View source for KRNT

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{short description|Sports radio station in Des Moines, Iowa}}
{{for|the airport in Renton, Washington, assigned ICAO code KRNT|Renton Municipal Airport}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name               = KRNT
| logo               =
| city               = [[Des Moines, Iowa]]
| area               = [[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines area]]
| branding           = ''ESPN Des Moines''
| frequency          = 1350 [[kHz]]
| translator         = 102.1 K271CO (Des Moines)
| airdate            = [[1925 in radio|1925]]
| format             = [[Sports radio|Sports]]
| power              = 5,000 [[watt]]s
| class              = B
| facility_id        = 58534
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|33|31|N|93|34|45|W|region:US_type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning   = ''[[Des Moines Register and Tribune]]'' (previous owner)
| former_callsigns   = KSO (1925–1935)
| former_frequencies = {{ubl|1240 kHz (1925–1926)|740 kHz (1926–1927)|1320 kHz (1927–1928)|1380 kHz (1928–1932)|1370 kHz (1932–1934)|1320 kHz (1934–1941)}}
| affiliations       = [[ESPN Radio]]
| owner              = Saga Communications
| licensee           = Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC
| sister_stations    = [[KAZR]], [[KIOA]], [[KOEZ (FM)|KOEZ]], [[KPSZ]], [[KSTZ]]
| webcast            = [https://espndesmoines.com/live-to-live-sports Listen Live]
| website            = [https://espndesmoines.com espndesmoines.com]
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''KRNT''' (1350 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[radio station]] broadcasting a [[sports radio|sports]] format. Serving the [[Des Moines, Iowa]], United States, area, the station is owned by Saga Communications through licensee Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC; it operates as part of Saga's Des Moines Radio Group.
Studios are located on Locust Street in Des Moines, with its 4-tower transmitter array located on King Avenue in Des Moines.
==Programming==
KRNT features programming from [[ESPN Radio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=KRNT |title=KRNT Facility Record |work=United States [[Federal Communications Commission]], audio division }}</ref>  In addition, it serves as the broadcast outlet for several sports teams:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/2015/09/09/historic-des-moines-radio-station-switches-all-sports-format/71945518/|title = Historic des Moines radio station switches to all-sports format|website = [[The Des Moines Register]]}}</ref>
* [[Drake Bulldogs|Drake University]] athletics ([[Drake Bulldogs football|football]], [[Drake Bulldogs men's basketball|men's]] and [[Drake Bulldogs women's basketball|women's]] basketball)
* [[Chicago Cubs]] baseball
==History==
[[File:1926 Agricultural Seed Company advertisement extract referencing Clarinda, Iowa radio station KSO.gif|thumb|left|250px|A 1926 advertisement extract noted KSO's "Keep Serving Others" slogan.<ref name=1926ad>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo.31924089848810&view=1up&seq=42 "Agricultural Seed Company"] (advertisement), ''The Farm Journal'', January 1926, page 36.</ref>]]
[[File:1933 Des Moines Register and Tribune advertisement referencing Des Moines, Iowa radio station KSO.gif|thumb|left|250px|In 1932, KSO was moved to Des Moines, becoming KRNT in 1935.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting04unse/page/n93/mode/1up "The Des Moines Register and Tribune"] (advertisement), ''Broadcasting'', February 1, 1933, page 24.</ref>]]
===KSO===
The station was first licensed on October 9, 1925, to the A. A. Berry Seed Company in [[Clarinda, Iowa]], transmitting on 1240 kHz, with the call sign KSO.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32435066705609&view=1up&seq=45 "New Stations"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', November 2, 1925, page 3.</ref> The call letters reflected the slogan "Keep Serving Others".<ref name=1926ad/>
In 1926, an adverse legal decision briefly eliminated the ability of the U.S. government to assign station frequencies and powers, and as of December 31, 1926, KSO was reported to now be at 740 kHz.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3221818&view=1up&seq=222 "Broadcasting Stations, alphabetically by call signals"], ''Radio Service Bulletin'', December 31, 1926, page 12.</ref> The next year government control was re-established with the formation of the [[Federal Radio Commission]] (FRC), and on July 1, 1927, KSO was reassigned to 1320 kHz.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011384305&view=1up&seq=100 "List of licensed broadcasting stations arranged by call letters in effect July 1, 1927"], page 64.</ref> Effective November 11, 1928, with the implementation of the FRC's [[General Order 40]], the station moved to 1380 kHz.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.c021003683&view=1up&seq=247 "Revised list of broadcasting stations, by frequencies, effective 3 a. m., November 11, 1928, eastern standard time"], ''Second Annual Report of the Federal Radio Commission for the Year Ended June 30, 1928, Together With Supplemental Report for the Period From July 1, 1928 to September 30, 1928'', page 211.</ref>
On June 26, 1931, the Cowles family, publishers of the ''[[Des Moines Register]]'' and ''Tribune'', bought KSO,<ref name="history">{{cite web|first=George F. Jr.|last=Davison|title=KRNT-KSO History|url=http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/krnt/krnt-kso-history.html|year=2002|access-date=January 16, 2006}}</ref> via the Iowa Broadcasting Company. The new owners received permission to move KSO from Clarinda to Des Moines, and to begin broadcasting on 1370 kHz. KSO made its debut broadcast from the new location on November 5, 1932.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting13unse/page/n915/mode/1up "New Staff in Charge When KSO Joins CBS After Des Moines Move"], ''Broadcasting'', November 15, 1932, page 12.</ref> In 1934, KSO was reassigned to 1320 kHz.
===KRNT===
On March 17, 1935, the callsign KSO was transferred to the former [[KXNO (AM)|KWCR]] on 1430 kHz, which was relocated from Cedar Rapids to Des Moines. Concurrently, the call letters of the original KSO on 1320 kHz were changed to KRNT.<ref name="bc040135">[https://archive.org/details/broadcasting89unse/page/n301/mode/1up "Change in Iowa Calls"], ''Broadcasting'', April 1, 1935, page 20.</ref> At that time, both stations were owned and operated by subsidiary corporations of the ''Des Moines Register-Tribune''.<ref name=bc040135/>
In March 1941, stations on 1320 kHz, including KRNT, were moved to the 1350 kHz, as part of the [[North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement]].<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437010939748&view=1up&seq=580 ''Arrangement between the United States of America, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Mexico, comprising recommendations of the North American Regional Radio-Engineering Meeting (supplemental to North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, Habana, 1937). Signed at Washington January 30, 1941; effective March 29, 1941''], page 1486.</ref> In August 1941, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began implementation of a "duopoly" rule, which restricted licensees from operating more than one radio station in a given market.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/broadcasting21unse#page/n304/mode/1up "Ban On Multiple Ownership in Same Area"], ''Broadcasting'', August 11, 1941, pages 6-7.</ref>
KRNT won a [[Peabody Award]] in 1945 for outstanding reporting of news.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/krnt-radio-institutional-award-for-outstanding-reporting-of-the-news | title=KRNT Radio Institutional Award for Outstanding Reporting of the News }}</ref>
Then-owners Cowles Media started up a sister station, KRNT-FM (104.5) in 1948, but took it off the air and returned the license in 1955. In 1970, they signed on a second [[KSTZ|KRNT-FM]] (102.5 FM).<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/timeline-frameset.html | title=Des Moines Station Timeline }}</ref>
For years, KRNT carried an [[adult standards]] format, supplemented by sports programming (most notably the [[Chicago Cubs]] and [[Drake Bulldogs|Drake University athletics]]). In 2015, the adult standards format was moved to sister station [[KAZR|KAZR's]] HD2 subchannel and translator K283CC 104.5 FM. KRNT was rebranded ''ESPN Des Moines'' as it became the market's [[ESPN Radio]] affiliate.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/94492/saga-launches-espn-des-moines-krnt-moves-to-fm/|title=Saga Launches ESPN des Moines; KRNT Moves to FM}}</ref>
In April 2022, station owner Saga Communications requested a waiver to change the call sign back to the original KSO. However, broadcasting stations were now generally required to have four-letter call signs, and the FCC was unwilling to make an exception.<ref>[https://www.insideradio.com/free/saga-fights-for-long-lost-three-letter-call-sign-in-des-moines/article_5eedb842-da63-11ec-aadf-3f029924c9fc.html "Saga Fights For Long Lost Three Letter Call Sign in Des Moines"], May 23, 2022 (insideradio.com)</ref>
==Previous logos==
[[Image:KRNT logo.jpg|200px]]
[[Image:Krnt am logo.jpg|200px]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
==External links==
{{AM station data|58534|KRNT}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|156487|K271CO}}
*{{FXL|K271CO}}
*[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=44386&.pdf FCC History Cards for KRNT] (covering 1927-1980 as KSO/KRNT)
{{Des Moines Radio}}
{{Sports Radio Stations in Iowa}}
{{Saga Communications}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Iowa|RNT]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1925]]
[[Category:1925 establishments in Iowa]]
[[Category:ESPN Radio stations]]