KMNV
| Broadcast area | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
|---|---|
| Branding | La Raza |
| Frequency | 1400 kHz |
| Translator(s) | K239CJ 95.7 (St. Paul) |
| First air date | 1936 |
| Format | Mexican music |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 99 |
| Former callsigns | WMIN, WMNS, KTWN, KEEY, KLBB |
| Owner | Maya Santamaria (Santamaria Broadcasting, Inc.) |
| Website | laraza1400.com |
KMNV (1400 AM) is a radio station in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota that airs a Spanish-language music and entertainment format.
KMNV's studios are located on 27th Avenue South and Lake Street East in Minneapolis, while its transmitter is located near the Mississippi River in southeast Minneapolis.
The station began as WMIN in the summer of 1936, when Saint Paul furniture retailer Edward Hoffman began broadcasting at 1370 kHz. WMIN was reassigned to the 1400 kHz frequency in 1941 when an international treaty (NARBA) was negotiated to reduce interference between American radio stations and those from other regions. Noted jazz announcer Leigh Kamman started his career in broadcasting at the station around this time.
For many years, the station's transmitter and single tower have enjoyed an enviable location in the center of the metro area. Since at least the late 1970s/early 1980s, if not earlier, KMNV's technical plant has been located within a block of the city limits separating Minneapolis and St. Paul just east of the Mississippi River at 611 West Frontenac Place in St. Paul. It is plainly visible to travelers on Interstate Highway 94. The studios, at least in the 1970s and 1980s, were also located at this address.
WMIN set up a sister station, WMIN-FM at 99.5 MHz in 1945, which operated until being purchased by the owners of AM station WLOL and given those call letters in 1956. WMIN would eventually sign on another sister station, at 102.1 FM.
In addition to FM, WMIN went into television as well, applying for a television license in 1952 for channel 11. WTCN radio had also applied for this frequency, so the stations arranged to divide the broadcast day between the two stations. The stations soon merged as WTCN, which eventually became today's KARE.
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