1240 AM, North Platte

Through the Years

• 1930

  Station’s initial call letters are KGNF, at 1430kHz, 500 watts daytime operation only.  Studios & Transmitter were located at 1621 East 12th Street, North Platte, NE, the site of the original ranch home of William F. Cody.  (Streets were later renumbered, changed to 1520 East 12th Street).   Station Director was W. I. LeBarron.

  July 5, 1930-  Station signs on.

• 1931

  License is transferred to Great Plains Broadcasting Co.  (W. I. Le Barron, President).

• 1934

  November, 1934-  Power is increased to 1,000 watts.

• 1941

  Dial position is shifted to 1460 in the 1941 NARBA reallocation program.

• 1943

  December 11, 1943-  Station is sold to WOW Inc. (Omaha, NE) for $40,000.  Call letters are changed to KODY.  John Alexander is named General Manager and station joins the NBC network.

• 1944

  Frequency is moved to 1240 kHz with 250 watts, gaining unlimited hours of operation.

• 1950

  October, 1950-Station is sold to Radio Station KODY (George B. Dent, Jr 43%, Townsend E. Dent 42%, John Alexander 16%) for $100,000.

• 1957

  June, 1957- Sold to KODY Inc. (Judith S. Scofield 50%, Harley & Margery Samuels 50%) for $210,000.

• 1959

  May, 1959-  Construction permit is filed for 1,000 watts daytime operation.

  September, 1959- Sold to KODY Broadcasting Co. (George & Maxine Dent, Jr.) for $197,500.

   

• 1960

  September 15, 1960-  Station is sold to North Platte Broadcasting, Inc. (James Stuart Investments, Lincoln, NE) for $200,000 including a five-year no-compete clause.  Harry Peck is named General Manager.

• 1961

  January, 1961-  New transmitter and tower are constructed at West 17th and North Washington Streets on the north side of town.

• 1962

  Daytime power is increased to 1,000 watts.

  July, 1962-  Studios and offices are moved to 308 West 4th Street, North Platte.

• 1964

  July, 1964-  Station is sold to KODY Radio, Inc. ( H.P. Lau, Lincoln Grocery firm, 92%) for $250,000.  Format is Middle of the Road, still with NBC .

  Nebraska radio legend Joe di Nalate served as General Manager of the station from 1964-1972.  Gerry (Geraldine) Wing was Promotion Director for the station for many years.

• 1972

  December, 1972-Station is sold to North Platte Broadcasting, Inc. (Richard Wagner, President with Robert Howsam (President of the Cincinnati Reds and one-time owner of KHOW, Denver, CO), Eames Irwin, John Phillips 20% each, Thomas Haydock and George Haydock 10% each) for $220,000.  No format change.  Wagner is Vice-President of Cincinnati Reds, Inc.

• 1979

  Sister FM signs on, KODY FM 94.9, 63,000 watts at 205 feet, from the AM tower site, with separate Country programming.

• 1986

  Station gains full time operation with 1,000 watts.  KODY FM call letters are changed to KSRZ.

• 1987

  September, 1987-Station is sold by North Platte Broadcasting Inc. (Eames Irvin)  to Central Nebraska Broadcasting (Mitchell Broadcasting Group, John Mitchell, President) for $300,000 including KSRZ FM.  Buyer also owns KXNP 103.5 (KX104), North Platte.  CBS, MBS networks added to NBC affiliation.  Format:  Adult Contemporary/Oldies.  Neil Nelkin, former co-owner of KXNP is named interim station manager.
  Bob Issacson named General Manager

  KSRZ is sold off to John Townsend of Tri-State Broadcasting, Co,  and call letters change to KJLT, with a religious format.

• 1990

  After some management changes, George McPherson is named General Manager.

  March 22, 1990- KSRZ is sold to John Townsend for $85,000, owner of KJLT AM.  KSRZ is renamed KJLT FM.

• 1991

  McPherson is replaced as General Manager by John Hagerman.

• 1993

  Studios/Offices are moved to 305 East 4th Street, North Platte.

  General Manager John Hagerman retires and is replaced by Rob Mandeville.

• 1998

  KODY drops NBC, but keeps CBS network affiliation.

• 2001

  Mitchell stations including KODY are sold to Waitt Radio as a package for $36.6million. Waitt Radio later becomes NRG (New Radio Group).

• 2007

  NRG sells KODY to Armada Media in a multi-station package that includes KXNP, 103.5 FM, North Platte, KUVR 1380 AM and KMTY 97.7 FM Holdrege-Kearney for $4.5 million.

• 2012

  An FM translator K291BW for KODY programming relay is added at 106.1, 250 watts.