KZTG

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**KZTG**

City of license	Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Broadcast area	Minneapolis-St. Paul
Branding	Totally Gospel
Slogan	Hand Clappin' Toe Tappin' Hand Wavin' God Praisin'
Frequency	1470 AM (kHz)
Format	Gospel music
Power	5,000 watts
Class	B
Callsign meaning	K Z Totally Gospel
Owner	Davidson Media Group
Website	www.totallygospel.com

KZTG (1470 AM) is a radio station in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota that airs a gospel music format. They are licensed to the Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a suburb just to the north of Minneapolis.

The station carries programming from a small radio network called the "Totally Gospel Radio Network" founded in 1991 by John H. Young, Sr. of Buffalo, NY. The Network also airs on WBBF-AM 1120 in Buffalo, NY. Both stations are operated under a Lease Management agreement with the Excel Radio Networks & Fellowship Christian Center of Buffalo, NY.

It picked up the format and the KZTG call letters on July 17, 2006. They are the only gospel music station in the state of Minnesota.

[edit] History

Since 1994, 1470 simulcast KLBB (1400 AM), which played big band, lounge and middle of the road (MOR) music (often referred to as adult standards). Both stations were operated as The KLBB Company, a for-profit subsidiary of the Greenspring Company owned by American Public Media Group, which operates Minnesota Public Radio and other properties. MPR announced on May 25, 2005 that it had reached an agreement to sell both KLBB and KLBP to Davidson Media Group, a New York-based broadcaster specializing in multi-cultural, community focused formats. Thereafter, KLBB acquired a spanish-language format, while the format on KLBP remained MOR until July 17, 2006, when it switched to a gospel music format with the KZTG call letters. The sale of both stations was approved by the FCC on July 25, 2005, with Davidson taking control September 7, 2005.

Over the years, the station carried various formats under the call letters KANO ("Anoka") before becoming KBCW, which played classic country music. Cargill Communications purchased both KLBB and KBCW in 1993, along with WTCX-FM (105.1 FM) for the basis of a proposed alternative rock station, soon to become known as "REV105". Cargill was uncomfortable with dropping the much-loved adult standards format of KLBB, so they kept it, updated the music, imaging, promotion and logo of the station, and turned 1470 into a simulcast of KLBB, now assigned the WLOL call letters. In 1999, James and Susan Cargill, who two years earlier had sold the three FM stations that made up REV105, donated 1400 and 1470 (soon to be renamed KLBP) to Minnesota Public Radio, where the two frequencies became part of the commercial Minnesota News Network (MNN). MPR sold off their other station, WMNN, the MNN flagship station, along with the network in 2004, but retained KLBB and KLBP. By now, the "Club 14" simulcast was carrying a mix of local personalities and the "Music Of Your Life" radio network.

KLBB finally transitioned to its long-promised Spanish-language format on November 4, 2005, leaving the adult standards/big band format on KLBP and bringing to an end the long-time Club 14 simulcast. The KMNV call letters were introduced to AM 1400 on December 16, 2005, just months after its switch to regional Mexican music, while the KLBB call letters moved to sister station AM 1470. Following 1470's switch to gospel music, the KLBB call letters and much of its programming were picked up for 1220 AM on July 25, 2006.