| Broadcast area | Greater Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 670kHz |
| Branding | Radio Iran |
| Programming | |
| Language | Persian |
| Format | EthnicIranian |
| Affiliations | SRN News |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| History | |
First air date | September 19, 1984; 41 years ago (1984-09-19) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Iran |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 69743 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
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Transmitter coordinates | 34°19′10″N118°42′56″W / 34.31944°N 118.71556°W /34.31944; -118.71556 |
| Repeater | 95.5 KLOS-HD3 (Los Angeles) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
KIRN (670AM) is a commercialradio station that islicensed toSimi Valley, California and serves theGreater Los Angeles area. The station is owned byLotus Communications and broadcastsethnicIranian programming.
The station on 670 AM first signed on September 19, 1984 as KWNK, originally owned by Manuel A. Cabranes/Valley Radio LLC.[2] The license was granted as a result of theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) changing the regulations governingclear-channel stations in 1982, which permitted the establishment of lower-power radio stations on clear channel frequencies such as670 AM. KWNK was allocated this frequency after protracted hearings by the FCC. Valley Radio's Consulting Engineer was Cecil Lynch, one of the most respected engineers in the United States. Initially, KWNK served theSimi andConejo valleys ofVentura County, California with 1kW of power 24 hours a day. Eventually, the FCC permitted Valley Radio to increase power to 5 kW during the daytime and 3 kW at night.[3]
KWNK started as atop 40 station as "Top Hits 67 K-Wink", with music from such prominent 1980s artists asPrince andDuran Duran. Program directors during that period included Jim Conlee (former PD ofKHTZ, "K-Hits")[4] and Steve Smith.[5] In mid-1986, KWNK began adjusting its format towardadult contemporary music, playing music from the likes ofAmy Grant, due to direct competition from top 40 stationKIIS-FM. KWNK also airedtalk shows on Sundays; the station eventually adopted a full-time talk format.
In the mid-1990s, KWNK flipped tosports talk, first carrying One-on-One Sports (nowSporting News Radio), thensimulcasting the signal ofXETRA-AM (XTRA Sports 690) inTijuana—San Diego. In August 1996, Valley Radio sold the station toLotus Communications for $4.2 million.[6] KWNK changed itscall letters to KVCA on March 28, 1997,[7] then to KIRN on August 13, 1999.
The XETRA-AM simulcast ended in 2001 when KIRN began airingbrokered-time programs for a brief period, after which the station became "Radio Iran". KIRN is the first, and as of 2013, only,Persian-language radio station in the United States.[citation needed]