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KGNW (820
kHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base uni ...
) is a
commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...
AM
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...
to
Burien, Washington Burien ( ) is a suburban city in King County, Washington, United States, located south of Seattle on Puget Sound. As of the 2020 census, Burien's population was 52,066, which is a 56.3% increase since incorporation in 1993, making it the 25th ...
, and serving the
Seattle metropolitan area The Seattle metropolitan area is an urban conglomeration in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington that comprises Seattle, its surrounding Satellite city, satellites and suburbs. The United States Census Bureau defines the Seattle–T ...
. It airs a
Christian talk and teaching Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...
radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
and is owned by the
Salem Media Group Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wh ...
. The
radio studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for recording and mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home project studio large enough to record a single sin ...
s and offices are on 5th Avenue South in
downtown Seattle Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared with other city centers on the U.S. West Coast due to its geographical situation, being hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by ...
. By day, KGNW is powered at 50,000
watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s, the maximum for commercial stations. But
820 AM The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 820 kHz: In Argentina * LRA8 in Formosa * LRI208 Estación 820 in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires * LU24 in Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires In Canada * CHAM in Hamilton, Ontario - 50& ...
is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A WBAP
Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
. So to avoid interference, at night KGNW reduces power to 5,000 watts. It uses a
directional antenna A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna that radiates or receives greater radio wave power in specific directions. Directional antennas can radiate radio waves in beams, when greater concentration of radiation in a certain directio ...
with a three-
tower array A tower array is an arrangement of multiple radio towers which are mast radiators in a phased array. They were originally developed as ground-based tracking radars. Tower arrays can consist of free-standing or guyed towers or a mix of them. Tower ...
at all times. The
transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...
is off 105th Street SW on
Vashon Island Vashon () is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. Before the constru ...
. The station is licensed to broadcast in the
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...
format.


Programming

KGNW airs a mix of local preachers and national Christian leaders. They include
David Jeremiah David Jeremiah (born February 13, 1941) is an American evangelical Christian author, founder of Turning Point Radio and Television Ministries and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in El Cajon, Ca ...
,
Chuck Swindoll Charles Rozell Swindoll (born October 18, 1934) is an evangelical Christian pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher. He founded Insight for Living, headquartered in Frisco, Texas, which airs a radio program of the same name on more than 2 ...
, Jim Daly,
Alistair Begg Alistair Begg (born May 22, 1952) is an American pastor of Scottish birth. He is the senior pastor of Cleveland's Parkside Church (located in Bainbridge Township, Geauga County, Ohio), a position he has held since 1983. He is the voice behind ...
,
Greg Laurie Greg Laurie (born December 10, 1952) is an American evangelical pastor, evangelist, and Christian author who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusa ...
, John MacArthur, J. Vernon McGee and
Charles Stanley Charles Frazier Stanley Jr. (September 25, 1932 – April 18, 2023) was an American Southern Baptist pastor and writer. He was senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta for 49 years and took on ''emeritus'' status in 2020. He founded a ...
. Two secular programs are also heard from
Eric Metaxas Eric Metaxas (; born June 27, 1963) is an American author, speaker, and conservative radio host. He has written three biographies, ''Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery'' about William Wilberforce (2007), ' ...
and
Jay Sekulow Jay Alan Sekulow (; born June 10, 1956) is an American lawyer, radio, television talk show host and politically conservative media personality. He has been chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) since 1991. As a member of P ...
. KGNW uses a
brokered programming Brokered programming (also known as time-buy and blocktime) is a form of broadcast content in which the show's producer pays a radio or television station for air time, rather than exchanging programming for pay or the opportunity to play spot com ...
model. Hosts pay for their time on the station and may ask for donations to their ministries during their shows. National news is supplied by
SRN News Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and what ...
.


History


800 AM KQIN

The station
signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...
the air on October 10, 1970. Its original
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was KQIN and it broadcast on 800 kHz. The station was a
daytimer A clear-channel station is a North American AM radio station that has the highest level of protection from interference from other stations, particularly from nighttime skywave signals. This classification exists to ensure the viability of cross ...
, required to go off the air at sunset. It was owned and operated by John Mowbray who also served as general manager. KQIN played
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
and competed with 1150 KAYO (now
KKNW KKNW (1150 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Seattle, Washington. The station is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., and features a talk radio format. KKNW mostly airs call-in and discussion shows where the host pays the s ...
), 101.5 KETO (now
KPLZ KPLZ-FM (101.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial broadcasting, commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned and operated by Lotus Communications and it airs a gold-based country music radio format. The radio studios and o ...
) and later KMPS-FM 94.1 (now KSWD). As more country music listeners switched to the FM band, KQIN changed to a Beautiful Music format in 1977. But that put it in competition with such FM
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...
stations as 94.1 KEUT (now KSWD), 98.9 KEZX (now
KPNW-FM KPNW-FM (98.9 MHz "98.9 The Bull") is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. The station is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting and airs a country music radio format. The station's studios and offices are located at Newport Corporate Cent ...
), 100.7 KSEA (now
KKWF KKWF (100.7 FM "100.7 The Wolf") is a commercial radio station in Seattle, Washington. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and it airs a country music radio format. The studios and offices are on Fifth Avenue in Downtown Seattle. KKWF has ...
) and 103.7 KBRD (now
KHTP KHTP (103.7 FM, "Hot 103-7"), is a commercial radio station licensed to Tacoma, Washington, and serving the Seattle metropolitan area. It is owned and operated by Audacy, Inc., and it airs a classic hip-hop radio format. The studios and offices ...
). KQIN also aired
Christian radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...
programs as well as old-time radio dramas and comedies. KQIN changed to an
Adult Contemporary music Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, sou ...
format in 1983.


Move to 820 AM

On September 19, 1984, Salem Communications acquired 1150 AM in Seattle and changed its call letters to KGNW. Salem is the nation's largest owner of
Christian radio Christian radio refers to Christian media radio formats that focus on Christian religious broadcasting or various forms of Christian music. Many such formats and programs include contemporary Christian music, gospel music, sermons, radio dramas, ...
stations and gave the 1150 station a Christian talk and teaching format. But that station does not have a very good signal. Salem had plans to acquire KQIN's daytime-only signal on 800 AM and improve it, making it a place to relocate KGNW. In the mid-1980s, the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
relaxed rules that restricted lesser-class stations on Class A, clear channel frequencies. Fort Worth and Seattle are separated by more than . So Salem Media engineers applied to move KQIN to 820 AM, even though WBAP 820 Fort Worth is a Class A station powered at 50,000 watts. KQIN moved to the 820 AM dial position on January 1, 1987. The KGNW call letters and its Christian talk and teaching format were removed from 1150 AM and relocated to 820 AM. The move allowed KGNW to increase its daytime power to 50,000 watts and add nighttime power at 5,000 watts, using a directional antenna. Today, the KQIN call sign belongs to a
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
- affiliated television station owned by
Iowa Public Television Iowa PBS, formerly Iowa Public Television (IPTV), is a network of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member stations in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is operated by the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board, an agency of the state education department whi ...
in
Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...
. The 1150 AM station in Seattle was sold to
Hubbard Broadcasting Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is an American television and radio broadcasting corporation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was founded by Stanley E. Hubbard. The corporation has broadcast outlets scattered across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri ...
and is now
talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, Interview (jo ...
outlet
KKNW KKNW (1150 AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Seattle, Washington. The station is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc., and features a talk radio format. KKNW mostly airs call-in and discussion shows where the host pays the s ...
.


References


External links


KGNW website
{{coord, 47, 26, 00, N, 122, 28, 02, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title GNW GNW Radio stations established in 1970 1970 establishments in Washington (state) Salem Media Group radio stations