KXNO

Infobox Radio Station
name = KXNO


city = Des Moines, Iowa
branding =
slogan = Des Moines' Sports Station
airdate = November 2, 1925 (as KSO)
frequency = 1460 (kHz) HD Radio
format = Sports radio
power = 5,000 watts
erp =
class = B
owner = Clear Channel Communications
website = [http://www.kxno.com/ www.kxno.com]
callsign_meaning = Football term X's aNd O's

KXNO is a sports radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. It is located at 1460 on the AM band.

History

KXNO's roots can be traced back to KSO ("Keep Serving Others"), a station that first broadcast from Clarinda, Iowa, 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.cite web|first=George F.|last=Davison, Jr.|title=KRNT-KSO History|url=http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/krnt/krnt-kso-history.html|year=2002|accessdate=2006-01-16]

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. [cite news|first=Bryce|last=Miller|title=Third D.M. station joins all-sports radio format|work=The Des Moines Register|date=2001-01-03|page=3C] 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. [cite news|first=Tom|last=Witosky|title=Another D.M. radio station to pull the plug on sports|work=The Des Moines Register|date=2003-07-28|page=1C]

In 2008, KXNO was nominated for a Marconi award as the "Sports Station of the Year," given annually by the National Assoication of Broadcasters.

KXNO is part of Clear Channel's Des Moines radio group, along with KDRB, KKDM, KPTL, and WHO.

Personalities and programming

Much of KXNO's programming comes from Fox Sports Radio. Local talk show hosts include the balding duo Larry Cotlar and Geoff Conn of the "Cotlar & Company" morning show (6-9am CST) who are obsessed with Fox Sports Radio's Karen Kay, HawkeyeNation.com webmaster & 1040 WHO Sports Director Jon Miller (2-4pm CST), and former KJJC personalities Marty Tirrell and Ken Miller (4-7pm CST).

They have also carried Iowa Cubs baseball games since 2003 and Kansas City Chiefs football games, as well as the syndicated Jim Rome radio show. 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.kxno.com KXNO's web site]
* [http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/kso/kso-main.html KSO historical artifacts] from DesMoinesBroadcasting.com
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