Northwestern Media

Northwestern Schools, as it was then known, entered the broadcasting business with the launch of KTIS-AM-FM in the Twin Cities on February 7, 1949.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35212787/ktis_religious_station_launched/|work=Star-Tribune|title=KTIS, Religious Station, Launched|date=February 8, 1949|access-date=August 23, 2019}} The construction of KTIS, costing $40,000, was entirely underwritten by the school's students.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35212797/students_finance_new_station_ktis/|work=Minneapolis Star|date=February 8, 1949|access-date=August 24, 2019|title=Students Finance New Station KTIS}} Its radio ministry soon expanded. On April 1, 1953, it bought KBOK in Waterloo, Iowa, and changed its call letters to KNWS.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35213530/school_group_to_assume_control_of_kbok/|title=School Group to Assume Control of KBOK Apr. 1|date=March 17, 1953|work=The Courier|access-date=August 23, 2019}} Growth continued with the October 25, 1955,{{r|bcyb76}}{{rp|C-149}} launch of KFNW in Fargo, North Dakota, and its 1961 acquisition of KIHO in Sioux Falls, which became KNWC.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35213582/station_kiho_is_now_knwc/|work=Argus-Leader|date=April 19, 1961|access-date=August 23, 2019|title=Station KIHO Is Now KNWC}} Northwestern built FM stations in all three cities in 1965 (Fargo's KFNW-FM{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1976/1976-BC-YB.pdf|title=Radio|work=1976 Broadcasting Yearbook|date=1976|access-date=August 23, 2019}}{{rp|C-149}} and Waterloo's KNWS-FM{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35213500/waterloos_knws_begins_fm_operation/|work=Cedar Rapids Gazette|date=June 17, 1965|title=Waterloo's KNWS Begins FM Operation|access-date=August 23, 2019}}) and 1969 (KNWC-FM in Sioux Falls{{r|bcyb76}}{{rp|C-181}}). Northwestern acquired WRVB-FM in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1973,{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35214277/|title=College Buys Radio Station|access-date=August 23, 2019|date=January 30, 1973|work=Wisconsin State Journal}} changing it to WNWC; the college would buy an AM station there in 1997.

In 1983, KDNI in Duluth, Minnesota,came to air; it was joined by KDNW, a second frequency, in 1992. Des Moines, Iowa, became part of Northwestern Media's footprint when radio stations KJJC and KLRX were bought out of receivership{{cite news|url=http://www.iowastatedaily.com/sports/espn-radio-affiliate-closes/article_16a47d59-e7e9-5127-8c4a-9823a1f04618.html|work=Iowa State Daily|title=ESPN radio affiliate closes|date=June 26, 2003|access-date=August 23, 2019|first=Dave|last=Sprau}} and became KNWI and KNWM in 2004. KLJC in Kansas City was acquired in 2013 from Calvary Bible College{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/80763/northwestern-college-acquires-kljc-kansas-city/|work=RadioInsight|title=Northwestern College Buys KLJC Kansas City|access-date=August 23, 2019|date=January 29, 2013|first=Lance|last=Venta}} and renamed it KJNW.

In 2010, citing years of low listener support and the fact that it was subsidized by the rest of the network, Northwestern College closed WSMR in Sarasota, Florida, which it had built in 1996; the station was sold to the University of South Florida for $1.275 million and began broadcasting classical music.{{cite news|url=https://www.rbr.com/noncommercial-wsmr-fm-sarasota-fl-going-secular/|work=RBR|title=Noncommercial WSMR-FM Sarasota FL going secular|date=August 4, 2010|access-date=August 23, 2019}}

Between 2007 and 2012, Northwestern owned a third station in the Fargo area, KFNL. The station was sold to a commercial broadcaster, Mediactive, LLC, in 2012{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/81121/the-bone-fargo-goes-dark/|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|date=March 5, 2013|title=The Bone Fargo Goes Dark|access-date=August 23, 2019}} and is now KBMW-FM.

Between April and August 2018, UNW briefly owned two secular stations, KDSN-AM-FM, in Denison, Iowa. UNW had acquired the stations in order to move KDSN-FM to another frequency and facilitate a signal upgrade for KNWI.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/170436/station-sales-week-of-9-7-kdsn-gets-divested-soon-after-its-acquisition/|work=RadioInsight|first=Lance|last=Venta|title=Station Sales Week Of 9/7: KDSN Gets Divested Soon After Its Acquisition |access-date=August 23, 2019}}

Northwestern acquired KLBF near Bismarck, North Dakota, from the Educational Media Foundation in 2017; KLBF became a Faith station, making it the westernmost station in the Northwestern Media portfolio and one of its few markets without a Life station.{{cite news|url=http://moodle.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news1017.html|work=Northpine|date=October 2, 2017|title=KLBF/89.1 (Lincoln-Bismarck) has returned to the air...|access-date=August 23, 2019}} EMF had previously donated WNWW, an AM radio station in Hartford, Connecticut, to the university in 2016.{{cite news|url=http://nrb.org/news-room/articles/nrbt/k-love-transfers-ownership-wccc-am-hartford-faith-radio/|work=NRB Today|title=K-LOVE Transfers Ownership of WCCC-AM in Hartford to Faith Radio|date=April 14, 2016|access-date=August 24, 2019}}

In 2018, Northwestern Media entered Omaha with its acquisition of KGBI-FM from Salem Media Group for $3.15 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180522005982/en/Salem-Media-Announces-Sale-KGBI-FM-Omaha|work=BusinessWire|title=Salem Media Announces Sale of KGBI-FM in Omaha|date=May 22, 2018|access-date=August 23, 2019}}

Northwestern Media made two major network acquisitions in 2019. The first came in July when the entire Refuge Radio network was donated to UNW. Refuge owned three full-power stations and 13 dependent translators in Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota.{{cite news|url=http://www.insideradio.com/free/refuge-media-group-donates-stations-to-university-of-northwestern-st/article_669f8f94-aa68-11e9-915a-9f47d11b78f7.html|work=Inside Radio|date=July 19, 2019|title=Refuge Media Group Donates Stations To University of Northwestern-St. Paul.|access-date=August 23, 2019}} The Refuge network was dismantled and almost all of its transmitters converted to repeat Life and Faith stations; former network key station WJRF in Duluth was taken silent (as Northwestern already had two stations there), the two other full-power stations began simulcasting Life stations, and the translators were spread around the Life and Faith networks.{{cite news|work=Northpine|url=http://www.northpine.com/blog/2019/09/03/northwestern-expands-life-faith-networks-on-former-refuge-stations/|date=September 3, 2019|first=Jon|last=Ellis|title="Life," "Faith" Networks Expand on Former Refuge Stations|access-date=September 3, 2019}}

On August 6, 2019, the Illinois Bible Institute announced it would sell its New Life Radio Network (WBGL/WCIC), a two-network radio ministry primarily broadcasting in Illinois, to the University of Northwestern. UNW paid $9,901,558.34 to acquire its 13 full-power stations and eight translators.{{cite news|url=https://www.rbr.com/faith-radio-finds-new-life-with-13-new-stations-plus-translators/|work=RBR|title=Faith Radio Finds New Life With 13 New Stations, Plus Translators|first=Adam|last=Jacobson|date=August 6, 2019|access-date=August 23, 2019}} The acquisition brought UNW's number of broadcast licenses to 81 in 10 states.{{cite news|url=http://www.insideradio.com/free/u-of-northwestern-buys-stations-from-illinois-bible-institute/article_cd683e04-b820-11e9-933a-c3cf360139c1.html|work=Inside Radio|title=U. of Northwestern Buys 13 Stations From Illinois Bible Institute.|access-date=August 23, 2019}}

In 2021, Northwestern filed to purchase KLMP and KSLT in Rapid City, South Dakota, and their repeaters from Bethesda Christian Broadcasting,{{cite news|work=Northpine|url=http://www.northpine.com/blog/2021/10/29/bethesda-sells-2-of-its-3-rapid-city-stations-to-northwestern/|first=Jon|last=Ellis|title=Bethesda Sells 2 of its 3 Rapid City Stations to Northwestern|access-date=October 29, 2021}} closing on the purchase in January 2022.{{cite news|work=Northpine|url=http://www.northpine.com/blog/2022/02/03/northwestern-closes-on-two-rapid-city-stations-third-to-be-sold/|first=Jon|last=Ellis|title=Northwestern Closes Purchase of Two Rapid City Stations, Third to be Sold|access-date=February 3, 2022}} It obtained new licenses for full-power non-commercial stations in Ashland, Wisconsin, and Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2022,{{cite news|work=Northpine|url=http://www.northpine.com/blog/2022/01/21/fcc-begins-granting-new-non-commercial-fm-stations/|first=Jon|last=Ellis|title=Running List: FCC Grants New Non-Commercial FM Stations|access-date=January 21, 2022}}{{cite news|work=Northpine|url=https://www.northpine.com/blog/2022/04/17/fcc-monitor-quad-cities-fm-translator-to-relay-iheart-station/|first=Jon|last=Ellis|title=Running List: FCC Monitor: Quad Cities FM Translator to Relay iHeart Station|access-date=April 17, 2022}} and it also purchased a series of FM translators rebroadcasting KSLT from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel that year.{{cite news|work=InsideRadio|url=https://www.insideradio.com/features/deal_digest/deal-digest---september-1-2022/article_c96cc748-29bf-11ed-9044-fba7c5f1e4e6.html|first=InsideRadio|last=Deal Digest|title=Deal Digest - September 1, 2022|access-date=September 1, 2022}}

In a $1.25 million transaction, UNW filed to acquire the Lake Area Educational Broadcasting Foundation, whose Spirit FM and Elevate FM services are broadcast in various cities in Missouri, in March 2023.{{Cite news|date=March 15, 2023|title=Northwestern Media Expands Across Missouri With Spirit-FM Purchase|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/249871/northwestern-media-expands-across-missouri-with-spirit-fm-purchase/|first=Lance|last=Venta|work=RadioInsight}} The purchase, including fifteen stations, eight translators, and six construction permits, was consummated on July 5, 2023.

In 2024, the Sound of Life Radio Network's nine stations and three translators in New York were donated to Northwestern Media."[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/265731/sound-of-life-to-donate-stations-to-northwestern-media/ Sound of Life To Donate Stations To Northwestern Media]", RadioInsight. March 5, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2024. One of the Sound of Life stations, WSSK in Saratoga Springs,{{cite news |title=Northwestern Media Gains 9 Stations Donated By Sound Of Life. |url=https://www.insideradio.com/free/northwestern-media-gains-9-stations-donated-by-sound-of-life/article_bf6ed304-dbce-11ee-abc2-afc99d511 |access-date=April 21, 2025 |work=Inside Radio |date=March 6, 2024}} ceased operations on April 28, 2024, as its tower was demolished following a truck damaging its guy wires; Northwestern Media turned in its license in April 2025.{{cite news |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=FCC Report 4/20: Mekaddesh Group Requests Cancellation Of Seven Licenses |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/298951/fcc-report-4-20-mekaddesh-group-requests-cancellation-of-seven-licenses/ |access-date=April 21, 2025 |work=RadioInsight |date=April 19, 2025}}

{{RadioTranslators

| call1 = K293AX

| freq1 = 106.5

| watts1 = 85

| haat1 = 85

| class1 = D

| city1 = Jefferson City, Missouri

| call2 = K281AT

| freq2 = 104.1

| watts2 = 92

| haat2 = 122.3

| class2 = D

| city2 = Lebanon, Missouri

| call3 = K254BU

| freq3 = 98.7

| watts3 = 10

| haat3 = 29

| class3 = D

| city3 = Marshall, Missouri

| call4 = K246DD

| freq4 = 97.1

| watts4 = 140

| haat4 = 42.7

| class4 = D

| city4 = Rolla, Missouri

| call5 = K208BO

| freq5 = 89.5

| watts5 = 15

| haat5 = 67

| class5 = D

| city5 = Warsaw, Missouri

| fid1 = 154612

| fid2 = 152452

| fid3 = 140750

| fid4 = 36254

| fid5 = 36247

}}

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{{American broadcast radio}}

Category:University of Northwestern – St. Paul

Category:1949 establishments in Minnesota

Category:Christian radio stations in the United States

Category:Christian mass media companies