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| Frequency | 660kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | 660 AM KCRO |
| Programming | |
| Format | Christian talk and teaching |
| Affiliations | Salem Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KXCB | |
| History | |
First air date | April 19, 1922 (103 years ago) (1922-04-19) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Christian Radio Omaha" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 54902 |
| Class | D |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 41°18′47″N96°0′36″W / 41.31306°N 96.01000°W /41.31306; -96.01000 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kcro |
KCRO (660kHz) is acommercialAMradio station inOmaha, Nebraska. KCRO is owned by Hickory Radio and airs aChristian talk and teachingradio format. The studios are located on Burt Street (near North 120th Street and Dodge Road in West Omaha), while thetransmitter is located behindRoncalli Catholic High School near Sorensen Parkway in Northwest Omaha.[2]
KCRO operates with 1,000watts power during daytime hours. BecauseAM 660 is aclear channel frequency (reserved for 50,000-wattClass AWFAN inNew York City), KCRO must greatly reduce power to 54 watts at night to avoid interference. It uses anon-directional antenna at all times.
Programming was additionally heard on 60-wattFM translator station K293CJ at 106.5 MHz. The translator has since been moved toLincoln, and changed frequencies to 106.7 FM.[3]
KCRO airs national religious leaders such asJim Daly,Chuck Swindoll andDavid Jeremiah as well as local preachers. On weekends, KCRO 660 airssouthern gospel music. KCRO is abrokered time radio station, where hosts pay Hickory Radio for 15 to 30-minute blocks of time, and may use their shows to seek donations to their ministries. Most hours begin with world and national news fromSalem Radio Network.
The stationsigned on the air on April 19, 1922, making it among the oldest radio stations in Nebraska. By the 1930s, it was operating on AM 660 at 500 watts.[4] However, it was originally adaytimer required to go off the air at sunset. The station'scall sign was WAAW and it was owned by the Omaha Grain Exchange, broadcasting agricultural reports and crop prices. In 1939, the call sign were switched to KOWH.
In 1946, KOWH put one of the first FM stations on the air in Omaha, KOAD (laterKTGL).
By the 1950s, the owner was Mid Continent Broadcasting.[5] In an advertisement in the 1950 edition ofBroadcasting Yearbook, KOWH said it was "The Toast of The Midwest." It claimed a broadcast area of 215 miles in diameter, and offered advertisers "more coverage." It touted 660 AM as a "clear channel frequency," but neglected to say that a New York City station owned the clear channel status, and KOWH had tosign off at night.
KOWH played an important role in U.S. radio programming history. In May 1952, the station became what is considered the firstTop 40 station. It was owned and operated by radio pioneerTodd Storz, who crafted a radio format that played the top hits every couple of hours, using high-energydisc jockeys, aimed at young listeners. KOWH's success encouraged the spread of Top 40 stations across the country.
As contemporary music listening switched to the FM band, KOWH carried acountry music format, and later anurban adult contemporary format. It became aChristian radio station in September 1979, and changed its call sign to KCRO.
In 2005, the station was bought for $3.1 million by theSalem Media Group.[6]
In July 2018, Hickory Radio agreed to purchase KCRO, co-ownedtalk radio stationKOTK, and two translators from Salem Media.[7] The purchase was consummated on October 31, 2018, at a price of $1.375 million.
