Content deleted Content added
Dcgibson55 (talk | contribs) Corrected HAAT |
|||
(46 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Infobox radio station
| logo =
| translator = 92.5 K223CW (Houston)
▲ | frequency = {{Frequency|97.5|MHz}} {{HD Radio}}
| repeater = 97.9 [[KBXX|KBXX-HD2]] (Houston)
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1948|3|1}} (as 99.5 KRIC [[Beaumont, Texas]])
| subchannels =
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''KFNC''' (97.5 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]
KFNC has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 [[watt]]s, the highest permitted for non-[[grandfather clause|grandfathered]] FM stations. The [[transmitter]] is off Route 124 in [[Anahuac, Texas]].<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Kfnc&nav= Radio-Locator.com/KFNC]</ref> A 2,000 watt [[broadcast relay station|booster]], KFNC-FM-1, had its transmitter off West Baker Road in [[Baytown, Texas|Baytown]], but has since been powered down, its license returned, and subsequently deleted.<ref>[https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=KFNC&fileno=&state=&city=&freq=0.0&fre2=107.9&serv=&status=&facid=&asrn=&class=&list=0&ThisTab=Results+to+This+Page%2FTab&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9 FCC.gov/KFNC]</ref>
==History==
=== From 99.5 KRIC through "KD 97"===
Interference to [[Beaumont, Texas|Beaumont]] viewers trying to watch KGUL-TV in [[Galveston]] (now [[KHOU|KHOU-TV]]
The KRIC
In December 2001, a new 2,000-foot tower was built near [[Winnie, Texas]] so that the
It was as at this point that the country format of "KD 97" was moved to [[KAYD-FM
===As KRWP===
On January 3, 2002, the station officially began targeting the Houston market by flipping to an [[Urban Contemporary]] format as '''Power 97.5''' under the temporary
The station, renamed KRWP ('''P'''o'''W'''e'''R''' spelled backwards) had modest success in the early months of 2002. However, it faced stiff competition from longtime Houston [[hip-hop music]] stations 97.9 [[KBXX]] and 104.9 [[KAMA-FM|KPTY-FM]] as well as [[Rhythmic Contemporary]] station [[KLVH (FM)|KTHT]].
KRWP later skewed to an [[Urban Adult Contemporary]] format with the intent of challenging the market's heritage R&B station, [[KMJQ]]. However, KRWP never challenged KMJQ in the ratings due to the location of the transmitter, which resulted in a lack of decent coverage for the market. KRWP was transmitting from a site 50 miles east of Houston in [[Chambers County, Texas|Chambers County]], whereas the transmitter for KMJQ and almost every radio and television station serving Houston was based in northeast [[Fort Bend County, Texas|Fort Bend County]] east of [[Missouri City, Texas|Missouri City]]. The station was home to [[Doug Banks]] in the Mornings, even through the format altering in 2003.▼
▲KRWP later skewed to an [[Urban Adult Contemporary]] format with the intent of challenging the market's heritage R&B station, [[KMJQ|Majic 102.1]]. However, KRWP never
===Switch to rock===
In late 2004, there were plans for KRWP to switch frequencies to 103.7 FM, or otherwise launch a simulcast with another station with the objective of providing better coverage in Houston. At the same time, Houston's heritage [[
On January 27, 2005, under new management, KRWP switched to an AOR format, switching its call sign to '''KIOL''' as "Rock 97.5." The format change was headed by former KLOL personality Jim Pruett and program director Pat Fant, in response to the outcry from misplaced KLOL listeners. The first song played on "Rock 97.5" was "[[For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)]]" by [[AC/DC (band)|AC/DC]].<ref>http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-02-04.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
===KIOL Moves to 103.7; FM Newschannel debuts===▼
103.7 signed back on the air May 23, 2005, after being purchased by Cumulus Media, and subsequently moved its transmitting site from [[Willis, Texas|Willis]] to Devers, including a massive facility upgrade to full Class C status. Cumulus began simulcasting "Rock 97.5" KIOL on the new 103.7 KUST signal for testing purposes and to familiarize listeners with the new frequency. The simulcast lasted for the next 8 days.▼
On May 31, 2005, at 6 a.m., 97.5 KIOL broke the simulcast and launched Houston's third attempt at an FM news station, as '''KFNC''' '''FM News Channel 97-5''' (102.1 KLYX—now KMJQ—was the first in 1975 as an affiliate of NBC Radio's now-defunct 24-hour [[NBC News Radio|NBC News and Information Service]]; 97.1 [[KTHT|KKTL]] was the second FM News/Talk station, and is now [[classic country]].) Adopting a [[News]]/[[Talk radio]] format, the station consisted of former KLOL morning personalities Jim Pruett and Brian Shannon (the voice of Eddie "The Boner" Sanchez), who reunited to host the afternoon talk show "Back Talk", which was later moved to mornings. Other KLOL alumni on board for the station's news department were Laurie Kendrick and Martha Martinez. Non-KLOL personalities included former KILT newsman Jim Carolla, former KRBE and "NewsRadio 740" staffer Michael Shiloh as morning host/anchor, former "Newsradio 740" reporter and editor Belinda Babinec, former [[KPRC-TV]] sports director Craig Roberts, A.W. Pantoja, [[Clark Howard]], [[Phil Hendrie]], and Charles McPhee.<ref>http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2005/RR-2005-06-03.pdf</ref>▼
▲103.7 signed back on the air May 23, 2005, after being purchased by [[Cumulus Media]], and subsequently moved its transmitting site from [[Willis, Texas|Willis]] to Devers, including a
▲On May 31, 2005, at 6 a.m., 97.5 KIOL broke the simulcast and launched Houston's third attempt at an FM news/talk station, as '''KFNC'''
===Sports format===
KFNC went through format tweaks and house cleaning, and the
In 2007, Cumulus Media moved KFNC
As part of a prepackaged bankruptcy filing, the lenders took over the license of four Cumulus Media Partners stations; two in the Kansas City metro area ([[KCHZ]] and [[KMJK]]) and the two rimshot signals in the Houston metro,
Cumulus had the opportunity to buy the stations back, but ultimately the highest bidder for KFNC was David Gow, owner of sports-formatted [[AM [[File:KFNC ESPN 97.5 FM logo.png|thumb|Former logo]]
==KFNC HD-2/K231CN; "Sports Map 94.1"==
On October 1, 2017, relay translator K231CN Houston, Texas, allegedly moved from KODA's HD-3 subchannel to the new KFNC HD-2, though there has never been any evidence that KFNC has actually operated an HD2 signal. With the change, the former "SB Nation" format of 1560 KGOW also moved from the AM facility to 97.5 HD-2 & 94.1, and re-imaged as "SportsMap 94.1". Sports Map 94.1 is currently owned by Gow Media, LLC, a company named after and controlled by David Gow. K231CN
KFNC HD-2/K231CN is the [[flagship (broadcasting)|flagship radio
On January 31, 2019, K231CN switched from sports to Spanish Christian, branded as "Radio Luz."<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/174179/sportsmap-goes-off-the-map-in-houston/ Sportsmap Goes Off the Map in Houston] Radioinsight - February 1, 2019</ref>
==KFNC-FM1 booster==
==Programming==▼
On June 22, 2018, Gow Media was granted an on-channel FM booster for KFNC, assigned the call letters KFNC-FM-1, powered at 2,000 watts, elevated at 171 meters [[height above average terrain]], and located near [[Texas State Highway 330]] and West Baker Road in [[Baytown, Texas]].
==Callsign & moniker history==
Line 110 ⟶ 89:
*KIOL - 01/26/2005 (Rock 97.5)
*KFNC - 05/31/2005 (FM News Channel 97.5, Supertalk 97.5, ESPN 97.5 The Ticket)
▲==Programming==
On weekday's, The Bench with John Granato & [[Lance Zierlein]] starts off the day from 7-10am. The Del Olaleye Show is on from 10am-12pm. Paul Gallant and Joe George host from 12-3pm. The Killer B’s with Joel Blank & Jeremy Branham is on from 3-6pm. ESPN Radio is broadcast overnights and weekends.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Staff |first1=B. S. M. |title=ESPN 97.5 Adds New Voices, New Shows To Help Write Its Next Chapter |url=https://barrettsportsmedia.com/2021/08/09/espn-97-5-adds-new-voices-new-shows/ |website=barrettsportsmedia.com |publisher=Barrett Media |access-date=24 August 2021 |date=9 August 2021}}</ref>
==References==
Line 116 ⟶ 98:
==External links==
*{{Official website|http://espn975.com}}
{{FM station data|52407|KFNC}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|148239|K223CW}}
*{{FXL|K223CW}}
{{Houston Radio}}
Line 122 ⟶ 106:
{{Sports Radio Stations in Texas}}
{{ESPN Texas}}
{{
[[Category:Radio stations in Houston|FNC]]
|