KNAI (AM)
 | |
| Broadcast area | Phoenix metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 860 kHz |
| Branding | La Campesina 101.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Regional Mexican |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Chavez Radio Group |
| History | |
First air date | 1949 (as KIFN) |
Former call signs |
|
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 1326 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 33°25′15.8″N 112°7′39.8″W / 33.421056°N 112.127722°W |
| Translator(s) | |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | campesina.net/phoenix/ |
KNAI (860
KNAI operates by day with 940 watts non-directional and at 1,000 watts at night with a
History
KIFN and KVVA
On June 8, 1949, the Western Broadcasting Company received the construction permit to build a new radio station in Phoenix on 860 kHz. Construction work on KIFN's facilities in Riverside Park began in September,
The partners in Western sold their interests to H. Walker Harrison in 1959. Harrison sold KIFN in 1966
Citing the difficulty of getting authorization to go to 24-hour operation on 860 and facing competition from 24-hour station KPHX, Méndez sold KIFN in 1982 to Beta Communications, bringing it under common ownership with Apache Junction's KSTM-FM.[6] Beta relaunched the station as KVVA ("Viva"), retaining its Spanish-language format. In 1987, Beta changed KSTM-FM, a rock station known as "The Storm", to KVVA-FM, a more contemporary Spanish-language station, to pair with KVVA AM; it was the first Spanish-language FM station for Phoenix since 99.9 KNNN had been sold in 1984 and flipped formats.[7] Among the programs aired in this era was a simulcast of Channel 10 KTSP-TV's 10 p.m. news, which began in 1988.[8]
As a sports station
In 1996, KVVA-AM-FM went bankrupt, and the two stations found different buyers at auction. All of the Spanish-language programming moved to KVVA-FM, which was bought by Z-Spanish Network, a predecessor to
Along with KTAR, ownership passed from Pulitzer to
When KTAR became a full-time sports station in 2007, it
KMVP continued to air some sports programs. When Bonneville's two Phoenix sports stations, 98.7
Sale to CCF
On March 9, 2017, Bonneville announced that it would sell KMVP to César Chávez Foundation’s Farmworker Educational Radio Network, Inc. for $800,000; the foundation already owned KNAI (88.3 FM) in Phoenix.[12] The sale was completed on May 15, 2017;[13] concurrently, the call letters changed to KNAI[14] while 88.3 became KNAI-FM.
On May 15, 2017, 860 AM dropped the KMVP-FM simulcast and began simulcasting KNAI-FM's Regional Mexican format, including programming after KNAI-FM's handover to KPHF at 7:30 pm each night. In August, after remediating interference concerns, newly bought translator K270BZ, which prior to going dark had been relaying KKFR from South Mountain, re-emerged to be fed by KNAI. In October 2017, the "La Campesina" programming moved exclusively to 860 AM and 101.9 FM; 88.3 FM, which changed its call letters to KCCF-FM, then began carrying a loop directing listeners to KNAI.[15] KCCF-FM was sold to VCY America in 2018.[16]
Translators
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K270BZ | 101.9 FM | Phoenix, Arizona | 152717 | 250 | D | 33°20′5.0″N 112°3′42.0″W / 33.334722°N 112.061667°W | LMS |
| K270CV | 101.9 FM | Santan, Arizona | 146671 | 250 | D | 33°14′15.2″N 111°31′51.5″W / 33.237556°N 111.530972°W | LMS |
| K270CW | 101.9 FM | Buckeye, Arizona | 202759 | 250 | D | 33°34′2.1″N 112°33′28.6″W / 33.567250°N 112.557944°W | LMS |
References
- ^ "KNAI Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ Mahoney, Ralph (September 14, 1949). "Construction Of Newest Phoenix Station Starts". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Mahoney, Ralph (October 9, 1949). "Station KIFN Rushed To Completion". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "KIFN Begins Broadcasting". Arizona Republic. November 24, 1949. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Legal Notice". Arizona Republic. September 29, 1966. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Wilkinson, Bud (February 2, 1982). "Costly wait prompts sale of Hispanic radio station". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Wilkinson, Bud (June 15, 1987). "Rock outlet KSTM replaced with bilingual KVVA-FM". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Wilkinson, Bud (February 3, 1988). "KTSP-TV, KVVA-AM start Spanish simulcast of news at 10". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Van Dyke, Charlie (August 10, 1996). "'Class' morning guys lose jobs as KNIX sends in a new team". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Van Dyke, Charlie (December 14, 1996). "Radio Viva! drops AM to focus on FM". Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ Federal Communications Commission. "Application Search Results for KMVP". Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ "Bonneville Sells Phoenix AM To Cesar Chavez Foundation - RadioInsight". RadioInsight. 9 March 2017.
- ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. May 15, 2017. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
- ^ "Call Sign History (KNAI)". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
- ^ Venta, Lance (February 13, 2018). "88.3 Phoenix Stunting". RadioInsight. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
- ^ "VCY America to Acquire Non-Commercial KCCF-FM/Phoenix". Radio Online. September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2018.