KYKN
Encyclopedia
KYKN is a radio station
licensed
to serve Keizer, Oregon
, USA. The station, established in 1951, is currently owned by the Willamette Broadcasting Company.
/talk radio
format to the Salem, Oregon
, area that includes select programming from Premiere Radio Networks
and Westwood One
. KYKN programs include the locally produced The Bill Post Show plus syndicated conservative-leaning talk show
s hosted by Laura Ingraham
, Rush Limbaugh
, Sean Hannity
, Glenn Beck
, Hugh Hewitt
, and Dennis Prager
.
In addition to its regularly scheduled news and talk programming, KYKN also broadcasts University of Oregon
Ducks football
and men's basketball
as a member of the Oregon Sports Network
. The station also airs National Basketball Association
games as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers
radio network.
s of power, daytime-only, on a frequency of 1430 kHz. The station, licensed to serve the city of Salem, Oregon
, was owned by a partnership known as Allen, Truhan, & Clark with partner W. Gordon serving as president and general manager
. This partnership would be soon dissolved leading to a now-oft cited court case that went all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court. As a result, Allen took control of the stations in 1952 with the broadcast license
transferred to a new company called KGAE, Inc. Allen remained president but Hal Davis took over the general manager duties.
was changed to KGAY and the name of the license holding company was changed to KGAY, Inc., with W. Gordon Allen still in control. That same year, KGAY was authorized to increase the power of its broadcast signal to 5,000 watts although it was still restricted to daytime operation.
After a succession of station managers through the 1950s, W. Gordon Allen resumed the general manager duties in 1959. By this time Allen, who owned a two-third interest in flagship KGAY, had also acquired a 70% interest in KGAL in Lebanon, Oregon
, and a 48% interest in KMAT in Winnsboro, Louisiana
, as part of his W. Gordon Allen Stations group.
After nearly a decade of ownership, W. Gordon Allen and KGAY, Inc., agreed to sell the station to a company known as Radio Wonderful Willametteland, Inc. The deal was consummated on July 1, 1961. Glen M. Stadler took the title of general manager while Robert Bruce was named station manager. Stadler owned a one-third interest in KGAY, as did his partners Harry Rubenstein and Alex Dreier. The three men also owned equal shares in KGAL in Lebanon, Oregon. Stadler was the sole owner of KEED and KEED-FM in the Springfield-Eugene, Oregon, area. By the end of the 1960s, KGAY, Inc., was wholly owned by Glen Stadler and his wife, Helen N. Stadler, who also served as vice president of the company.
In 1968, the Stadlers announced their intention to retire from radio to "enter the academic field" and so they put KGAY up for sale. They contracted to sell the station to Capitol Equities, Inc., for a reported cash price of $175,000. The deal closed on August 15, 1968, and Donald H. Cushing took over as president of the company with Leslie J. Manning as general manager. By 1970, the station was airing a pure country & western music format. They would maintain this focus on country music throughout the 1970s.
to make major changes to their licensed operation: add nighttime service with 5,000 watt
s of power, add a directional antenna array
to the new nighttime signal, and change the legal community of license from Salem
to nearby Keizer, Oregon
. The FCC granted a new construction permit
to authorize these changes on September 18, 1985, and, after one extension, the station received its license to cover
these changes on January 16, 1987.
While these changes were underway, the station was assigned the KYKN call sign
by the FCC on May 15, 1986.
In April 1991, Capitol Equities Corporation reached an agreement to sell this station to Willamette Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 1, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on September 18, 1991.
KYKN broadcast every game of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
of minor league baseball
's Northwest League
from the team's launch in 1997 through the end of the 2007 season. The station formerly broadcast the Major League Baseball
games of the Seattle Mariners
as part of the Seattle Mariners Radio Network but dropped that affiliation after the 2008 season.
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 Keizer, Oregon
Keizer, Oregon
Keizer is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. It was named for Thomas Dove and John Brooks Keizer, two pioneers who arrived in the Wagon Train of 1843, and later filed donation land claims. The population was 36,278 at the 2010 census...
, USA. The station, established in 1951, is currently owned by the Willamette Broadcasting Company.
Programming
KYKN broadcasts 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 radio
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...
format to the Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, area that includes select programming from Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
and 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...
. KYKN programs include the locally produced The Bill Post Show plus syndicated conservative-leaning talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s hosted by Laura Ingraham
Laura Ingraham
Laura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
, Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, 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,...
, Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
, Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
, and Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
.
In addition to its regularly scheduled news and talk programming, KYKN also broadcasts University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
Ducks football
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
and men's basketball
Oregon Ducks men's basketball
Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won...
as a member of the Oregon Sports Network
Oregon Sports Network
The Oregon Sports Network is a local sports network made up of radio stations and TV network CSN Northwest. The channel is the official flagship for the University of Oregon's athletic program. The network began in 1987 including radio...
. The station also airs National Basketball Association
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...
games as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
radio network.
Launch as KGAE
This station began broadcasting in 1951 as KGAE with 1,000 wattWatt
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, daytime-only, on a frequency of 1430 kHz. The station, licensed to serve the city of Salem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, was owned by a partnership known as Allen, Truhan, & Clark with partner W. Gordon serving as president and general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
. This partnership would be soon dissolved leading to a now-oft cited court case that went all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court. As a result, Allen took control of the stations in 1952 with the broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
transferred to a new company called KGAE, Inc. Allen remained president but Hal Davis took over the general manager duties.
Change to KGAY
In 1956, the station's call signCall sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was changed to KGAY and the name of the license holding company was changed to KGAY, Inc., with W. Gordon Allen still in control. That same year, KGAY was authorized to increase the power of its broadcast signal to 5,000 watts although it was still restricted to daytime operation.
After a succession of station managers through the 1950s, W. Gordon Allen resumed the general manager duties in 1959. By this time Allen, who owned a two-third interest in flagship KGAY, had also acquired a 70% interest in KGAL in Lebanon, Oregon
Lebanon, Oregon
Lebanon is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. Lebanon is located in northwest Oregon, southeast of Salem. The population was 12,950 at the 2000 census and the 2008 census data shows the population at 15,397.-Geography:...
, and a 48% interest in KMAT in Winnsboro, Louisiana
Winnsboro, Louisiana
Winnsboro is a city in and the parish seat of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of July 2009, the estimated city population was 4,377...
, as part of his W. Gordon Allen Stations group.
After nearly a decade of ownership, W. Gordon Allen and KGAY, Inc., agreed to sell the station to a company known as Radio Wonderful Willametteland, Inc. The deal was consummated on July 1, 1961. Glen M. Stadler took the title of general manager while Robert Bruce was named station manager. Stadler owned a one-third interest in KGAY, as did his partners Harry Rubenstein and Alex Dreier. The three men also owned equal shares in KGAL in Lebanon, Oregon. Stadler was the sole owner of KEED and KEED-FM in the Springfield-Eugene, Oregon, area. By the end of the 1960s, KGAY, Inc., was wholly owned by Glen Stadler and his wife, Helen N. Stadler, who also served as vice president of the company.
In 1968, the Stadlers announced their intention to retire from radio to "enter the academic field" and so they put KGAY up for sale. They contracted to sell the station to Capitol Equities, Inc., for a reported cash price of $175,000. The deal closed on August 15, 1968, and Donald H. Cushing took over as president of the company with Leslie J. Manning as general manager. By 1970, the station was airing a pure country & western music format. They would maintain this focus on country music throughout the 1970s.
KYKN today
In April 1985, the station applied to the Federal Communications CommissionFederal 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...
to make major changes to their licensed operation: add nighttime service with 5,000 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, add a directional antenna array
Directional array
In broadcast engineering, directional array refers to an antenna array arranged such that the superposition of the electromagnetic waves produce a predictable electromagnetic field...
to the new nighttime signal, and change the legal community of license from Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
to nearby Keizer, Oregon
Keizer, Oregon
Keizer is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. It was named for Thomas Dove and John Brooks Keizer, two pioneers who arrived in the Wagon Train of 1843, and later filed donation land claims. The population was 36,278 at the 2010 census...
. The FCC granted a new construction permit
Construction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
to authorize these changes on September 18, 1985, and, after one extension, the station received its license to cover
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
these changes on January 16, 1987.
While these changes were underway, the station was assigned the KYKN call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
by the FCC on May 15, 1986.
In April 1991, Capitol Equities Corporation reached an agreement to sell this station to Willamette Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 1, 1991, and the transaction was consummated on September 18, 1991.
KYKN broadcast every game of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a minor league baseball team in Keizer, Oregon, United States. They are a Short-Season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants since the Volcanoes' inception in 1997...
of minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
's Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
from the team's launch in 1997 through the end of the 2007 season. The station formerly broadcast the 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...
games of the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
as part of the Seattle Mariners Radio Network but dropped that affiliation after the 2008 season.