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KFIZ (AM)
Encyclopedia
KFIZ is a radio station
licensed
to serve Fond du Lac
, Wisconsin, US. The station is owned by Randy Hopper
's Mountain Dog Media and the license is held by RBH Enterprises, Inc. KFIZ features programming from Fox News Radio
.
/Talk
/Sports
format including some programming from Fox News Radio
. KFIZ is a member of the Wisconsin Radio Network for local and regional news and sports programming.
Sports programming on KFIZ includes local high school football
, high school basketball, and college basketball
, plus Major League Baseball
as part of the Milwaukee Brewers
Radio Network, NBA
basketball as part of the Milwaukee Bucks
Radio Network, and NFL
football as a member of both the Green Bay Packers
Radio Network and the Westwood One
NFL Network.
with a "K" callsign, this station was assigned the KFIZ call letters by the United States Department of Commerce
.
KFIZ began experimental broadcasting at 1100 kHz and 100 watt
s of power in May 1922 with licensed operation beginning in July 1923. In 1928, the station changed frequencies to 1120 kHz and again in 1930 to 1420 kHz, still at 100 watts. In 1942, KFIZ moved to its current frequency of 1450 kHz and in the mid-1940s the station increased signal power to 250 watts. KFIZ currently broadcasts with 1,000 watts of power.
In November 1986, Wisconsin Cablevision & Radio Co., Inc., completed a merger by transferring the license for this station to Donald G. Jones and Wisconsin Cablevision Inc., a partnership doing business as the Wisconsin Cablevision Partnership. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 19, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on December 28, 1986.
In September 1987, the Cablevision Partnership made a deal to sell KFIZ to Independence Broadcasting Wisconsin Corp. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 3, 1987, and the transaction was consummated on January 20, 1988.
In June 1993, Independence Broadcasting Wisconsin Corp. contracted to sell this station to Lakeside Cablevision Limited Partnership (doing business as Star Cablevision, a forerunner business to Charter Communications
's Wisconsin operations). The deal was approved by the FCC on August 24, 1993, and the transaction was consummated on September 30, 1993.
In January 1997, Lakeside Broadcasting Wisconsin Limited Partnership reached an agreement to sell KFIZ to current owner RBH Enterprises, Inc., which does business as Mountain Dog Media and is operated by former state senator Randy Hopper
. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 23, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on the same day.
. Talk show hosts like Sean Hannity
replaced former local hosts.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, Wisconsin, US. The station is owned by Randy Hopper
Randy Hopper
Randal B. "Randy" Hopper is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 18th District from 2009 until losing his seat to Jessica King in a 2011 recall election. The 18th District includes the cities of Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Waupun....
's Mountain Dog Media and the license is held by RBH Enterprises, Inc. KFIZ features programming from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
.
Programming
KFIZ airs a NewsNews Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/Talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
/Sports
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format including some programming from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
. KFIZ is a member of the Wisconsin Radio Network for local and regional news and sports programming.
Sports programming on KFIZ includes local high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, high school basketball, and college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
, plus Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as part of the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
Radio Network, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
basketball as part of the Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
Radio Network, and NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
football as a member of both the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
Radio Network and the Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
NFL Network.
History
Founded in May 1922 by Fond du Lac businessman Oscar A. Huelsman, KFIZ was one of the first commercial radio stations in the state of Wisconsin. One of the few American radio stations east of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
with a "K" callsign, this station was assigned the KFIZ call letters by the United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
.
KFIZ began experimental broadcasting at 1100 kHz and 100 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power in May 1922 with licensed operation beginning in July 1923. In 1928, the station changed frequencies to 1120 kHz and again in 1930 to 1420 kHz, still at 100 watts. In 1942, KFIZ moved to its current frequency of 1450 kHz and in the mid-1940s the station increased signal power to 250 watts. KFIZ currently broadcasts with 1,000 watts of power.
Ownership
KFIZ was founded in May 1922 under the ownership of Oscar A. Huelsman, a local automobile dealer, as a way to advertise his dealership. Soon afterward, the Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter assumed joint ownership of the station. KFIZ was owned by Reporter Printing Co. in the mid-1930s. KFIZ Broadcasting Company acquired the station in May 1946 and owned the station through the early 1960s.In November 1986, Wisconsin Cablevision & Radio Co., Inc., completed a merger by transferring the license for this station to Donald G. Jones and Wisconsin Cablevision Inc., a partnership doing business as the Wisconsin Cablevision Partnership. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 19, 1986, and the transaction was consummated on December 28, 1986.
In September 1987, the Cablevision Partnership made a deal to sell KFIZ to Independence Broadcasting Wisconsin Corp. The deal was approved by the FCC on November 3, 1987, and the transaction was consummated on January 20, 1988.
In June 1993, Independence Broadcasting Wisconsin Corp. contracted to sell this station to Lakeside Cablevision Limited Partnership (doing business as Star Cablevision, a forerunner business to Charter Communications
Charter Communications
Charter Communications is an American company providing cable television, high-speed Internet, and telephone services to more than 4.7 million customers in 25 states. By revenues, it is the fourth-largest cable operator in the United States, behind Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications...
's Wisconsin operations). The deal was approved by the FCC on August 24, 1993, and the transaction was consummated on September 30, 1993.
In January 1997, Lakeside Broadcasting Wisconsin Limited Partnership reached an agreement to sell KFIZ to current owner RBH Enterprises, Inc., which does business as Mountain Dog Media and is operated by former state senator Randy Hopper
Randy Hopper
Randal B. "Randy" Hopper is a former Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 18th District from 2009 until losing his seat to Jessica King in a 2011 recall election. The 18th District includes the cities of Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Waupun....
. The deal was approved by the FCC on January 23, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on the same day.
Fox News affiliation
KFIZ used CNN Radio for its national news coverage in the 1990s; around 2007, KFIZ switched affiliations to Fox News RadioFox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
. Talk show hosts like Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
replaced former local hosts.