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1410 AM, North Platte

City of License: North Platte, NE

First Air Date: January, 1966

Operating Power: 1,000 watts daytime, 500 watts directional nights

Original Call Letters: KNOP

General Manager: Harry D. Peck

Issued To: North Platte Television, Inc. (Fred E. Hrake)

Tagged:

A.E. Dahl Chuck Schwartz Don Clonch Ferris E. Traylor Fred E. Hrake Gary Shorman Harry D. Peck Jim Kamerzell Nelson E. Dahl Rex Anderson Richard F. Shively Robert E. Schmidt Ross Beach

Through the Years

  • 1966

    January, 1966- KNOP signs on, with studios/offices at U.S. 83, 3.75 miles North of the North Platte city limits at the KNOP TV studios.  Transmitter located on US 83, 1.6 miles north of North Platte.

    Studios and offices move to 414 N. Dewey Street, North Platte.

    Joins CBS.

  • 1967

    August, 1967-North Platte Television Inc., ownership transfer from Fred E. Harake et al to Fer-Rich Broadcasting Company, Inc. (Ferris E. Traylor and Richard F. Shively) for $217,000, which includes KNOP TV Channel 2.

  • 1970

    Transfer of control to Richard F. Shively.

  • 1971

    February, 1971-Station is sold to A.E. Dahl for $275,000. Studios/offices move back to 1301 East 4th Street in North Platte.

  • 1972

    Call letters are changed to KAHL.

  • 1973

    Station switches network affiliation to ABC from CBS.  Format:  Middle of the Road, Farm news 7 hours weekly, “Farm and Ranch Radio” slogan.

  • 1977

    Daytime power increase to 5,000 watts.  Slogan:  “Big Radio for West Nebraska.”

  • 1979

    February, 1979-  Co-owned KELN 97.1 signs on.  Format:  top 40 with Oldies blend.  Network affiliation:  MBS.

  • 1980

    KAHL network affiliation switched to MBS.  Farm programming is increased to 12 hours weekly.

  • 1982

    June, 1982- KAHL is acquired by Valley Communications, Inc. for $810,000, including KELN 97.1 FM.  Sold by Dahl Broadcasting, Inc and Dahl FM Broadcasting Inc to Valley Communications.  Seller is principally owned by A. E. Dahl and son, Nelson E. Dahl, who have no other broadcasting interests.  Buyer is owned by Ross Beach and Robert E. Schmidt, who are a Hay, Kansas-based group owners of four AM’s and three TV’s.

  • 1983

    Call letters change from KAHL to KOOQ.

  • 1985

    KOOQ format is country with 12 hours of farm programming weekly.   New GM is Gary Shorman who eventually is the COO of Beach-Schmidt broadcasting.

  • 1988

    KOOQ format flips from Oldies to Country.   Jim Kamerzell becomes General Manager as Shorman takes on group COO duties.

  • 1991

    March 1991-Ross-Beach sells controlling interest to Robert E. Schmidt, Beach-Schmidt Group, Hays, KS. as part of a 12-station deal that includes KELN 97.1 FM for $14.14 million.

  • 1993

    Don Clonch replaces Kamerzell as General Manager.

  • 1994

    Beach-Schmidt becomes employee-owned (ESOP) Eagle Communications, headquartered in Hays, KS, Robert E. Schmidt, VP.

  • 1997

    Rex Anderson succeeds Don Clonch as General Manager.

  • 2003

    Chuck Schwartz takes over as General Manager.

  • 2007

    November 1, 2007-KOOQ format flips from Oldies to ESPN radio.

  • 2018

    December, 2018- FM Translator is added- K251CP 98.1, 250 watts.  With the translator launch, ESPN is dropped for “Reindeer Radio” Christmas music stunt programming.  At conclusion, a new Classic Hits format is launched as “North Platte’s Greatest Hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.”