KKEE
Encyclopedia
KVAS is a radio station
licensed
to serve Astoria, Oregon
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1950, is currently owned by the Ohana Media Group and the broadcast license
is held by New Northwest Broadcasters
, LLC.
music format branded as "The Spirit of the West 1230". The station will return to its original "KVAS" call sign
as well.
s of power on a frequency of 1050 kHz as KVAS. The station's original license holder, Clatsop Video Broadcasters, was owned in partnership by Leroy E. "Ed" Parsons, E.W. Littlehales, and J.W. Spencer. A year earlier, Parsons had created the first cable television
system in the United States and he is acknowledged as the "father of community antenna television".
KVAS moved to the current 1230 kHz frequency in February 1952 and the shift permitted them to begin 24-hour operation at the 250 watt power level. The partners had the broadcast license
transferred to a new company, KVAS, Inc., but it was unable to overcome the financial difficulties it faced. The station was transferred to William Ohlmann acting as receiver for KVAS, Inc., and in January 1954 he sold it to owners on more solid financial footing.
The company itself was purchased in a deal consummated in March 1974 with the presidency passing from William Tracy Moore to Charles A. Farmer. Under Farmer's leadership, KVAS continued to play a mix of country & western and Top 40 music.
In April 1981, the Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc., announced their intention to sell KVAS to Kay Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 29, 1981. Nine years later, in April 1990, Kay Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell KVAS back to Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 11, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on July 1, 1990.
subsidiary New Northwest Broadcasters II, Inc., as part of a four-station deal valued at $1.5 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 24, 1999, and the transaction was consummated on October 28, 1999.
by the Federal Communications Commission
on January 11, 2001
. These call letters had most recently resided on an FM sister station now known as KLMY (99.7 FM).
KKEE adopted a 24-hour sports talk radio format starting on Monday, May 23, 2004. This change ended the decades-long run of the locally-produced "Sunday Scandinavian Hour".
The station flipped from sports talk as an ESPN Radio
affiliate to a liberal talk radio
format, originally including select shows from Air America Radio
, in October 2007. After Air America folded, syndicated weekday talk programming included The Stephanie Miller Show
, The Ed Schultz Show
and The Thom Hartmann Program from Dial Global
, The Dr. Dean Edell Radio Program and Coast to Coast AM
from Premiere Radio Networks
, plus The Alan Colmes Show
from Fox News Radio
.
In addition to its regularly scheduled news and talk programming, KKEE also aired local high school sports, Oregon State University
Beavers football
, and National Basketball Association
games as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers
radio network. In 2009, the station transitioned to a sports radio
format.
music and announced that they would be changing the station's call letters back to "KVAS".
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 Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1950, is currently owned by the Ohana Media Group and 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...
is held by New Northwest Broadcasters
New Northwest Broadcasters
New Northwest Broadcasters, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, operates 38 radio stations in seven cities in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska...
, LLC.
Programming
As of November 14, 2011, KKEE broadcasts a classic countryClassic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music format branded as "The Spirit of the West 1230". The station will return to its original "KVAS" 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...
as well.
The beginning
This station began broadcasting in 1950 as a daytime-only facility with 250 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 on a frequency of 1050 kHz as KVAS. The station's original license holder, Clatsop Video Broadcasters, was owned in partnership by Leroy E. "Ed" Parsons, E.W. Littlehales, and J.W. Spencer. A year earlier, Parsons had created the first cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
system in the United States and he is acknowledged as the "father of community antenna television".
KVAS moved to the current 1230 kHz frequency in February 1952 and the shift permitted them to begin 24-hour operation at the 250 watt power level. The partners had 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, KVAS, Inc., but it was unable to overcome the financial difficulties it faced. The station was transferred to William Ohlmann acting as receiver for KVAS, Inc., and in January 1954 he sold it to owners on more solid financial footing.
Lower Columbia Broadcasting
Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc., took control of KVAS in January 1954. The station began broadcasting a country & western music format. In 1963, the station was granted authorization to increase its daytime broadcast power to 1,000 watts while maintaining its 250 watt nighttime signal.The company itself was purchased in a deal consummated in March 1974 with the presidency passing from William Tracy Moore to Charles A. Farmer. Under Farmer's leadership, KVAS continued to play a mix of country & western and Top 40 music.
In April 1981, the Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc., announced their intention to sell KVAS to Kay Broadcasting, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 29, 1981. Nine years later, in April 1990, Kay Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell KVAS back to Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on June 11, 1990, and the transaction was consummated on July 1, 1990.
New owners
Lower Columbia Broadcasting Company, Inc., announced in August 1997 that they had agreed to sell KVAS to Dolphin Radio, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on September 23, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on October 17, 1997. Less than two years later, in June 1999, Dolphin Radio, Inc., notified the FCC that they had contracted to sell this station to New Northwest BroadcastersNew Northwest Broadcasters
New Northwest Broadcasters, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, operates 38 radio stations in seven cities in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska...
subsidiary New Northwest Broadcasters II, Inc., as part of a four-station deal valued at $1.5 million. The deal was approved by the FCC on August 24, 1999, and the transaction was consummated on October 28, 1999.
KKEE era
The station was assigned the KKEE 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...
by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal 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...
on January 11, 2001
2001 in radio
The year 2001 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*12 January: Jammin 103.5 becomes Kiss 103.5 in Chicago.*29 January: The 80s Channel WXXY and WWYX becomes Viva! 103.1...
. These call letters had most recently resided on an FM sister station now known as KLMY (99.7 FM).
KKEE adopted a 24-hour sports talk radio format starting on Monday, May 23, 2004. This change ended the decades-long run of the locally-produced "Sunday Scandinavian Hour".
The station flipped from sports talk as an ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
affiliate to a liberal 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, originally including select shows from Air America Radio
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
, in October 2007. After Air America folded, syndicated weekday talk programming included The Stephanie Miller Show
The Stephanie Miller Show
The Stephanie Miller Show is a syndicated progressive talk radio program that discusses politics, current events, and pop culture using a fast-paced, impromptu style. The three-hour show is hosted by comedienne Stephanie Miller along with voice artist Jim Ward and the show's engineer and executive...
, The Ed Schultz Show
The Ed Schultz Show
The Ed Schultz Show is a radio program hosted by Ed Schultz. It was formerly broadcast from KFGO in Fargo, North Dakota. It is heard on a network of over 100 stations , including seven of the 10 largest radio markets...
and The Thom Hartmann Program from Dial Global
Dial Global
Dial Global is a radio syndication company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Triton Media Group and is a sister company to Townsquare Media, both of which are owned by Oaktree Capital Management....
, The Dr. Dean Edell Radio Program and Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM
Coast to Coast AM is a North American late-night syndicated radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics, but most frequently ones that relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was created by Art Bell and is distributed by Premiere Radio Networks. The program currently...
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...
, plus The Alan Colmes Show
The Alan Colmes Show
The Alan Colmes Show is a nationally-syndicated American radio show hosted by commentator Alan Colmes on Fox News Radio.The show is aired on weeknights from 10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. from Fox's New York City studios...
from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
.
In addition to its regularly scheduled news and talk programming, KKEE also aired local high school sports, Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
Beavers football
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, and 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. In 2009, the station transitioned to a sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
format.
KVAS today
On November 14, 2011, KKEE changed their format from sports to classic countryClassic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music and announced that they would be changing the station's call letters back to "KVAS".