KSAL (1150 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a news-talk radio format. Licensed to Salina, Kansas, it serves the Salina–Manhattan area. The station is owned by Christopher Miller, through licensee Meridian Media, LLC.
Technical Information
KSAL operates at 5,000 watts. By day, it uses a non-directional antenna. At night, it switches to a directional antenna with a four-tower array to protect other stations on 1150 AM from interference. The transmitter is located on North Woodward Road in New Cambria, Kansas. The station's programming is also simulcast on FM translator K294DI at 106.7 MHz in Salina.
Programming
Weekday programming includes the KSAL Morning News, along with nationally syndicated conservative talk shows such as The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis, and Coast to Coast AM with George Noory. The station also carries This Morning, America's First News with Gordon Deal and America in the Morning. Most hours begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio. Weekend programming includes repeats of weekday shows, Kim Komando, Somewhere in Time with Art Bell, and sports programming from SportsMap.
KSAL is the network affiliate for Kansas State University sports and Kansas City Royals baseball in the Salina area, and also carries local high school sports coverage.
History
KSAL first went on the air in June 1937, making it Salina's first radio station. It originally broadcast at 1500 kHz with 250 watts by day and 100 watts at night. The original call sign was KSJS, with "SJ" standing for the Salina Journal newspaper. Its first owner was R.J. Laubengayer, who was also president of the Salina Journal.
The station became an affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, which later became ABC Radio Network. In May 1974, KSAL added an FM station at 93.7 MHz, KYEZ. In April 1994, KSAL ended music programming and switched to an all news-talk format.
Call Sign Meaning
The call sign KSAL is a phonetic abbreviation of Salina, the city of license.
References
- "Facility Technical Data for KSAL." Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- Broadcasting Yearbook (1939, 1974), Broadcasting & Cable.
- Alan Stolfus, "For KSAL radio, Monday will be the day the music dies," The Salina Journal, April 9, 1994.
- Becky Fitzgerald, "Tune in to talk," The Salina Journal, August 7, 1994.
