KVLV (AM)
Encyclopedia
KVLV is a radio station
broadcasting a Country music
format. Licensed to Fallon, Nevada
, USA, the station is currently owned by Lahontan Valley Broadcasting Company, LLC and features programing from ABC Radio and Jones Radio Network. Artists played include Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, and Jimmy Dean.
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Sunday, September 2, 2007KVLV joins hall of fame on 50th anniversary
CHRISTY LATTIN
CHRISTY LATTINShare on Facebook Email Print Comment Recommend
ENLARGE KVLV, Fallon's radio station at 980 AM and 99.3 FM, was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame at a gala event held Aug. 18 in Las Vegas.
The station and two of its disc jockeys were inducted into the hall of fame two weeks ago. Former broadcaster Ted Romero and Bill Oar joined station owners in the hall of fame. According to information from the Nevada Broadcasters Association, only four stations have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame - two from Las Vegas, KKOH-AM in Reno and now KVLV in Fallon.
Mike McGinness, current station co-owner, said his father-in-law Les Pearce grew up on a ranch in Pershing County and got bit by two things at an early age - radio and airplanes. Les went to broadcasting school in Kansas City and returned to Nevada. He helped establish KWNA in Winnemucca but sold his share to a partner and moved to Fallon to begin KVLV with his wife Betty.
The station went live May 9, 1957, but Les worked at NAS Fallon for several years to keep the station afloat.
Betty Pearce hosted a radio show called "Coffee with Betty," a radio version of today's cooking and home improvement shows.
"It was like Martha Stewart on the radio in the '50s," McGinness said.
All three Pearce children - Ed, Dee and Lynn - helped out with the radio station and took turns at the microphone. McGinness said Lynn earned his third class radio-telephone license at the age of 12.
The station initially played country music in the mornings, then Betty's show and easy listening in the afternoons, McGinness said. Once the kids returned from school, they took over broadcasting duties and hosted "Teensville," a show that played rock and roll music.
According to information from the station, KVLV-AM first began with 1 kilowatt at 1250 AM, but moved frequencies in 1963 to 980 AM when the station was upgraded to 5 kilowatts. The FM channel at 99.3 was added in 1966, and the AM station went full-time country in 1967.
One of the station's most popular programs, Trading Post, began in 1957. The call-in show allows listeners to buy, sell and trade just about anything.
"Lynn has touted it as the oldest continuous running program in the state," McGinness laughed. To this day, Trading Post can be heard on 980 AM from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday.
As a young man, Bill Oar spent time at the radio station learning about the business. According to a biography provided by the station, Oar built a 1-milliwatt radio station from a Knight kit to entertain his neighbors east of Fallon upon the advice of Les Pearce.
Oar joined the U.S. Navy in 1964 and served two tours in Vietnam. While deployed on a destroyer, he built an on-ship radio station with music on reel-to-reel and news from the teletype in the radio room. He and another displaced DJ played rock and roll when time permitted.
When he returned stateside, Oar worked for three years at the station before embarking upon a 29-year career with the Churchill County School District Transportation Department, working a few night and weekend shifts.
When Oar retired from the school district in 2000, he returned to the radio station and works the Saturday morning shift.
The station is truly home to dedicated friends and family. All three of Dee and Mike McGinness' kids worked at the station, as have all three of Lynn Pearce's daughters. His youngest, Taylor, currently logs hours at the station - just the latest of three generations of family broadcasters.
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...
broadcasting a Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. Licensed to Fallon, Nevada
Fallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
, USA, the station is currently owned by Lahontan Valley Broadcasting Company, LLC and features programing from ABC Radio and Jones Radio Network. Artists played include Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, and Jimmy Dean.
External links
- http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/article/20070902/News/109020043/-1/rss02
Send us your news
<< back
Sunday, September 2, 2007KVLV joins hall of fame on 50th anniversary
CHRISTY LATTIN
CHRISTY LATTINShare on Facebook Email Print Comment Recommend
ENLARGE KVLV, Fallon's radio station at 980 AM and 99.3 FM, was inducted into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame at a gala event held Aug. 18 in Las Vegas.
The station and two of its disc jockeys were inducted into the hall of fame two weeks ago. Former broadcaster Ted Romero and Bill Oar joined station owners in the hall of fame. According to information from the Nevada Broadcasters Association, only four stations have been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame - two from Las Vegas, KKOH-AM in Reno and now KVLV in Fallon.
Mike McGinness, current station co-owner, said his father-in-law Les Pearce grew up on a ranch in Pershing County and got bit by two things at an early age - radio and airplanes. Les went to broadcasting school in Kansas City and returned to Nevada. He helped establish KWNA in Winnemucca but sold his share to a partner and moved to Fallon to begin KVLV with his wife Betty.
The station went live May 9, 1957, but Les worked at NAS Fallon for several years to keep the station afloat.
Betty Pearce hosted a radio show called "Coffee with Betty," a radio version of today's cooking and home improvement shows.
"It was like Martha Stewart on the radio in the '50s," McGinness said.
All three Pearce children - Ed, Dee and Lynn - helped out with the radio station and took turns at the microphone. McGinness said Lynn earned his third class radio-telephone license at the age of 12.
The station initially played country music in the mornings, then Betty's show and easy listening in the afternoons, McGinness said. Once the kids returned from school, they took over broadcasting duties and hosted "Teensville," a show that played rock and roll music.
According to information from the station, KVLV-AM first began with 1 kilowatt at 1250 AM, but moved frequencies in 1963 to 980 AM when the station was upgraded to 5 kilowatts. The FM channel at 99.3 was added in 1966, and the AM station went full-time country in 1967.
One of the station's most popular programs, Trading Post, began in 1957. The call-in show allows listeners to buy, sell and trade just about anything.
"Lynn has touted it as the oldest continuous running program in the state," McGinness laughed. To this day, Trading Post can be heard on 980 AM from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday.
As a young man, Bill Oar spent time at the radio station learning about the business. According to a biography provided by the station, Oar built a 1-milliwatt radio station from a Knight kit to entertain his neighbors east of Fallon upon the advice of Les Pearce.
Oar joined the U.S. Navy in 1964 and served two tours in Vietnam. While deployed on a destroyer, he built an on-ship radio station with music on reel-to-reel and news from the teletype in the radio room. He and another displaced DJ played rock and roll when time permitted.
When he returned stateside, Oar worked for three years at the station before embarking upon a 29-year career with the Churchill County School District Transportation Department, working a few night and weekend shifts.
When Oar retired from the school district in 2000, he returned to the radio station and works the Saturday morning shift.
The station is truly home to dedicated friends and family. All three of Dee and Mike McGinness' kids worked at the station, as have all three of Lynn Pearce's daughters. His youngest, Taylor, currently logs hours at the station - just the latest of three generations of family broadcasters.