City | Brooklyn Park, Minnesota |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
Branding | "La Invasora" |
Slogan | "La Raza" |
Frequency | 1470 AM (kHz) |
Translator(s) | K239CJ 95.7 (St. Paul) |
First air date | 1956 |
Format | Spanish |
Power | 5,000 watts |
Class | B |
Owner | Maya Santamaria (Santamaria Broadcasting, Inc.) |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | www.lainvasora1400.com |
KMNQ (1470 AM) is a radio station in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. The station currently simulcasts the Spanish-language programming of sister station KMNV. They are licensed to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
KMNQ's studios are located on 27th Avenue South and Lake Street East in Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located in Brooklyn Park.
Since 1994, 1470 simulcast KLBB (1400 AM), which played big band, lounge and middle of the road (MOR) music (often referred to as adult standards). Both stations were operated as The KLBB Company, a for-profit subsidiary of the Greenspring Company owned by American Public Media Group, which operates Minnesota Public Radio and other properties. MPR announced on May 25, 2005 that it had reached an agreement to sell both KLBB and KLBP to Davidson Media Group, a New York-based broadcaster specializing in multi-cultural, community focused formats. Thereafter, KLBB acquired a Spanish-language format, while the format on KLBP remained MOR until July 17, 2006, when it switched to a gospel music format from the Totally Gospel Radio Network (Buffalo, NY) with the KZTG call letters. The sale of both stations was approved by the FCC on July 25, 2005, with Davidson taking control September 7, 2005. It later became KRJJ "Rejoicing In Jesus" in March 2007.
Over the years, the station carried various formats under the call letters KANO ("Anoka") (also album rock as KTWN in 1979 and country music as KKKC in 1983) since 1956 before becoming KBCW in 1991, which played classic country music. Additionally, the station increased its power from 1,000 watts to 5,000 watts and began 24-hour broadcasting. Cargill Communications purchased both KLBB and KBCW in 1993, along with WTCX (105.1 FM) and WLOL (105.3 FM) for the basis of a proposed alternative rock station, soon to become known as "REV105". Cargill was uncomfortable with dropping the much-loved adult standards format of KLBB, so they kept it, updated the music, imaging, promotion and logo of the station, and turned 1470 into a simulcast of KLBB, moving the well-known WLOL call letters (albeit well-known on original frequencies 1330 AM and 99.5 FM) to 1470. In 1999, James and Susan Cargill, who two years earlier had sold the three FM stations that made up REV105, donated 1400 and 1470 (soon to be renamed KLBP) to Minnesota Public Radio, where the two frequencies became part of the commercial Minnesota News Network (MNN). MPR sold off their other station, WMNN, the MNN flagship station, along with the network in 2004, but retained KLBB and KLBP. By now, the "Club 14" simulcast was carrying a mix of local personalities and the "Music Of Your Life" radio network.