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94.7 FM, Norfolk

City of License: Norfolk, NE

First Air Date: April 6, 1979

Operating Power: 100,000 watts

Original Call Letters: KNEN

Format: Adult Contemporary

Network Affiliation: ABC Contemporary

General Manager: Gene A. Koehn, President/General Manager

News Director: Bob Morris

Program Director: Chuck Thomas

Date of FCC Issue: February 29, 1980

Issued To: Central Radio, Inc.

Through the Years

  • 1978

    November 1, 1978- Construction Permit issued for KNEN.

  • 1979

    April 6, 1979- KNEN Signs on with 100,000 watts at 539 feet.  Transmitter/Tower located 5.5 miles South-West of Highway 121 from Battle Creek, NE.   Studios located at 300 Madison Avenue in Norfolk, NE.    Owner:  Central Radio, Inc., Gene Koehn President and General Manager.  Programming:  Adult Contemporary.  Purchased CP for $500,000.

  • 1991

    KNEN obtains a Construction Permit to go to a new antenna height of 1010 feet.  Later dismissed.

  • 1996

    Owner Gene Koehn elevates General Sales Manager Ellen Denny to GM/GSM duties.

  • 1999

    12/22/99-  Waitt Radio (Norman Waitt) enters into a time brokerage agreement with Central Radio for KNEN.

  • 2005

    Neil Lipetkzy is General Manager.

  • 2006

    April 30, 2006-  Central Radio sells KNEN to NRG Sub, LLC. (Mary Quass) for $1.8 million.

  • 2008

    February 5, 2008- Red Beacon Communications, Inc (Mike Flood) buys KNEN from NRG, moves studios to co-located KUSO FM at 214 North 7th Street, Norfolk, NE.  Format flip to Classic Rock under the slogan “94 Rock.”   Angie Stenger is General Manager.     Red Beacon also acquires KCTY/KTCH, Wayne, NE in a separate transaction but soon spins those stations off to David Kelly.