KZNS (1280
kHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that on ...
, The KSL Sports Zone) is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
AM 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 ...
in
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. It airs a
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
and is owned by Jazz Communications LLC.
Programming is
simulcast
Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultane ...
on co-owned
KZNS-FM
KZNS-FM (97.5 MHz, The KSL Sports Zone) is a commercial radio station licensed to Coalville, Utah and serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. It airs a sports talk radio format and is owned by Jazz Communications LLC. Ryan Smith (busine ...
97.5,
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Coalville, Utah
Coalville is a city in and the county seat of Summit County, Utah, Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,363 as of the 2010 ...
. On weekdays, KZNS-AM-FM have local hosts discussing Salt Lake City and national sports. Nights and weekends, programming is supplied by
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio is an American sports radio network. Based in Los Angeles, California, the network is operated and managed by Premiere Networks in a content partnership with Fox Corporation's Fox Sports division and iHeartMedia, parent company ...
. KZNS-AM-FM are the
flagship radio stations for the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
basketball team
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
and the
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. They are located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and play their home games at Smith's Ballpark. The ballpark op ...
Minor League Baseball team.
KZNS's
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...
is near the
Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
in
North Salt Lake
North Salt Lake is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden– Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 16,322 at the 2010 census, which had risen to an estimated 20,948 as of 2019.
Th ...
, and their headquarters are located inside the
Vivint Arena
Vivint Arena (stylized as vivint arena), formerly known as Delta Center, EnergySolutions Arena and Vivint Smart Home Arena, is an indoor arena located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The arena serves as the home venue for the National Basketball Assoc ...
in Salt Lake City. It is a
Class B radio station, running 50,000
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s by day, the maximum power for commercial AM radio stations in the U.S. But at night, to protect other stations on
1280 AM
The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 1280 kHz: 1280 AM is a regional North American
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to t ...
, it drops power to just 670 watts. It uses a
directional antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates or receives greater power in specific directions allowing increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas provide increased performance ...
at all times.
History
KNAK
The station first
signed on
Signing may refer to:
* Using sign language
* Signature
A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on do ...
the air in February, 1945, and held the
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
KNAK.
[History Cards for KZNS](_blank)
fcc.gov. Accessed September 13, 2015 The station was owned by the Granite District Radio Broadcasting Company with studios in the
Continental Bank Building
The Continental Bank Building is a 50-story skyscraper at 30 Broad Street in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City. It was completed in 1932 in the Art Deco style. It is next to the New York Stock Exchange Building.
History Origin ...
on South Temple at Main Street.
KNAK first broadcast on 1400 kHz at only 250 watts. By this time,
KSL was powered at 50,000 watts. KNAK was not associated with any of the big radio networks. Salt Lake City had four other radio stations,
network affiliate
In the broadcasting industry (particularly in North America, and even more in the United States), a network affiliate or affiliated station is a local broadcaster, owned by a company other than the owner of the network, which carries some or a ...
s of
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
,
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
and the
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...
. In the 1950s, KNAK moved to 1280 kHz, accompanied by an increase in power to 5,000 watts by day, 500 watts at night.
KWMS
On January 16, 1976, the station's call sign was changed to KWMS.
As KWMS, the station aired an
all-news
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to the discussion and broadcast of news.
All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried on both major US satellite radio networks. All-news stations can run the ...
format. It was an affiliate of NBC Radio's "
News and Information Service" (NIS), a 24 hour all-news network.
NIS was discontinued in 1977. KWMS began doing a local version of the all-news format using its own anchors and the services of the Mutual Broadcasting System.
KDYL
On July 21, 1982, the station's call letters switched to KDYL.
[Call Sign History](_blank)
fcc.gov. Accessed September 13, 2015 In the early and mid 1980s, KDYL aired an all-news format. By 1986, the station had begun airing the "Music of Your Life"
adult standards format, featuring
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...
music and adult pop songs from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The station continued airing this format until June 27, 2000.
On June 27, 2000, the station switched to a
talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
format.
It primarily carried
conservative talk
Conservative talk radio is a talk radio format in the United States and other countries devoted to expressing conservative viewpoints of issues, as opposed to progressive talk radio. The definition of conservative talk is generally broad enough ...
programming.
Syndicated shows hosted by
Michael Savage
Michael Alan Weiner (born March 31, 1942), known by his professional name Michael Savage, is a far-right author, conspiracy theorist, political commentator, activist, and former radio host. Savage is best known as the host of '' The Savage Na ...
and
Michael Medved
Michael Saul Medved (born October 3, 1948) is an American radio show host, author, political commentator, and film critic. His talk show, ''The Michael Medved Show'', is syndicated from his home station KTTH in Seattle. It is syndicated via Gen ...
appeared, along with "
Imus in the Morning
''Imus in the Morning'' was a long-running radio show hosted by Don Imus. The show originated on June 2, 1968, on various stations in the Western United States and Cleveland, Ohio before settling on WNBC radio in New York City in 1971. In Octob ...
" hosted by
Don Imus
John Donald Imus Jr. (July 23, 1940 – December 27, 2019), also known mononymously as Imus, was an American radio personality, television show host, recording artist, and author. His radio show, ''Imus in the Morning'', was aired on various stat ...
.
KZNS
In 2001, the station was acquired by the Simmons Media Group, which also owned popular
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
station 100.3
KSFI
KSFI (100.3 FM) is a radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. KSFI maintains studio facilities located at the KSL Broadcast House building in Salt Lake City's Triad Center (which also house KRSP-FM and the KSL-AM-FM- TV partners), ...
. On November 12, 2001, KDYL's call sign was changed to KZNS.
That same day, Simmons Media changed the format of the station, airing
CNN Headline News
HLN is an American basic cable network. Owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the network primarily carries true crime programming.
The channel was originally launched on January 1, 1982 by Turner Broadcasting as CNN2 (later renamed Headline News ...
in the daytime and sports talk in the afternoon and evening.
Soon thereafter, sports talk programming occupied the station's entire schedule, calling itself "The Zone."
When Simmons acquired the station, the KDYL call letters were assigned to a
Tooele, Utah
Tooele ( ) is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 35,742 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Tooele County. Located approximately 30 minutes southwest of Salt Lake City, Tooele is known for Tooele Army ...
, station, then at 990 kHz, and the owner of that station, then Thomas Mathis, was compensated to release the KDYL call letters, changing the call sign of his station to KTLE. Prior to the Tooele station having the call sign of KDYL, those call letters were assigned to the 1320 kHz Salt Lake City station, now known as KNIT. Simmons wanted to call this station KDYL because those call letters had been in use for a long time in the Salt Lake City
radio market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
.
As of February 1, 2011, KZNS' "The Zone" sports talk programming also began to be heard on co-owned
KZNS-FM
KZNS-FM (97.5 MHz, The KSL Sports Zone) is a commercial radio station licensed to Coalville, Utah and serving the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. It airs a sports talk radio format and is owned by Jazz Communications LLC. Ryan Smith (busine ...
97.5 licensed to
Coalville, Utah
Coalville is a city in and the county seat of Summit County, Utah, Summit County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City metropolitan area, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,363 as of the 2010 ...
, a Salt Lake City suburb. Some time later, the
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(FCC) allowed KZNS to increase its power to 50,000 watts by day and 670 watts at night.
As part of the change in ownership of the
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
, the sale of the station from the
Larry H. Miller Group of Companies to Smith Entertainment Group was finalized on May 27, 2021.
On September 30, 2021, it was announced that
Bonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a media and broadcasting company, wholly owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation. It began as a radio and TV network ...
, owner of the
KSL AM and FM stations, would be taking over operations of The Zone sports network. The arrangement with Bonneville will result in select Utah Jazz games being aired on KSL. Founding host Gordon Monson and some producers were laid off by the new management. The Zone introduced a new lineup effective October 20.
References
External links
FCC History Cards for KZNS
{{Utah Jazz
Sports radio stations in the United States
ZNS ZNS or ZnS may refer to:
* Zinc sulfide or zinc sulphide (ZnS), a chemical compound
* ZNS-TV, a national radio and TV broadcaster operated by the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas
** ZNS-1
ZNS-1 (branded as ''Radio Bahamas'') i ...
Mass media in Salt Lake City