KWVR (AM)

For the FM radio station in Enterprise, Oregon, United States, see KWVR-FM.
KWVR
City Enterprise, Oregon
Broadcast area Wallowa County, Oregon
Slogan "Wallowa County News, Sports and Entertainment"
Frequency 1340 kHz
First air date June 1, 1960
Format News/Talk/Sports
Power 1,000 watts (unlimited)
Class C
Facility ID 70744
Transmitter coordinates 45°23′58″N 117°15′30″W / 45.39944°N 117.25833°W / 45.39944; -117.25833
Callsign meaning K Wallowa Valley Radio
Affiliations Citadel Media
Owner Wallowa Valley Radio, LLC
Sister stations KWVR-FM
Website kwvrradio.net
KWVR studios in Enterprise, Oregon

KWVR (1340 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Enterprise, Oregon, USA. The station, established in 1960, and its FM sister station KWVR-FM are currently owned by Wallowa Valley Radio, LLC. Wallowa Valley Radio, LLC, is wholly owned by family members Richard, Mary, and David Frasch.

Programming

KWVR broadcasts a news/talk radio format which features a mix of local and syndicated news, talk, sports, and information programming.[1]

Syndicated programs

Weekday syndicated programs include talk shows hosted by Rush Limbaugh,[2] Lars Larson,[3] Dennis Miller, and When Radio Was, plus Coast to Coast AM hosted by George Noory.[4] Notable weekend programming includes a computer advice show with Kim Komando, Moneytalk with Bob Brinker,[5] Red Steagall's Cowboy Corner,[6] The Cowboy Show with Ken Overcast,[7] and The Horse Show with Rick Lamb.[4][8]

Sports programs

Sporting events broadcast by KWVR include Oregon State University Beavers football.[9][10]

History

The beginning

This station began regular broadcast operations on June 1, 1960, serving Wallowa County, Oregon, with 250 watts of power on a frequency of 1340 kHz.[11] The station was assigned the KWVR call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on.[12] Original station owner Gene W. Wilson also served as company president, commercial manager, and general manager of KWVR.[11] Through the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, the station aired a mixed format of middle of the road and country & western music.[13]

A decade of change

Nearly fifteen years after construction on KWVR began, owner Gene W. Wilson agreed to sell the station to David O. Dirks in a deal that closed in November 1974.[14] Dirks continued the station's mix of MOR and country music through the end of the 1970s.

In November 1979, David O. Dirks reached an agreement to sell KWVR to High Valley Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on December 27, 1979.[15] Just over two years later, in February 1982, High Valley Broadcasting, Inc., contracted to sell this station to Tri Star Communications Corporation, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 5, 1982.[16]

The new owners filed an application with the FCC in November 1983 to increase the station's daytime signal strength from 250 to 1,000 watts.[17] The FCC granted KWVR a new construction permit on March 22, 1983, to allow the upgrade and adding a nighttime signal at 250 watts.[17]

The Perkins era

In June 1984, Tri Star Communications Corporation, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to Wallowa Valley Radio Broadcasting Corporation, a company wholly owned by Lee D. Perkins and Carol-Lee Perkins, a married couple.[18] The deal was approved by the FCC on August 13, 1984, and the transaction was consummated on November 19, 1984.[19] In addition to splitting management and production duties as a couple, Lee Perkins also did play-by-play for local high school sports, not missing a game for more than 24 years until pneumonia forced a break in his streak in March 2008.[20] The Perkinses lived in the KWVR radio studio building until they sold the station in December 2008.[21]

KWVR today

Former branding

After nearly a quarter-century of continuous ownership, Wallowa Valley Radio Broadcasting Corporation reached an agreement in December 2008 to sell this station and its KWVR-FM sister station to Wallowa Valley Radio, LLC, for a combined sale price of $650,000.[22][23] The deal was approved by the FCC on January 27, 2009, and the transaction was consummated on March 1, 2009.[24]

Wallowa Valley Radio, LLC, is wholly owned by family members Richard, Mary, and David Frasch of Chanhassen and Fairmont, Minnesota.[22][25][26] The Frasch family has owned ranching property in Wallowa County, Oregon, for more than 20 years.[27]

Awards and honors

On September 13, 2003, Lee Perkins was named Broadcaster of the Year by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters.[28][29] Citing his "significant and lasting contribution to Oregon broadcasting", the OAB presented the award to the man known as the "Voice of Wallowa County" at their annual conference in Portland, Oregon.[28][29]

Lee and Carol-Lee Perkins were chosen to preside as Grand Marshals of the 59th Annual Chief Joseph Days celebration in July 2004.[30] The annual event is held in Joseph, Oregon.[30]

KWVR booth

References

  1. ↑ "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Rush Stations: Oregon". The Rush Limbaugh Show. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Radio Station Search Results: Oregon". LarsLarson.com. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  4. 1 2 "AM / FM Programming Schedule". KWVR Radio. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Moneytalk Radio Stations". Moneytalk with Bob Brinker. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Radio Stations". Red Steagall's Cowboy Corner. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Station Testimonials". The Cowboy Show with Ken Overcast. Archived from the original on December 7, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Affiliate Stations". The Horse Show with Rick Lamb. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  9. ↑ "2008 Oregon State Football Radio Network". BeaverFootball.com. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Oregon State Beaver Network". Learfield Sports. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  11. 1 2 "Directory of AM and FM Radio Stations in the U.S.". 1961-1962 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1961. p. B-136.
  12. ↑ "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  13. ↑ "The Facilities of Radio". 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1974. p. B-172.
  14. ↑ "The Facilities of Radio". 1979 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1979. p. C-180.
  15. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19791119GO)". FCC Media Bureau. December 27, 1979.
  16. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19820219HC)". FCC Media Bureau. April 5, 1982.
  17. 1 2 "Application Search Details (BP-19820901AI)". FCC Media Bureau. March 22, 1983.
  18. ↑ Fletcher, Gary (December 16, 2008). "End of an era: Perkinses selling KWVR radio station". La Grande Observer.
  19. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-19840625FM)". FCC Media Bureau. November 19, 1984.
  20. ↑ "Pneumonia brings KWVR's Perkins to unprecedented silence". Wallowa County Chieftain. March 6, 2008.
  21. ↑ Fletcher, Gary (December 16, 2008). "End of an era; Perkinses selling KWVR radio station". Le Grande Observer. The Perkinses are basically going to retire. They will move out of the radio station building where they have lived, and move into a new home that they’ve been building above the first hole of the Alpine Meadows Golf Course.
  22. 1 2 "From one Wallowa to another". Radio Business Report (#243). December 15, 2008.
  23. ↑ "Transactions: 1-19-09". Radio Business Report. January 19, 2009.
  24. ↑ "Application Search Details (BAL-20081212AAU)". FCC Media Bureau. March 1, 2009.
  25. ↑ Ellyn, Kathleen (December 15, 2008). "KWVR has new owner". Wallowa County Chieftain.
  26. ↑ "Positional Interest Information (BAL-20081212AAU)". FCC Media Bureau. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
  27. ↑ Ellyn, Kathleen (December 18, 2008). "Retirement from Radio: After 25 years, Perkins family sells local station". Wallowa County Chieftain. Longtime local radio station owners and radio personalities Lee and Carol Lee Perkins announced Dec. 15 that Wallowa Radio KWVR has been sold to Richard, Mary and David Frasch of Chanhassen, Minn. and Enterprise.
  28. 1 2 Wilson, Rocky (October 1, 2003). "Broadcaster surprised by award". Wallowa County Chieftain.
  29. 1 2 Wilson, Rocky (September 21, 2003). "Gift of gab leads to statewide award". East Oregonian. Enterprise radio personality Lee Perkins was named Oregon State Broadcaster of the Year by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters at the OAB conference last Saturday night in Portland.
  30. 1 2 Wilson, Rocky (July 22, 2004). "Broadcast team named as CJD grand marshals". Wallowa County Chieftain.
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