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KFAR is a commercial
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 ...
programming 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 ...
in
Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the p ...
, United States, broadcasting on 660 AM. Founded in 1939 by industrialist Austin E. Lathrop, KFAR is the oldest radio station in Fairbanks and one of the oldest in Alaska. KFAR airs
Fox News Radio Fox News Radio is an American radio network owned by Fox News. It is syndicated to over 500 AM and FM radio stations across the United States. It also supplies programming for three channels on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. History In 2003, ...
throughout the day and carries national radio programs through Compass Media Networks,
Genesis Communications Network The Genesis Communications Network, often referred to as GCN, is a radio network created in 1998, owned by Ted Anderson. The network currently produces 45 shows, distributed on more than 780 radio stations nationwide. The network is known for tal ...
,
Premiere Networks Premiere Networks (formerly Premiere Radio Networks, shortened as PRN) is an American media company, a wholly owned subsidiary of iHeartMedia, for which it currently serves as its main original radio content distribution and production arm. ...
and
Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network owned by Cumulus Media. The company syndicates talk, music, and sports programming. The company takes its name from an earlier network also named Westwood One, a company founded in 1978. The compan ...
, among others. The station previously held longtime affiliations with the
ABC Radio Network Cumulus Media Networks was an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. From 2011 until its merger with Westwood One, it controlled many of the radio assets formerly belonging to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which ...
,
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 ...
and the previous incarnation of Westwood One. Since adopting the news/talk format during the 1980s, KFAR has had a long-standing commitment to airing locally produced talk radio programming; the station turned down ''
The Rush Limbaugh Show ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'' is an American conservative talk radio show hosted by Rush Limbaugh. Since its nationally syndicated premiere in 1988, ''The Rush Limbaugh Show'' became the highest-rated talk radio show in the United States. At its ...
'' when it was originally offered in favor of local programming. KFAR is currently the only news/talk station in Fairbanks to produce local call-in talk shows. Their primary competitor,
KFBX KFBX (970 AM) is a commercial radio station programming news/talk in Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. It airs hourly news updates through ABC News Radio. It is owned and operated by KFBX airs national radio programs from Compass Media Network ...
, airs locally produced news and public affairs programming (on weekday morning drive and midday, and on Sunday morning, respectively), but no local talk shows. To drive home this distinction, KFAR makes heavy use of the slogan ''Local Talk Radio''. ''Problem Corner'' (which has aired on the station since 1961), patriots lament show and ''The Michael Dukes Show'' comprise a total of 4 hours of airtime each weekday. KFAR has also aired a succession of local talk shows on Saturday mornings.


History

KFAR was founded in 1939 by Austin E. Lathrop. The station marked his entry into broadcasting, as Lathrop continued to diversify and expand his business empire throughout the
Alaska Territory The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; the ...
. Lathrop hired engineer Stanton Bennett to build the station. Bennett, in turn, recommended that Lathrop hire a young engineer he worked with in Oregon named Augie Hiebert, who would later become influential in starting Lathrop's second radio station,
KENI KENI (650 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Anchorage, Alaska, United States, the station serves the south-central Alaska area. The station is currently owned by . Its studios are located at Dimond Center in Anc ...
. For most of the station's early existence, its studio was in the Lathrop Building in downtown Fairbanks. The station shared space in the building with other Lathrop enterprises, such as the ''
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner The '' Fairbanks Daily News-Miner'' is a morning daily newspaper serving the city of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the farthest north ...
''. Its transmitter was on Farmers Loop Road, northeast of the University of Alaska, on a tract of land owned by Lathrop (around which the Fairbanks Golf and Country Club was later built). On the radio dial, it was originally on 610 kHz and moved to 660 kHz in 1956. Following Lathrop's death in 1950, his numerous businesses continued to be run by his business associates under the corporate umbrella of The Lathrop Company, with the radio stations under subsidiary Midnight Sun Broadcasting Company. One of those associates, Alvin O. "Al" Bramstedt, purchased the Lathrop broadcasting holdings in 1960. Changing the name slightly to Midnight Sun Broadcasters, Bramstedt and his company operated the station throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Midnight Sun also operated sister station KFAR television on channel 2, with much cooperation and intermingling of on-air personnel evident. Bramstedt retired and sold off his holdings in the early 1980s. The partnership of Bill Walley, Edward A. Merdes and Louis Frank Delong, doing business as Borealis Broadcasters, purchased the station. They would also launch
KWLF KWLF (98.1 FM, "Wolf 98.1") is a commercial radio station in Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interi ...
during this time period. The station was later owned by
New Northwest Broadcasters New Northwest Broadcasters, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, operated 38 radio stations in seven cities in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Prior to the company's bankruptcy, its stations were located in Alaska ( Anchorage and Fairbanks), M ...
, which purchased Borealis. It is currently owned by Rob Ingstad, through licensee Rob Ingstad Licenses, LLC, and goes by the branding of ''The Radio Station''. Perry Walley, the company's general manager, is the son of Bill Walley and grew up around the station, as did his brother Terry, who is the general manager of rival broadcaster Tanana Valley Television.


External links


FCC History Cards for KFAR

KFAR's Website
{{coord, 64, 48, 29, N, 147, 29, 34, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title 1939 establishments in Alaska News and talk radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1939 FAR