, Nevada, and youngest son Russell Koester, local musician.)
  • Cheryl Godfrey (1993–2000)
  • "Part-Time" Pete Moss (2002–2006) (Overnight host; quit. Currently at KCAA AM 1050 in San Bernardino, California.)
  • Hart Kirch (1995–2007) Small L logical liberal talk host! Previous morning show personality and program director on Canadian radio stations.
  • Roger Badesch, News & Public Affairs Director, January–September 1979 (now Friday night overnight news anchor, WGN Chicago)
  • Lee Pete, Host -The Stardust Line: 1975 to the early 1990s- A Sunday night sports talk show from the Stardust Hotel Casino, with guests such as ex NFL player Jim Brown, and Frank Rosenthal, with a focus on sports wagering.[7]
  • John Reitmeier as John Terry 1979–1983. Started West Coast AM when station went from 10,000 watts at night to 50,000 watts. Show became Coast to Coast AM when Art Bell took over.

References[]

  1. ^ Radio-Locator.com/K268CS
  2. ^ "FCCinfo search for KDWN archive records". Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  3. ^ Radio-Locator.com/KDWN-AM
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2015-09-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) HD Radio Guide for Las Vegas
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1976 page C-122
  6. ^ "News Producer".
  7. ^ "Las Vegas News | Breaking News & Headlines".
  8. ^ [1][permanent dead link]
  9. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1984 page B-161
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-04-21.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Raiders announce Las Vegas TV, radio partnerships". June 2017.

External links[]

Coordinates: 36°16′04″N 115°02′42″W / 36.26778°N 115.04500°W / 36.26778; -115.04500

Retrieved from ""