KNWI
{{short description|Contemporary Christian radio station in Osceola–Des Moines, Iowa}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KNWI
| logo = Life 107.1 logo.png
| frequency = 107.1 MHz {{HD Radio}}
| branding = Life 107.1
| airdate = {{start date|1982|10|1}}
| city = Osceola, Iowa
| country = US
| area = Des Moines metropolitan area
| format = Christian adult contemporary
| languages = English
| subchannels = HD2: Faith Radio (Christian talk and teaching)
| owner = Northwestern Media
| licensee = University of Northwestern - St. Paul
| erp = 100,000 watts
| haat = {{convert|193|m|ft|sp=us}}
| class = C1
| website = {{URL|http://www.life1071.com}}
| webcast = {{listenlive|http://nwmedia-knwi.streamguys.com/knwi}}
| callsign_meaning = Northwestern Iowa
| sister_stations = KNWM
| coordinates = {{coord|41.15155|-94.04510|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-IA_source:FCC|display=inline,title}}
| translator = {{Radio Relay|100.7|K264CD|Des Moines|HD2}}
| facility_id = 37454
| licensing_authority = FCC
| embed_header = Simulcast
| embedded =
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KNWM
| city = Madrid, Iowa
| country = US
| area = Ames-Des Moines
| frequency = 96.1 MHz
| owner = Northwestern Media
| licensee = University of Northwestern – St. Paul
| operator =
| sister_stations =
| founded =
| airdate = {{start date|1997}} (as KEZF)
| last_airdate =
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|KEZF (1997)|KLRX (1997–2004)}}
| former_names =
| former_frequencies =
| callsign_meaning = Northwestern Media
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 42083
| class = A
| power =
| erp = 6,000 watts
| haat = {{convert|100|m|ft|sp=us}}
| coordinates = {{coord|41|51|05|N|93|43|30|W|type:landmark_region:US-IA|name=KNWM}}
| child = yes
}}
}}
KNWI (107.1 FM, "Life 107.1") is a Christian adult contemporary radio station, licensed to Osceola, Iowa, and serving the Des Moines metropolitan area. It is owned and operated by University of Northwestern – St. Paul in Roseville, Minnesota, a religious university which owns a chain of radio stations around the U.S. KNWI also simulcasts on KNWM (96.1 FM) in Madrid, Iowa.
History
The station first signed on the air on October 1, 1982.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1983/B-Radio-Ala-Mt-1983-YB.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1983 page B-90] The call sign was KJJC and the station played country music. It was owned by J. B. Broadcasting, Inc. and it was only powered at 3,000 watts, unable to be heard in the larger Des Moines radio market. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the stations ran a Sports talk format.{{Cite web |date=2002-01-23 |title=KJJC - The JOCK! |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020123003904/http://kjjc.com/ |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=web.archive.org}}
Signal upgrades
Despite targeting Des Moines for decades, the city was outside the station's city-grade contour. In 2018, UNW proposed a modification to KNWI to upgrade it to 100 kW from a tower near Winterset. The move required KDSN-FM 107.1 in Denison to move to 104.9; in order to assure approval, UNW Northwestern subsidiary UNW Media Holdings LLC reached an agreement to buy KDSN-FM and its associated AM KDSN 1530 from Mikadety Radio Corporation for $1.25 million. (In September 2018, UNW Media divested the KDSN stations to JC Van Ginkel, James Field, & Rodney Christensen's Crawford County Broadcasting for $1.15 million.{{Cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170436/station-sales-week-of-9-7-kdsn-gets-divested-soon-after-its-acquisition/|title=Station Sales Week Of 9/7: KDSN Gets Divested Soon After Its Acquisition - RadioInsight|date=September 7, 2018|work=RadioInsight|access-date=September 7, 2018|language=en-US}}) The frequency changes were approved by the FCC on August 12, 2019.{{cite news|url=http://www.northpine.com/blog/2019/08/12/fcc-approves-upgrade-for-des-moines-area-christian-fm/|title=FCC approves upgrade for Des Moines-area Christian FM|work=Northpine|access-date=October 2, 2019|date=August 12, 2019|first=Jon|last=Ellis}} In October 2021, KNWI officially made the upgrade to 100,000 watts, and as a result, KNWM briefly dropped the KNWI simulcast.{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=Jon |title=Central Iowa Contemporary Christian Station Upgrades |url=https://northpine.com/2021/10/26/northwesterns-central-iowa-contemporary-christian-station-upgrades/ |access-date=September 6, 2024 |work=NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting |date=October 27, 2021}}
{{reflist|group="note"}}
References
External links
- [http://www.desmoines.fm Life 107.1 KNWI / 96.1 KNWM Home Page]
{{FM station data|37454|KNWI}}
{{FM station data|42083|KNWM}}
- {{FCC-LMS-Facility|146022|K264CD}}
- {{FXL|K264CD}}
{{Des Moines Radio}}
{{Religious Radio Stations in Iowa}}
Category:Radio stations established in 1983
Category:1983 establishments in Iowa
{{Iowa-radio-station-stub}}
{{DesMoinesIA-stub}}