KENI

KENI
City of license Anchorage, Alaska
Broadcast area Southcentral Alaska
Branding NewsRadio 650
Frequency 650 kHz (also on HD Radio)
First air date 1948 (former frequency)
1967 (current frequency)
Format News/talk
Power 50,000 watts unlimited
Class A
Facility ID 12516
Transmitter coordinates 61°9′58″N 149°49′34″W / 61.16611°N 149.82611°WCoordinates: 61°9′58″N 149°49′34″W / 61.16611°N 149.82611°W
Callsign meaning Kenai, previously kayak
Former callsigns KYAK (1967-1998)[1]
Former frequencies 550 kHz (1948-1998)[1]
Owner iHeartMedia, Inc.
(Capstar TX)
Webcast Listen Live
Website 650keni.com

KENI AM 650 is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format.[2] Licensed to Anchorage, Alaska, USA, the station serves the south-central Alaska area. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc..[3] KENI is a clear-channel, Class A, 50,000 watt station.

With a full-time local news staff of four full-time and six part-time news staff, KENI has newscasts at the top and bottom of every hour round the clock as well as live local drive time talk programs and nationally syndicated programs the other slots in the day.

History

KENI began broadcasting May 2, 1948, on 550 KHz with 5KW power (fulltime). It was operated by Midnight Sun Broadcasting Company.[4] It moved to its current location in March 1998. During the mid-1990s, the station, as KYAK, was the Anchorage affiliate of the Radio AAHS children's format.

CORRECTIONS! -- KENI 650AM, operates the former KYAK. KYAK went on the air in 1967 with 5000 watts daytime and increased to 50,000 watts on 650AM full-time two or three years later. KYAK was a successful country music station for many years until ownership changes and the shift of music programming to FM led to its decline. KYAK tried children's programming without success. Meanwhile, KENI 550AM, which had been a popular Top 40 station for many years, switched to KYAK's 650AM with 50,000 watts and began a News-Talk format which has been highly successful, and continues today. Bill Brink, Program Director at KYAK for 8 years in the 1970s

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mitchell, Elaine B., ed. (1973). Alaska Blue Book (First ed.). Juneau: Alaska Department of Education, Division of State Libraries. p. 135.
  2. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Spring 2010. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  3. ↑ "KENI Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  4. ↑ "New Alaska Station, KENI, Starts May 2". Broadcasting. April 26, 1948. Retrieved 29 November 2014.

External links