| Simulcast ofKNWNSeattle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Broadcast area | Seattle metropolitan area andOlympic Peninsula |
| Frequency | 97.7MHz |
| Branding | Northwest News Radio |
| Programming | |
| Format | All-news |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KNWN,KPLZ-FM,KVI | |
| History | |
First air date | October 26, 1984 (1984-10-26) (as KSWW) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Northwest News" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 51167 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 69,000watts |
| HAAT | 701 meters (2,300 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 47°18′47″N123°22′19″W / 47.313°N 123.372°W /47.313; -123.372 |
| Translator | 99.7 K259BG (Chehalis) |
| Repeater | 101.5KPLZ-HD2 (Seattle) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KNWN-FM (97.7MHz) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toOakville, Washington, and serving theSeattle metropolitan area and theOlympic Peninsula. It is owned byLotus Communications.[2] KNWN-FM broadcasts anall-newsradio format,simulcast withsister stationKNWN1000 AM. It is anetwork affiliate ofABC News Radio. Thestudios and offices are co-located with former sister stationKOMO-TV within KOMO Plaza (formerly Fisher Plaza) in theLower Queen Anne section of Seattle, directly across the street from theSpace Needle.
KNWN-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 69,000watts. Thetransmitter is off West Skokomish Valley Road inSkokomish, Washington, just south of theOlympic National Forest.[3] With its high power andtower at 701 meters (2,300 feet) inheight above average terrain (HAAT), KNWN-FM covers Seattle,Tacoma and much of the Olympic Peninsula with a 60 dBμ signal. KNWN-AM-FM are also heard onFM translator or booster stations in the region.
On October 26, 1984, the station firstsigned on inRaymond, Washington.[4] The firstcall sign was KSWW. It was originally aClass A FM station, powered at only 230 watts, a fraction of its current output. It was owned by Pacific Broadcasting Company and had anadult contemporary format.
In 1997, it was bought by Jodesha Broadcasting, Inc., for $182,400.[5] The call letters switched to KFMY, and it began airing aclassic rock format as "Eagle 97.7".[6] It later was granted a power boost and increase in its antenna height, allowing it to be heard in the more lucrative Seattle-Tacomaradio market.
In May 2009, while still owned by South Sound Broadcasting, the station began simulcasting KOMO, withFisher Communications operating 97.7 FM under alocal marketing agreement.[7] On May 18, 2009, the call letters changed to KOMO-FM. In June 2017, the outright sale of the station to theSinclair Broadcast Group (which had acquired Fisher several years earlier) for $6.75 million was announced.[8] The sale receivedFederal Communications Commission (FCC) approval several years later, and was consummated on June 9, 2020.[7]
On June 3, 2021, Sinclair announced they would sell KOMO-AM-FM,KVI, andKPLZ-FM toLotus Communications for $18 million. Of the $18 million, $5 million was in cash paid at closing; the remainder was Lotus' choice of either cash or advertising for Sinclair properties on Lotus' stations. Sinclair retained KOMO-TV, as well as rights to the KOMO call letters. Lotus and Sinclair also agreed to allow Lotus to use Sinclair equipment and IT systems, including sub-leasing the current KOMO studios, for 18 months following the sale.[9] The sale was completed on September 28, 2021.[10] As required by the terms of the sale, the KOMO radio stations changed their call signs to KNWN on February 2, 2022, in conjunction with a rebranding as "Northwest News Radio"; during the week preceding the relaunch, competitorKIRO-FM preemptively began promoting itself as "Your Northwest News Station".[11]
KNWN-FM is also carried on the following booster andFM translator stations to improve reception of the station: