KWHN
KWHN (1320 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Fort Smith, Arkansas, known as "News Talk 1320 KWHN." It airs a talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Lexington Avenue in Fort Smith.[1]
 | |
| Broadcast area | Fort Smith, Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1320 kHz |
| Branding | News Talk 1320 KWHN |
| Slogan | Fort Smith's News & Talk |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks Westwood One Compass Media Networks Fox News Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | iHeartMedia, Inc. (iHM Licenses, LLC) |
| KKBD, KMAG, KZBB | |
| History | |
Former call signs | KWHN (1947-2000) KYHN (2000-2008) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 22099 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000 watts |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | KWHN.iheart.com |
KWHN is powered at 5,000 watts. By day, it has a non-directional signal. But at night, to protect other stations on 1320 AM, it uses a directional antenna with a four-tower array. The transmitter is off Plum Street in Fort Smith, near Interstate 540 and the Arkansas River.[2]
Programming
KWHN carries mostly nationally syndicated programming. Weekdays begin with This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal, followed by Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Evenings include Mark Levin, Dave Ramsey, Clyde Lewis and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory.
Weekends feature repeats of weekday shows, as well as Kim Komando, The Weekend with Joe Pags, Gun Talk with Tom Gresham, Somewhere in Time with Art Bell and Sunday Night Live with Bill Cunningham. Most hours begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio.
History
On November 4, 1947, KWHN signed on the air.[3] It was owned by the KWHN Broadcasting Company with studios at 421 Garrison Avenue. Allan Whiteside served as the President and General Manager.
In 2000, KWHN was acquired by Clear Channel Communications, the forerunner to current owner iHeartMedia. On November 22, 2000, the station flipped its call sign to KYHN. The KWHN call letters were moved to frequency 1650 AM, simulcasting the 1320 AM signal. After seven and a half years, the KWHN call letters returned to 1320 AM, with 1650 taking the call sign KFSW.
In the spring of 2008, after extensive rain and flooding in western Arkansas, the transmitter site for 1650 AM suffered heavy water damage.[4] On April 2, 2008, the KWHN 1650 kHz station at facility 87114 filed a 'Notification of Suspension of Operations/Request for Silent STA' with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stating:
Due to heavy spring rains, localized flooding of a nearby waterway placed the transmitter site, and the transmitter itself under several feet of water. Access to the site to determine damage has only recently been allowed, and a casual inspection has revealed tremendous amounts of damage. In order to be allowed time to decide how to best proceeded (sic) with this facility, the licensee requests Special Temporary Authority to remain silent for up to 1 year.[5]
According to the filing, the flood damage occurred on March 24, 2008. The next day, on April 3, 2008, the FCC granted the call-sign exchange, thus the 1320 kHz station became KWYN again after seven and a half years as KYHN.
On September 17, 2012 the FCC was notified that KYHN was in the process of being sold to the G2 Media Group, and that the new licensee intended to return the station to the air as soon as possible.[6] Shortly afterwards, KYHN was flipped to a Christian Contemporary format and changed its call sign to KFSW. This signaled the return of KWHN 1320's programming to one frequency. KFSW has since switched to Southern Gospel music.
References
External links
- KWHN in the FCC's AM station database
- KWHN on Radio-Locator
- KWHN in Nielsen Audio's AM station database