KSNR
Encyclopedia
KSNR is a radio station
broadcasting a country
format. Licensed
to Fisher, Minnesota
, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota
and Thief River Falls, Minnesota
areas. It first began broadcasting in 1983. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
The station also broadcasts play-by-play coverage of North Dakota men's and women's basketball
home games. 100.3 Cat Country competes with Leighton Broadcasting
's KYCK
.
in 1976. KOSN broadcasted only 3,000 watts. The station changed call letters to KSNR in 1983 as it flipped to an oldies
format, concentrating on 50s and 60s "Golden Oldies" format. After upgrading to 100,000 watts at 100.3 FM in 1987, the station attracted listeners in Grand Forks, North Dakota
, since the signal could be heard on most radios and KSNR was the only oldies station in the area.
KSNR later became "Kool 100.3", and began playing 1970s era music, and moved its studios to Grand Forks after being sold. KSNR also played Christmas music
from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day annually until the format change in 2005. In 2000, Clear Channel Communications
bought out KSNR and several other stations, and the format was changed to play 1960s and 1970s era music. It also became the flagship station
for University of North Dakota
"Fighting Sioux" basketball
play-by-play broadcasts.
Kool 100.3 switched to country music
as "Cat Country" in October, 2005, competing with Leighton Broadcasting
's heritage
country station, 97 KYCK
and classic country
station KNOX-FM "Rooster 94.7". In 2006, co-owned classic hits
(a mixture of oldies
and classic rock
formats) station KQHT
"96.1 The Fox" began shifting towards to an oldies
format.
In 2005, KSNR changed its city of license
from Thief River Falls
to Fisher
, which would allow it to move its transmitter tower closer to Grand Forks
in the future.
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...
broadcasting a country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. 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 Fisher, Minnesota
Fisher, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 435 people, 177 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,092.3 people per square mile . There were 197 housing units at an average density of 494.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.62% White, 1.15%...
, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
and Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...
areas. It first began broadcasting in 1983. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
The station also broadcasts play-by-play coverage of North Dakota men's and women's basketball
North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball teams are parth of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference since the 2008-2009 season. Previously they played in Division II's North Central...
home games. 100.3 Cat Country competes with Leighton Broadcasting
Leighton Broadcasting
Leighton Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company based in St. Cloud, Minnesota that owns several radio stations in St. Cloud as well as in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota.-Stations owned:...
's KYCK
KYCK
KYCK is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Crookston, Minnesota, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1979 under the call sign KDWZ. The station is currently owned by Leighton Broadcasting.-History:KYCK signed on in...
.
History
The station began life at 99.3 FM as KOSN in Thief River Falls, MinnesotaThief River Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...
in 1976. KOSN broadcasted only 3,000 watts. The station changed call letters to KSNR in 1983 as it flipped to an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format, concentrating on 50s and 60s "Golden Oldies" format. After upgrading to 100,000 watts at 100.3 FM in 1987, the station attracted listeners in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, since the signal could be heard on most radios and KSNR was the only oldies station in the area.
KSNR later became "Kool 100.3", and began playing 1970s era music, and moved its studios to Grand Forks after being sold. KSNR also played Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day annually until the format change in 2005. In 2000, Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
bought out KSNR and several other stations, and the format was changed to play 1960s and 1970s era music. It also became the flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
for University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
"Fighting Sioux" basketball
North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux basketball teams are parth of the athletic program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They are members of the NCAA Division I Great West Conference since the 2008-2009 season. Previously they played in Division II's North Central...
play-by-play broadcasts.
Kool 100.3 switched to country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
as "Cat Country" in October, 2005, competing with Leighton Broadcasting
Leighton Broadcasting
Leighton Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company based in St. Cloud, Minnesota that owns several radio stations in St. Cloud as well as in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota.-Stations owned:...
's heritage
Heritage station
In commercial radio, heritage station is the term for an AM radio station that has broadcast a specific format for a sustained period of time, since its beginning; usually since the 1930s or 1940s; in some cases the 1920s...
country station, 97 KYCK
KYCK
KYCK is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Crookston, Minnesota, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1979 under the call sign KDWZ. The station is currently owned by Leighton Broadcasting.-History:KYCK signed on in...
and classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
station KNOX-FM "Rooster 94.7". In 2006, co-owned classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
(a mixture of oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
formats) station KQHT
KQHT
KQHT is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Crookston, Minnesota, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1985...
"96.1 The Fox" began shifting towards to an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format.
In 2005, KSNR changed its city of license
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....
from Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,410 people, 3,619 households, and 2,091 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,760.0 people per square mile . There were 3,931 housing units at an average density of 822.7 per square mile...
to Fisher
Fisher, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 435 people, 177 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,092.3 people per square mile . There were 197 housing units at an average density of 494.7 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.62% White, 1.15%...
, which would allow it to move its transmitter tower closer to Grand Forks
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
in the future.