1280 AM, Broken Bow

Through the Years

• 1952

  KCNI increased power from 250 watts to 1,000 watts on April 3, 1952 and moved from 1490 AM to 1280 AM under the ownership of Bud and Georgia Crawford.

• 1954

  Bud Crawford died and Georgia took over as manager, becoming th eonly woman owner and manager of a radio or television station in Nebraska at the time.

• 1969

  A fire nearly totaled the original KCNI building December 8, 1969 however, KCNI went back on the air about a week later, broadcasting from a four-room trailer house.

• 1972

  August 1972- Cheryl Smith was hired as a salesperson and 14 years later she became the fourth manager of the station.

• 1978

  Georgia Crawford became the first woman inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame on January 10, 1978.

• 1982

  KCNI’s sister station, KBBN 95.3 FM went on the air June 20, 1982.

• 1987

  February 2, 1987, KNCI made a format switch from Adult Contemporary to Country music.

  The Get Up and Go Breakfast Show debuted in 1987 and the Partyline Show moved from 2pm to 10:30 am, where it has been ever since.

• 2009

  Dave Birnie started as news director in the late 1970’s and became the fifth manager on February 1, 1990.

  Dave and his wife Joan Purchased KCNI/KBBN on September 9, 2009 from Liane and Jerry Griffith, who were majority stockholders since the time of Georgia Crawford’s passing.

• 2017

  KCNI format change to Pure Country.