KMNV

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

KMNV-AM
Broadcast area	Minneapolis-St. Paul
Branding	"La Invasora"
First air date	1936
Frequency	1400 (kHz)
Format	Mexican music
ERP	1,000 watts
Class	B
Owner	Davidson Media Group
Website	www.lainvasora1400.com

KMNV (1400 AM) is a radio station in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota that airs a Spanish-language music and entertainment format.

[edit] History

For over two decades, 1400 was the home to KLBB, which played big band, lounge and middle of the road (MOR) music. KLBB, along with WLOL/KLBP, which became a simulcast partner in 1994, 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.

KLBB originated as the radio station WMIN in the summer of 1936, when Saint Paul businessman Edward Hoffman began broadcasting at 1370 kHz. It was reassigned to the 1400 kHz frequency in 1941 when an international treaty was negotiated to reduce interference between American radio stations and those from other regions. Noted jazz announcer Leigh Kamman started his career in broadcasting at the station in this time.

The station set up a sister station, WMIN-FM at 99.5 MHz around 1945, which operated until being purchased by the owners of AM station WLOL and turned into WLOL-FM in 1956. WMIN would eventually find another sister station, at 102.1 FM.

WMIN applied for a television license in 1952 for channel 11. WTCN radio had also applied for this frequency, so the stations arranged to divide the broadcast day between the two stations. The stations soon merged as WTCN, which eventually became today's KARE.

In 1954, the call sign for 1400 AM briefly changed to WMNS, reflecting a change to a full service format of music, news and sports. The format remained, but the station returned to being WMIN later that year. As WDGY, WLOL and KDWB enjoyed success playing Top 40 music in the late 1950s, WMIN briefly joined the fray.

The call sign changed again in 1972 to KEEY, to match that of their FM sister station, and programmed a soft rock format separate of the FM, which aired beautiful music. The station was eventually sold apart from the FM station as KEEY-FM became the sister station of WDGY. The AM became KLBB in February 1982, with a staff consisting of many former employees of WCCO Radio, and airing a full-service format consisting of talk, big band music and MOR music. Cargill Communications purchased KLBB in 1993, along with KBCW (1470 AM) and 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 MOR format of KLBB, so they kept it, updated the music, imaging, promotion and logo of the station, and simulcast KLBB's programming on 1470, 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 sister station 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, 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.

The former WMIN call sign is currently being used by 740 AM in the Twin Cities. The KEEY call was also used by an FM simulcast station that was co-owned with 1400 AM prior to 1972, the station had a beautiful music format.

[edit] External links

• KMNV
• Query the FCC's AM station database for KMNV

[edit] References

• Nicole Garrison-Sprenger (May 25, 2005). MPR to sell KLBB, KLBP. The Business Journal (Minneapolis-St. Paul edition).