KNWN-FM (97.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Oakville, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area and the Olympic Peninsula. It is owned by Lotus Communications.[2] KNWN-FM broadcasts an all-news radio format, simulcast with sister station KNWN 1000 AM. It is a network affiliate of ABC News Radio. The studios and offices are co-located with former sister station KOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza (formerly Fisher Plaza) in the Lower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from the Space Needle.
| Simulcast of KNWN Seattle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Broadcast area | Seattle metropolitan area and Olympic Peninsula |
| Frequency | 97.7 MHz |
| Branding | Northwest News Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | All-news |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KNWN, KPLZ-FM, KVI | |
| History | |
First air date | October 26, 1984 (as KSWW) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Northwest News" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 51167 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 69,000 watts |
| HAAT | 701 meters (2,300 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 47°18′47″N 123°22′19″W / 47.313°N 123.372°W |
| Translator(s) | 99.7 K259BG (Chehalis) |
| Repeater(s) | 101.5 KPLZ-HD2 (Seattle) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KNWN-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 69,000 watts. The transmitter is off West Skokomish Valley Road in Skokomish, Washington, just south of the Olympic National Forest.[3] With its high power and tower at 701 meters (2,300 feet) in height above average terrain (HAAT), KNWN-FM covers Seattle, Tacoma and much of the Olympic Peninsula with a 60 dBμ signal. KNWN-AM-FM are also heard on FM translator or booster stations in the region.
History
editOn October 26, 1984, the station first signed on in Raymond, Washington.[4] The first call sign was KSWW. It was originally a Class A FM station, powered at only 230 watts, a fraction of its current output. It was owned by Pacific Broadcasting Company and had an adult contemporary format.
In 1997, it was bought by Jodesha Broadcasting, Inc., for $182,400.[5] The call letters switched to KFMY, and it began airing a classic rock format as "Eagle 97.7".[6] It later was granted a power boost and increase in its antenna height, allowing it to be heard in the more lucrative Seattle-Tacoma radio market.
In May 2009, while still owned by South Sound Broadcasting, the station began simulcasting KOMO, with Fisher Communications operating 97.7 FM under a local marketing agreement.[7] On May 18, 2009, the call letters changed to KOMO-FM. In June 2017, the outright sale of the station to the Sinclair Broadcast Group (which had acquired Fisher several years earlier) for $6.75 million was announced.[8] The sale received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval several years later, and was consummated on June 9, 2020.[7]
On June 3, 2021, Sinclair announced they would sell KOMO-AM-FM, KVI, and KPLZ-FM to Lotus Communications for $18 million. Of the $18 million, $5 million was in cash paid at closing; the remainder was Lotus' choice of either cash or advertising for Sinclair properties on Lotus' stations. Sinclair retained KOMO-TV, as well as rights to the KOMO call letters. Lotus and Sinclair also agreed to allow Lotus to use Sinclair equipment and IT systems, including sub-leasing the current KOMO studios, for 18 months following the sale.[9] The sale was completed on September 28, 2021.[10] As required by the terms of the sale, the KOMO radio stations changed their call signs to KNWN on February 2, 2022, in conjunction with a rebranding as "Northwest News Radio"; during the week preceding the relaunch, competitor KIRO-FM preemptively began promoting itself as "Your Northwest News Station".[11]
Translators
editKNWN-FM is also carried on the following booster and FM translator stations to improve reception of the station:
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KNWN-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ FCC.gov/KNWN-FM
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/KNWN-FM
- ^ Information from Broadcasting Yearbook 1988 page B-301
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 2000 page D-482
- ^ "KFMY Becomes KOMO-FM". 15 May 2009.
- ^ a b "Deal Digest: Sinclair Now Owns Another FM In Seattle Market". Inside Radio. June 11, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ Station Sales Week Of 6/23: Sinclair Purchases KOMO-FM Lance Venta, Radio Insight, June 23, 2017
- ^ "More Details On Lotus' Purchase Of Sinclair's Seattle Radio Properties". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
- ^ Venta, Lance (September 28, 2021). "Lotus Closes On Purchase Of Sinclair's Seattle Radio Properties". RadioInsight. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ Venta, Lance (January 28, 2022). "A Northwest News Battle Arises In Seattle As KOMO Is Set To Become KNWN". RadioInsight. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
External links
edit- Facility details for Facility ID 51167 (KNWN-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KNWN-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database