KVDI (99.3 FM) 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 ...

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 to

Huxley, Iowa Huxley is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,244 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of the larger Ames-Boone, Iowa Combined Statistical Ar ...

and serving the

Des Moines metropolitan area The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital and larges ...

. The station broadcasts a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

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, ...

from the

VCY America VCY America, Inc. is a traditional, evangelical, conservative Christian ministry based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The VCY America Radio Network maintains a format of Christian talk and teaching, as well as traditional Christian music through its b ...

network. According to the Antenna Structure Registration database, the tower is tall with 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 ...

antenna mounted at the level. The calculated

Height Above Average Terrain Height above average terrain (HAAT), or (less popularly) effective height above average terrain (EHAAT), is the vertical position of an antenna site above the surrounding landscape. HAAT is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is ...

(HAAT) is . The FM antenna array is an FMC-4A manufactured by Harris, located off NW 158th Street in

Polk City, Iowa Polk City is a city in Polk County, Iowa, Polk County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6533 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, an increase from 2,344 in 2000 United States Census, 2000. It is part of the Des Moines, Iowa, Des M ...

. KVDI broadcasts with an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 5,300

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. In September 2023, the station was issued a Construction Permit to modify its facilities by increasing power to 50,000 watts and relocating its transmitter to a taller tower on the east side of Des Moines. The move would also change the frequency KVDI broadcasts on from 99.3fm to 99.5fm. The move would raise the height of the transmitter to almost 480 feet. This will give KVDI a much larger and improved coverage area.

History

In 1950, 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 ...

as KFGQ-FM in

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Boone ...

. It was the FM counterpart to

AM 1260 The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 1260 kHz: There are 55 stations in the United States which broadcast on 1260 AM; the Federal Communications Commission classifies 1260 AM as a regional frequency. Because 1260 kHz is a ...

KFGQ (now

KDLF KDLF (1260 AM) is a radio station serving the Central Iowa area. The station primarily broadcasts a Hispanic music format. KDLF is licensed to Latin World Broadcasting, Inc. whose main business offices are located at 1541 E. Grand Ave., Des Mo ...

). Both stations were owned by the Boone Biblical College. Because the AM 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

sign off A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonwealth countries exce ...

at sunset, the religious programming could be heard around the clock on KFBQ-FM. The transmitter and broadcast tower were originally located in southwest

on West Park Avenue. The

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 ...

switched to KFFF-FM on February 1, 2005. The call letters switched again in 2010 to KTIA-FM. Truth Broadcasting applied to move KTIA-FM's transmitter from Boone to Huxley and also change the

city of license In U.S., Canadian, and Mexican broadcasting, a city of license or community of license is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator. In North American broadcast ...

to Huxley. This move would represent a 15-mile relocation to the southeast and provide a better signal to the Des Moines area, thus adding 400,000 people into KTIA-FM's listening range. Truth had opposition from Saga Communications, which owns several Des Moines radio stations. Saga said the move would put KTIA-FM in the Des Moines and Ames

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...

s. That resulted in 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 ...

(FCC) in serving Truth Broadcasting with a Deficiency Letter that gave the owners the opportunity to rebut Saga's assertion. Truth Broadcasting countered with its own petition asking that the Deficiency Letter be reviewed and reversed because the move could not hit the Des Moines market without being over 50% of the metro, while the Commission noted that at one site with a directional pattern, the signal could get into over 50% of the Ames area. As a result of this, the FCC denied Truth's request and Petition for reconsideration, thus canceling the application. After reconsidering the decision, the FCC reversed its previous ruling and granted the

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

for KTIA-FM moving to Huxley. The station was issued its license to cover Huxley on July 6, 2015. The move of the studios, transmitter and other broadcast oriented items was accomplished in May/June 2015. In 2021, it was announced the station would be sold to

for $825,000. On November 15, 2021, the sale to VCY America was consummated, with the change to the KVDI call sign on December 17, 2021.Des Moines-Area Station Switches to VCY America Network
Northpine.com - November 15, 2021

References

External links

* {{Religious Radio Stations in Iowa Mass media in Boone, Iowa Radio stations established in 1950 VDI VCY America stations 1950 establishments in Iowa