KXNO
Encyclopedia
KXNO is a sports
radio station
based in Des Moines, Iowa
. It is located at 1460 on the AM
band.
, on November 2, 1925. On June 26, 1931, the Cowles family, publishers of the Des Moines Register
and Tribune, bought KSO; they moved the station to Des Moines on November 5, 1932.
After several frequency changes during the station's early years, KSO moved from 1320 to 1430 AM on March 17, 1935; KRNT radio took over KSO's old frequency, while KSO replaced the Cowles-owned KWCR in Cedar Rapids
. KSO changed frequencies one last time as part of the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement
of 1941, moving from 1430 to 1460 AM. KSO and KRNT were both owned by the Cowles family until 1944, when they sold KSO after the FCC
ruled that one company could not own two radio stations in the same market.
After several format changes, KSO had a successful country music
format from 1974 until September 1, 1989. It then began simulcasting KGGO
-FM's rock music
format, taking on the KGGO call letters in the process. In 1994, the station became KDMI, broadcasting religious and Spanish language
programming. Clear Channel Communications
acquired KDMI in 2000. On January 1, 2001, KDMI became KXNO and adopted its current sports radio format. KXNO had two direct competitors — KXTK (now KPSZ
, 940 AM) and KJJC (now KNWI
, 107.1 FM) — when it became a sports station, but both of its competitors had changed formats by mid-2003.
In 2008, KXNO was nominated for a Marconi award as the "Sports Station of the Year," given annually by the National Association of Broadcasters.
KXNO is part of Clear Channel's Des Moines radio group, along with KDRB
, KKDM
, KPTL
, and WHO
.
. They also carry St. Louis Cardinals
baseball and Minnesota Vikings
football games, as well as the syndicated Jim Rome
and Dan Patrick
radio shows. KXNO airs Iowa State
women's basketball and the Cyclone coaches' shows on Mondays from September to March. They also are the local affiliate of Westwood One
Radio Sports. The evening lineup is rounded out with the Petros and Money Show
, Tony Bruno
's Into the Night, and J.T. the Brick
.
Area bicyclist and Category 1 racer Kim West hosts "The Kim West Radio Cycling Show" on Sunday evenings from 6-7pm, unique as the ONLY radio show devoted exclusively to bicycling. The show covers ALL aspects of bicycling, and has listeners throughout the world through live internet streaming, podcasts and iTunes subscribers.
. They were also critical of Cotlar's interview style of "lobbing softball questions" to his guests.
On March 20, 2009 things boiled over in the KXNO studios as Tirrell initiated a verbal tirade that used harsh words that was heard briefly on the air, including the utterance of the "F" word
a dozen times, mostly by Tirrell, who at times seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The two were soon suspended for a week as a result, with The Dan Patrick Show
temporarily taking its time slot.
On March 25, both men were fired from their positions as well as the board operator, Geoff Conn. FCC complaint reports were filed March 25 from an anonymous source. KXNO has not yet been officially fined by the FCC. Tirell's weekly sports commentary for KCCI
television, Mouth of the Midwest, has also been cancelled. Cotlar had since apologized to Clear Channel and the station's listeners for the incident. Tirrell has since moved on to a rival radio station.
Cotlar's morning slot was filled by Jon Miller, the sports director of sister station WHO
, and Steve Deace, who hosts an afternoon talk show on WHO and previously hosted an afternoon show on KXNO. On April 20, a new show hosted by WHO-TV
personalities Keith Murphy and Andy Fales debuted in the 2:00-4:00pm time slot.
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...
radio station
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...
based in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. It is located at 1460 on the AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
band.
History
KXNO's roots can be traced back to KSO ("Keep Serving Others"), a station that first broadcast from Clarinda, IowaClarinda, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,572 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,180 housing units, of which 1,928 were occupied....
, on November 2, 1925. On June 26, 1931, the Cowles family, publishers of the Des Moines Register
Des Moines Register
The Des Moines Register is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States. A separate edition of the Register is sold throughout much of Iowa.-History:...
and Tribune, bought KSO; they moved the station to Des Moines on November 5, 1932.
After several frequency changes during the station's early years, KSO moved from 1320 to 1430 AM on March 17, 1935; KRNT radio took over KSO's old frequency, while KSO replaced the Cowles-owned KWCR in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. KSO changed frequencies one last time as part of the North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement
North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement
The North American Radio Broadcasting Agreement, usually referred to as NARBA, is a treaty that took effect in March 1941 and set out the bandplan and interference rules for mediumwave AM broadcasting in North America. Although mostly replaced by other agreements in the 1980s, the basic bandplan...
of 1941, moving from 1430 to 1460 AM. KSO and KRNT were both owned by the Cowles family until 1944, when they sold KSO after the FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
ruled that one company could not own two radio stations in the same market.
After several format changes, KSO had a successful 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...
format from 1974 until September 1, 1989. It then began simulcasting KGGO
KGGO
KGGO is a classic rock radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. It is located at 94.9 on the FM band. The station's studios are in Urbandale, Iowa, with Cumulus Media's other Des Moines stations: KJJY, KHKI, KWQW, and KBGG...
-FM's rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
format, taking on the KGGO call letters in the process. In 1994, the station became KDMI, broadcasting religious and Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
programming. 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...
acquired KDMI in 2000. On January 1, 2001, KDMI became KXNO and adopted its current sports radio format. KXNO had two direct competitors — KXTK (now KPSZ
KPSZ
KPSZ, "Praise 940", is an Christian radio station serving the Des Moines, Iowa, area. It is located at 940 on the AM dial. The station's studios are located at 1416 Locust Street in Des Moines along with Saga Communications' other Des Moines stations .-The Independent Years: 1948-1957:KIOA signed...
, 940 AM) and KJJC (now KNWI
KNWI
KNWI, known on-air as Life 107.1, is a radio station in Des Moines, Iowa, that is owned and operated by Northwestern College in Roseville, Minnesota and supported by donations from the local community throughout the year and a once-per-year share-a-thon. The station also simulcasts on KNWM at 96.1...
, 107.1 FM) — when it became a sports station, but both of its competitors had changed formats by mid-2003.
In 2008, KXNO was nominated for a Marconi award as the "Sports Station of the Year," given annually by the National Association of Broadcasters.
KXNO is part of Clear Channel's Des Moines radio group, along with KDRB
KDRB
KDRB, "100.3 The Bus," is an adult hits radio station similar to Jack FM serving the Des Moines, Iowa, area in the USA. It broadcasts at 100.3 FM. The station's studios are located at 2141 Grand Avenue in Des Moines along with Clear Channel Communications' other Des Moines stations...
, KKDM
KKDM
KKDM is a contemporary hit radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:KKDM was established by local businessman Rich Eychaner as Midwest Radio, Inc...
, KPTL
KPTL
KPTL, "Capital 106.3," is a Modern Adult Contemporary radio station serving the Des Moines, Iowa, area. It is located at 106.3 on the FM dial. The station's studios are located at 2141 Grand Avenue in Des Moines along with Clear Channel Communications' other Des Moines stations .-KANY/KJJY: The...
, and WHO
WHO (AM)
WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours...
.
Personalities and programming
Local talk show hosts include Travis Justice and Tim Fisher (TNT) from 6-8am, Keith Murphy and Andy Fales (Murph and Andy) from 2-4pm, and Matt Perrault and Ken Miller (Matt and Miller) from 4-7pm. Some of KXNO's programming comes from Fox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
. They also carry St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
baseball and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
football games, as well as the syndicated Jim Rome
The Jim Rome Show
The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live for three hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to noon Pacific. The show is produced in Los Angeles, California, syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the U.S...
and Dan Patrick
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
radio shows. KXNO airs Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
women's basketball and the Cyclone coaches' shows on Mondays from September to March. They also are the local affiliate of 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...
Radio Sports. The evening lineup is rounded out with the Petros and Money Show
Petros and Money Show
The Petros and Money Show or "PMS" is KLAC-AM, 's afternoon drive time sports talk radio program, and airs every Monday through Friday from 3pm to 7pm PST...
, Tony Bruno
Tony Bruno
For Tony Bruno, the musician, see Tony Bruno Tony Bruno is an American sports talk radio personality in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
's Into the Night, and J.T. the Brick
J.T. the Brick
John Tournour better known as J.T. the Brick is a sports talk radio host based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His show airs weeknights from 10pm to 3am Pacific time on Fox Sports Radio...
.
Area bicyclist and Category 1 racer Kim West hosts "The Kim West Radio Cycling Show" on Sunday evenings from 6-7pm, unique as the ONLY radio show devoted exclusively to bicycling. The show covers ALL aspects of bicycling, and has listeners throughout the world through live internet streaming, podcasts and iTunes subscribers.
Larry Cotlar and Marty Tirrell feud
During 2008 and 2009, a feud brewed between morning show host Larry Cotlar and afternoon drive host Marty Tirrell. Tirrell and his radio partner, Ken Miller, had been critical of Larry's perceived bias towards the Drake BulldogsDrake Bulldogs
The Drake Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Drake University. Athletic scholarships are offered in basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, tennis, and volleyball. However, all football players are walk-ons as Drake does not offer athletic scholarships in that sport...
. They were also critical of Cotlar's interview style of "lobbing softball questions" to his guests.
On March 20, 2009 things boiled over in the KXNO studios as Tirrell initiated a verbal tirade that used harsh words that was heard briefly on the air, including the utterance of the "F" word
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
a dozen times, mostly by Tirrell, who at times seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The two were soon suspended for a week as a result, with The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
temporarily taking its time slot.
On March 25, both men were fired from their positions as well as the board operator, Geoff Conn. FCC complaint reports were filed March 25 from an anonymous source. KXNO has not yet been officially fined by the FCC. Tirell's weekly sports commentary for KCCI
KCCI
KCCI is a television station that broadcasts on channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the CBS television network and serves most of central Iowa. Owned by Hearst Television, KCCI has studios in downtown Des Moines. The station's transmitter is located in Alleman, Iowa, about midway...
television, Mouth of the Midwest, has also been cancelled. Cotlar had since apologized to Clear Channel and the station's listeners for the incident. Tirrell has since moved on to a rival radio station.
Cotlar's morning slot was filled by Jon Miller, the sports director of sister station WHO
WHO (AM)
WHO is a clear channel radio station broadcasting 50,000 watts on 1040 AM with a news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is located in Des Moines, Iowa. The station can be heard over most of the continental United States during nighttime hours...
, and Steve Deace, who hosts an afternoon talk show on WHO and previously hosted an afternoon show on KXNO. On April 20, a new show hosted by WHO-TV
WHO-TV
WHO-DT is a television station that broadcasts on Channel 13 in Des Moines, Iowa. It is affiliated with the NBC television network and serves most of central Iowa. The station transmits from the WOI Tower in Alleman, Iowa, which is actually owned by WHO-DT's owners. WHO-DT brands itself as WHO-HD...
personalities Keith Murphy and Andy Fales debuted in the 2:00-4:00pm time slot.
External links
- KXNO's website
- KSO historical artifacts from DesMoinesBroadcasting.com