View source for KNWZ

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = KNWZ
| logo             = KNWZ K-NEWS94.3-104.7 logo.png
| city             = [[Coachella, California]]
| area             = [[Coachella Valley]]
| frequency        = 970 [[kilohertz|kHz]]
| translator       = 104.7 K284CR ([[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]])
| repeaters        = 1140 [[KNWQ]] (Palm Springs)<br>1250 [[KNWH]] ([[Yucca Valley, California|Yucca Valley]])
| airdate          = [[1954 in radio|1954]]
| branding         = ''K-News 94.3 104.7''
| format           = [[Talk radio|News/talk]]
| network          = [[CBS News Radio]]
| affiliations     = [[Compass Media Networks]]<BR>[[Premiere Networks]]<BR>[[Westwood One]]
| power            = 5,000 [[watt]]s day<br>360 watts night
| coordinates      = {{coord|33|41|12|N|116|9|28|W}}
| class            = B
| facility_id      = 12130
| callsign_meaning = '''K'''-'''N'''e'''W'''s '''Z'''
| former_callsigns = KCHV (1954–1983)<br>KVIM (1983–1989)<br>KCLB (1989–2001)
| owner            = [[Alpha Media LLC]]
| licensee         = Alpha Media Licensee LLC
| sister_stations  = [[KCLB-FM]], [[KCLZ]], [[KDES-FM]], [[KDGL]], [[KKUU]], [[KNWH]], [[KNWQ]], [[KPSI-FM]]
| webcast          = {{listen live|https://www.alphamediaplayer.com/knews}}
| website          = {{URL|http://www.knewsradio.com/}}
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''KNWZ''' (970 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[commercial radio|commercial]] [[radio station]] [[city of license|licensed]] to [[Coachella, California]]. It [[simulcast]]s a [[talk radio|news/talk]] [[radio format|format]] with [[sister station]]s 1140 [[KNWQ]] and 1250 [[KNWH]].  It is owned by [[Alpha Media]].<ref>[https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=72030 AM Query Results: KNWQ], fcc.gov. Retrieved September 6, 2019.</ref>  The [[radio studio|studio]]s are on North Gene Autry Trail ([[California State Route 111]]) in Palm Springs.
By day, KNWZ is powered at 5,000 [[watt]]s.  But to avoid interference to other stations on [[970 AM]], KNWZ must reduce power at night to 360 watts.<ref>[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=KNWz&nav=home Radio-Locator.com/KNWZ]</ref>  It uses a [[directional antenna]] with a three-[[tower array]]. Programming is also heard on several [[FM translator]]s in the [[Coachella Valley]].
==Programming==
Weekdays begin with the ''K-News Morning Show'', a local wake-up program with Mike Mozingo and Kris Long.  The rest of the weekday schedule is [[radio syndication|nationally syndicated]] talk programs:  ''[[Dan Bongino|The Dan Bongino Show]], [[The Sean Hannity Show]], [[The Mark Levin Show]], [[Ben Shapiro|The Ben Shapiro Show]], [[Matt Walsh (political commentator)|The Matt Walsh Show]], [[Coast to Coast AM]] with [[George Noory]], [[This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal]]'' and ''Markley, Van Camp & Robbins''.
Syndicated weekend shows include the ''[[CBS News Weekend Roundup]], [[The Ramsey Show]] with [[Dave Ramsey]], [[The Tech Guy|Rich DiMuro on Tech]], [[Bill Handel|Bill Handel on the Law]], [[Major Garrett|The Takeout with Major Garrett]]'' and ''[[Art Bell|Somewhere in Time with Art Bell]]''.  Most hours begin with an update from [[CBS News Radio]].
==History==
===KCHV, KVIM===
The station began broadcasting in {{Start date and age|1954}}.<ref name="BCYearbook1971">''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1971/Section-B-Radio-Broadcasting-Yearbook-1971-11.pdf 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]], 1971. p. B-19. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref>  The original [[call sign]] was '''KCHV'''.<ref name="BCYearbook1971"/><ref name="HistoryCards">[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=33714 History Cards for KNWZ], fcc.gov. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref> It was a [[daytimer]], powered at 1,000 watts, and required to go off the air at sunset.  It was owned by the Coachella Valley Broadcasting Company.<ref name="HistoryCards"/> In 1963, its daytime power was increased to 5,000 watts and it began nighttime operations, running 1,000 watts.<ref name="HistoryCards"/>
On August 26, 1983, the station's call sign was changed to '''KVIM'''.<ref name="CallSign">[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=12130&Callsign=KNWZ12130 Call Sign History], fcc.gov. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref> On September 1, 1989, its call sign was changed to '''KCLB'''.<ref name="CallSign"/> [[Spanish language]] formats were aired as KVIM<ref name="BCYearbook1985">''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-All-BC-YB-1985.pdf Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting/Cablecasting]], 1985. p. B-24. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref><ref>Unmacht, Robert (1989). ''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/1989/AL-MT-M-Street-1-1989.pdf The M Street Radio Directory]''. p. S-28. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref> and KCLB.<ref>Unmacht, Robert (1991). ''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/1991/AL-MT-M-Street-3-1991.pdf The M Street Radio Directory]''. p. 52. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref><ref>Unmacht, Robert; McCrummen (1998). ''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/1998/AL-MT-M-Street-8-1998.pdf The M Street Radio Directory]''. p. 97. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref><ref name="BCYearbook2000">''[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2000/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-2000-2.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable]], 2000. p. D-41. Retrieved September 9, 2019.</ref>
===KNWZ===
KNWZ debuted at 1270 AM in 1988 under the ownership of William Hart.  It was the area's second attempt at an [[all news radio|all-news]] format in the style of [[KNX (AM)|KNX]], the all-news station in [[Los Angeles]].  But soon it was converted to a [[talk radio]] format. Jerry Jolstead had sold the station and Hart purchased it from Mary and Kate Neiswender.  The morning drive slot was occupied from 1994-2000 by Luigi Rossetti under the air name of "Lou Penrose." Rossetti left the station at the height of his popularity to accept a position as District Director for Congresswoman [[Mary Bono]]. The Lou Penrose Morning Talk Show was followed from 9-11a.m. by former television newsman [[Ron Fortner]].  Fortner was let go in 1998, immediately after the purchase of the station by [[Morris Communications]] as part of the new Desert Radio Group.
The station had been simulcast on two FM repeaters and one other station ([[KDGL|94.3, 103.9 and 106.9]]) from April 1995 to October 1998, when Morris purchased the stations; it then converted all three of the FM stations to music formats. Morris then moved KNWZ to 970/1140AM on January 1, 2001.
In October 2009, K-News began to operate an FM radio translator on 94.3&nbsp;MHz from Desert Hot Springs covering the Coachella Valley. In 2016, KNWZ began to be heard on 103.7 in the [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms]] area. In 2018, it added a translator on 104.7 FM for the Palm Springs area, in addition to 94.3 FM from Coachella.
Morris sold the three stations, along with thirty others, to [[Alpha Media LLC]] for $38.25 million, effective September 1, 2015.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Official|http://www.knewsradio.com}}
{{AM station data|12130|KNWZ}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|14059|K232CX}}
*{{FXL|K232CX}}
{{Palm Springs Radio}}
{{Alpha Media}}
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in California}}
[[Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:Radio stations in California|NWZ]]
[[Category:Mass media in Riverside County, California]]
[[Category:Coachella, California]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1954]]
[[Category:1954 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Alpha Media radio stations]]