KDWA (1460 AM/97.7 FM) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

broadcasting a

hyperlocal Hyperlocal is information oriented around a well-defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of the population in that community. The term can be used as a noun in isolation or as a modifier of some other term (e.g. new ...

News/

Talk Talk may refer to: Communication * Communication, the encoding and decoding of exchanged messages between people * Conversation, interactive communication between two or more people * Lecture, an oral presentation intended to inform or instruct ...

format, licensed to

Hastings, Minnesota Hastings is a city mostly in Dakota County, Minnesota, of which it is the county seat, with a portion in Washington County, Minnesota. It is near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi, Vermillion, and St. Croix River (Wisconsin-M ...

. The station is currently owned by K & M Broadcasting, Inc. and features national news programming from the

USA Radio Network USA Radio Network is an American mass media company, specializing in long-form spoken word (talk radio) and radio newscasts, produced and distributed with a generally conservative focus. USA Radio Network produces and distributes 24-hour news, n ...

at the top of each hour. Locally, KDWA is especially known for its coverage of local news and high school sports for both Hastings and Prescott.

History

KDWA began broadcasting on October 24, 1963. It was founded by John McKane, a former editor for the

Hastings Star Gazette The ''Hastings Star Gazette'' was an American, English language newspaper in Hastings, Dakota County, Minnesota. The Hastings Gazette started publication in 1857. The Hastings Star began publishing as a competitive newspaper in 1977. It was under ...

. The station's first news director, Dave Baudoin, became the majority co-owner in 1968. In 1971, KDWA was allowed to broadcast at night, at a reduced wattage output. Previously, the station (like many AM stations at the time) would sign on at sunrise and sign off at sunset. In 1991, Dan Massman bought the station for $150,000. The following year, he moved it to its current location on Highway 61 in downtown Hastings. While KDWA is primarily a talk station, a weekly

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

EDM EDM or E-DM may refer to: Music * Electronic dance music * Early Day Miners, American band Science and technology * Electric dipole moment * Electrical discharge machining * Electronic distance measurement *Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...

show was DJ'd by Reggie Bauer beginning in 2011 and ending in 2015. Bauer later went on to work as a manager for KDWA's sister station,

Power 96 WPOW (96.5 FM) – branded Power 96 – is a commercial rhythmic top 40 radio station licensed to Miami, Florida. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Miami-Dade County, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area, and much of surrounding ...

Albert Lea, Minnesota Albert Lea is a city in Freeborn County, in southern Minnesota. It is the county seat. Its population was 18,492 at the 2020 census. The city is at the junction of Interstates 35 and 90, about south of the Twin Cities. It is on the shores of ...

. On March 25, 2016, KDWA began simulcasting on an FM translator at 97.9 MHz. However, on May 4 they moved down to 97.7 to avoid interference with a low-power station in Lakeville.

References

External links

* * {{News/Talk Radio Stations in Minnesota Radio stations in Minnesota Talk radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1963 1963 establishments in Minnesota