View source for KNWB

{{short description|Radio station in Hilo, Hawaii}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = KNWB
| logo             = KMWB-FM logo.png
| logo_size        = 230px
| city             = [[Hilo, Hawaii]]
| area             = Hilo
| branding         = B97
| airdate          = August 3, 1985
| frequency        = 97.1 [[MHz]]
| repeater         = [[KMWB]]
| format           = [[Classic hits]]
| power            =
| erp              = 38,000 [[watt]]s
| haat             = -251 meters
| class            = C2
| facility_id      = 69054
| coordinates      = {{coord|19|46|49.3|N|155|05|15.8|W|region:US-HI_type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning = '''N'''ew '''W'''est '''B'''roadcasting
| former_callsigns = KFSH (1985–1995)
| owner            = New West Broadcasting Corporation
| licensee         =
| sister_stations  = [[KAOY]], [[KMWB]], [[KPUA]], [[KWXX-FM]]
| webcast          = [https://v7player.wostreaming.net/1595 Listen Live]
| website          = {{url|http://www.b97hawaii.com/}}
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''KNWB''' (97.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) is a [[radio station]] in [[Hilo, Hawaii]] broadcasting a [[classic hits]] format. The station is currently owned by New West Broadcasting Corporation.<ref name="record">{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=KNWB |title=KNWB Facility Record |work=United States [[Federal Communications Commission]], audio division }}</ref> KNWB and sister station [[KMWB]] form a simulcast to reach all of the [[Hawaii (island)|Big Island.]]
==History==
===KFSH===
On May 3, 1976, the Christian Broadcasting Association, a branch of the [[Billy Graham Evangelistic Association]] and owner of [[KHCM (AM)|KAIM-AM]]-[[KAIM-FM|FM]] in Honolulu, filed for a construction permit for a new radio station at 97.1&nbsp;MHz to serve Hilo. The [[Federal Communications Commission]] granted the permit on April 28, 1977.<ref name="hc">{{FCC letter|letterid=71778|callsign=KNWB|hcards=yes}}</ref> The station took the call letters '''KFSH''' and was mentioned as a development project for the ministry in KAIM's fundraising appeals.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38451548/|title=KAIM SHARE-A-THON '78|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=June 14, 1978|page=B-8|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> However, KFSH's sign-on was continually delayed, in part because the station needed the Hawaii Land Use Commission to approve its request to build its tower.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38451694/|title=Two groups plan FM stations to serve the Big Island in 1980|date=October 31, 1979|first=Frankie|last=Stapleton|accessdate=November 4, 2019|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|page=14}}</ref>
Even though a studio location had been secured and fitted out upstairs from a Christian book store,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38451941/|title=Hilo to get Christian radio station in 1984|date=December 9, 1983|page=18|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> tower site issues continued to hold up completion. The tower site north of Kaiwiki Church was dedicated on December 15, 1984,<ref>{{cite news|date=December 21, 1984|accessdate=November 4, 2019|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|title=Ground is broken for tower for gospel station in Hilo|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38452153/}}</ref> and test transmissions commenced on July 25, 1985 ahead of an August 3 launch,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38452240/|title=Isle gets first gospel FM station|page=8|date=July 24, 1985|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> more than eight years after the permit was issued and after 17 extensions and modifications to the construction permit.{{r|hc|record}}
Two years after putting KFSH on the air, the Christian Broadcasting Association spun the station off to the Pacific & Asia Christian University,<ref>{{cite news|date=September 29, 1987|title=Public Notice|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38452795/|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|page=17|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> later known as the [[University of the Nations]].
===KNWB===
In July 1995, New West Broadcasting Corporation, owned by John Leonard, announced it would buy KFSH from the university and take over operations via a time brokerage agreement on August 1.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38453479/|title=Leonard buys third radio station|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|page=10|date=July 25, 1995|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> Leonard paid $270,000 for the station, which was University of the Nations' lone broadcast outlet.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1995/BC-1995-08-21.pdf|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=August 21, 1995|accessdate=November 4, 2019|title=Changing Hands|page=43}}</ref> New West, which already owned [[KWXX]] and [[KPUA]], did not buy $60,000 in KFSH studio equipment, which allowed the university to donate it to Hilo Christian Broadcasting; that group then started up [[KCIF]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38400546/|title=Christian station to hit the airwaves this fall|date=July 4, 1997|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|page=7|accessdate=November 3, 2019}}</ref>
When New West took over, 97.1 FM changed to a secular operation as "The Wave";<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38453759/|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|date=December 3, 1996|page=A-11|title=Radio exec Leonard dies; staged rock shows in '70s|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> after the closing of the sale, new '''KNWB''' call letters were chosen. The Wave aired a smooth jazz format.<ref>{{cite news|work=M Street Journal|date=March 27, 1996|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1996-03.pdf|page=1 (31)|title=Format Changes & Updates|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> Two years later, the station adopted its present classic hits format as "B97".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1998-08.pdf|page=1|work=M Street Journal|date=August 5, 1998|accessdate=November 4, 2019|title=Format Changes & Updates}}</ref>
KNWB lured D.C. Carlson from [[KKBG]] to do B97's first live morning show in December 2001; previously, the station had been entirely voice tracked.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38454059/|date=December 14, 2001|title=D.C. changes his tune|first=John|last=Burnett|work=Hawaii Tribune-Herald|pages=21, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38454386/ 22]|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref> B97 became an island-wide radio station in 2007 when Captain Cook Broadcasting, the winner of an auction for an FM station at 93.1 in West Hawaii, entered into a marketing agreement to simulcast KNWB as [[KMWB]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38454597/|title=Broadcasting broadens on the Big Island|date=November 18, 2007|first=Erika|last=Engle|work=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|accessdate=November 4, 2019|page=D1}}</ref> KMWB was sold to New West in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38454799/|work=Honolulu Star-Advertiser|first=Erika|last=Engle|title=Hawaii largely left out of free shipping incentive|date=November 17, 2010|page=B6|accessdate=November 4, 2019}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{FM station data|69054|KNWB}}
{{Hilo Radio}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Hawaii|NWB]]
[[Category:Classic hits radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1985]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in Hawaii]]