1490 AM, Omaha

Through the Years

• 1940

  Pre-Sign on:  Station got in just under the wire before World War II put a time freeze on applications and construction.
  Originally, the company sought KONB calls before sign on.
  Original application was for 1500kHz, but was moved to 1490 during the 1941 NARBA frequency shifts.

• 1942

  March 4, 1942- KBON signs on, with 250 watts of power, affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System.

  Company is Inland Broadcasting, “Omaha’s New Radio Voice”.

  Station located in the Central Club Building, 2027 Dodge Street, Omaha.  Tower located on roof of building.

  Don Perazzo hosts “Sunrise Serenade”.  Program stays on air for 14 years.  Perazzo remains with station, goes into sales in the 1960’s, and management in the 1970’s.

• 1944

  Sandy Jackson joins station, starts “1490 Swing Club”, becoming Omaha’s first DJ.

• 1946

  Sandy Jackson moves to afternoons “Rhythm Inn”.

• 1948

  New tower installed at 38th & Wright Street.   Sister FM station signs on, from atop the new tower.  Studios/office move to World Insurance Building (Saunders-Kennedy Building), 18th & Douglas.

• 1949

  May 7, 1949- Airs overnight Radiothon for Cancer Society, includes every Omaha radio personality from all stations.

• 1950

  Sandy Jackson leaves station for Todd Storz’ KOWH, 660AM.

• 1956

  September, 1957- Inland sells to Goldenrod Broadcasting for $170,000.

• 1958

  May 7, 1958- Stan Freberg Day.  Airs all-day tribute to the writer of “What Do They Have in Omaha?”

• 1959

  Station begins 24-hour schedule.  The first overnight DJ is Fritz Johnson.

• 1960

  Frank Scott comes aboard as News Director and soon rises to Program Director and General Manager.

  New FCC rules allow 1,000 watts daytime power, remains at 250 watts at night.

• 1962

  Picks up ABC network when dropped by KOIL, 1290.

• 1964

  Lyle DeMoss joins the station following a lustrous career at KFAB and WOW.
  Goldenrod Broadcasting sells to Blaustein Industries (Baltimore, MD) for $325,000.

• 1965

  Begins programming shift to news/talk with more news blocks and “Open Line” talk shows.

• 1966

  Transitions to news/talk completed except for late night filler music blocks.   Slogan:  “Designed to Face the Music”.

• 1970

  Blaustein sells to Paxton Radio, subsidiary of Welcome Radio (Colorado), for $400,000.

  Call letters are changes to KLNG for “Calling” radio.   Drops ABC Network for CBS.

• 1972

  Frank Scott delivers reports from Israel for three days during Yom Kippur War.

• 1973

  Format goes to all news/talk.  Last vestiges of music is removed.

• 1975

  Joins NBC’s new News & Information Service (NIS) network.

• 1976

  May, 1976-Studios/Office moves to 3615 Dodge St., Omaha.

• 1979

  Paxton Broadcasting sells to Great Empire Broadcasting for $700,000 on the last day of NIS operation.  Flips format to Country.

  Call letters change to KYNN for “Country Kin”.  Ken Fearnow is brought in as Sales Manager, soon becomes General Manager.

  Gains sister FM as Great Empire also bought KOWH 94.1 FM, and changes call letters to KYNN FM.

  Studios and office move to 90th and West Dodge Road, Omaha.

• 1983

  Station goes to 1,000 watts full time with new FCC rules for Class IV stations.

  Great Empire sells to Albimar Broadcasting (Boston, MA) for $500,000.  Keeps KYNN call letters and a mostly automated country format.

• 1985

  April, 9, 1985- Flips to Oldies format, with new call letters, KEDS, for the “Edsel” or the 50’s sneaker.

• 1987

  July, 1987- Drops Oldies format, begins simulcast of sister FM KEZO 92.3 rock format.

  1987-  Albimar sells to Narragansett Radio, including KEZO FM, for $8.3 million.

• 1993

  Begins adding sports.  Signs contract for various teams.

• 1994

  Stations affiliates with ESPN Radio, becoming Omaha’s first all-sports station.

• 1995

  Narragansett sells to Journal Broadcasting (Milwaukee, WI) which pays $9 Million for the AM/FM combo that includes KEZO 92.3FM.

• 1996

  Changes call letter to KOSR, for “Omaha Sports Radio.”

• 2000

  Adds Fox Sports Radio.

• 2005

  Swaps format with Journal’s 590 AM, becomes KOMJ with a Nostalgia music format.

• 2007

  Journal sells station to Cochise Broadcasting (Jackson, WY) for $500,000.

  Format flips to satellite-delivered Nostalgia from Waitt Radio Networks (WRN) which is also located in Omaha and 90th & Western.

• 2014

  Cochise is is fined $7,000 from the FCC for failure to maintain a Main Studio.

• 2015

  Cochise sells to Walnut Radio (Steve Seline) for $450,000.

  January 7, 2015-Format changes to Oldies/Adult Contemporary as “Boomer 1490.”, a nod to Baby Boomers, its core demographic.

  Format was officially launched with a live listening party at Gorat’s Steakhouse in Omaha.  The first song played under the new Boomer format was “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys.

  June, 2015-  Long time Omaha radio legend Dave Wingert became the new Morning Show Host.

• 2016

  Station gains its first translator, 99watts at 104.1 FM, K281CJ, first used on February 10, 2016.

• 2017

  Takes satellite Oldies/AC programming from Local Radio Network (LRN, Indianapolis, IN).

• 2018

  September, 2018- long time Omaha radio personality Jack Swanda takes over afternoons on the station.

  December 11, 2018-  Call letters are changed to KOBM.

• 2019

  April 1, 2019-  Along with sister 1420AM changes, call letters flip from KBOM to KIBM.

• 2021

  During the latter part of the year,  1490’s transmitter site is moved to its new location, co-located on the 660AM tower, 60th & Hartman, Omaha.