KTNF

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**KTNF**

City of license	St. Louis Park, MN
Broadcast area	Minneapolis-St. Paul
Branding	Air America Minnesota
Slogan	Where left is right and right is wrong
First air date	1950s
Frequency	950 AM (kHz)
Format	Commercial; Progressive talk
Power	1,000 watts
Owner	Janet Robert
Website	www.airamericaminnesota.com

KTNF is Minnesota's locally owned affiliate of Air America Radio branded as Air America Minnesota, it offers a combination of locally produced and nationally syndicated progressive talk programming. In the summer of 2004, the station was purchased by Janet Robert, former Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for the US House of Representatives, to provide a local outlet for Air America radio broadcasting.

The station carries much of the Air America programming lineup as well as shows from Jones Radio.

1 History
2 Programming
3 Schedule
4 External links

[edit] History

The 950 AM frequency has been through a large number of owners and formats over the past 20 years. KRSI was one of the first Top-40 stations in the Twin Cities in the late 1950s. In the 1960s they were simulcasting with KRSI-FM (104.1) and they were "all request radio". Over the years the station has been through the following formats:

Rock/New Wave (known as "I-95") - late 1970s
Adult standards - 1981
Country music (satellite-delivered) - 1982
CHR (satellite-delivered) ("Hot Rock 950 KRSI") - 1984
All-request CHR - 1995
Simulcast with KJJO - 1986-1988
Hard rock (Z-Rock) as KMZZ - 1988-1990
Various Business news and country music formats, FM simulcasts - 1990s
"Solid Gold Soul" (twice) as KSGS 1995-2001
Business Radio as KDOW, then KCCO - 2001-2004
news/talk as KSNB - 2004

950 simulcast its sister KJJO at various times. The station occasionally had the KJJO call letters.

The station was running a combination format of news, sports and business news (as KDOW, KCCO, then KSNB) when it was sold by previous owner CBS Radio in 2004. The company that purchased KTNF was founded by Minnesota attorney Janet Robert and former Minnesota Congressman Bill Luther in November 2003, in anticipation of syndicated efforts to start up viable progressive talk radio programming. When Air America Radio debuted on March 31, 2004, WMNN, where the group leased airtime, became one of the new network's original affiliates with Al Franken's show, as well as Democracy Radio's Ed Schultz. Eventually, more syndicated and local shows were added. After the sale of WMNN six months later, the format split to broadcasting on both 740 AM and 1530 AM. In October 2004, 950 AM was purchased, and became the permanent home of "Air America Minnesota".

[edit] Programming

As of February 2006, local programming is limited to Minnesota Matters at 5-6 P.M. weekdays and weekend programming. Saturday programs include Education Matters with Louise Sundin, The Next Step with Berk Lewis, Big Brain Radio with Dr. Stussy & Dr. Xander, She's Got Something to Say with Ember Reichgott Junge, and Delicious Conversation with Dawn Morningstar & Bob Hill. Animal Wise Radio with Mike Frey & Mary Salter, Considering Faith with Rev. Peg Chamberlin & Rev Chris Morton, The Connection with Jim Wishner, and Access Minnesota with Jim Dubois make up the local portion of the station's Sunday lineup

In late January and early February of 2006, the station's morning drive host, Wendy Wilde, left the air to run for the U.S. Congress. Station management announced that there was no intention to air a new local morning show, and went with morning offerings from Air America.

Minnesota Connections

In addition to the locally produced shows, some of the nationally syndicated show hosts have Minnesota roots. Al Franken was a St. Louis Park, Minnesota resident. Katherine Lanpher was a Minneapolis-St. Paul resident who formerly worked as a journalist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press followed by hosting a popular talk show on Minnesota Public Radio before joining Air America Radio. Ed Shultz broadcasts from Fargo, North Dakota and lives in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

In the winter of 2005-2006, Franken moved his show from New York City to downtown Minneapolis, originating his show from studios in the Foshay Tower, rather than from KTNF. This was rumored among local radio sources to be due to a stormy relationship between the station manager and Air America's management, but was in fact due to Al's desire to work close to home, and due to the lack of space for Al's staff at the KTNF studios.

[edit] Schedule

All times are Central Time.

Monday-Friday Programming:

Midnight-2 a.m.: The Sam Seder Show (Mondays: Best of)
2-4 a.m.: The Randi Rhodes Show (Best Of)
4-5 a.m.: Air America Mornings with Mark Riley
5-8 a.m.: The Bill Press Show
8-11 a.m.: The Stephanie Miller Show
11 a.m. - 2 p.m.: The Al Franken Show
2-5 p.m.: The Ed Schultz Show
5-6 p.m.: Minnesota Matters with Bob Hill & Mark Heany(local programming):
6-9 p.m.: The Thom Hartmann Program
9 p.m. - Midnight: The Randi Rhodes Show

Saturday Programming:

Midnight - 3 a.m.: The Al Franken Show (Best of)
3-5 a.m.: The Randi Rhodes Show (Best of)
5-8 a.m.: The Thom Hartmann Program (Best of)
8-8:30 a.m.: The Energy Efficiency Hour
8:30-9 a.m.: The Natural Alternatives Show
9-10 a.m.: Mortgage Makeovers
10-11 a.m. The Next Step with Berk Lewis
11 a.m. - Noon: Big Brain Radio Show with Dr. David Stussy and Dr. Zena Xanders
Noon - 1 p.m.: Considering Faith (fourth Saturday of the month: Spirit Road Radio)
1-2 p.m.: Education Matters
2-3 p.m.: Delicious Conversation
3-4 p.m.: Workin' It with Jackie Guerra
4-6 p.m.: Ring of Fire with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. & Mike Papantonio
6-8 p.m.: Politically Direct with David Bender
8-9 p.m.: Time Is Now
9 - Midnight: Radio Nation with Laura Flanders