History
Launch
In February 1971, Cameron Radio, Inc., received a broadcast license from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a new broadcast radio station to serve Cameron, Missouri.[3] It signed on with 500 watts of power on a frequency of 1360 kHz but authorized to broadcast during daylight hours only.[4][5] The new station was assigned call sign "KMRN".[6]
1980s
In January 1981, KMRN applied to the FCC for authority to begin broadcasting at night as well as in the daytime. To prevent skywave interference, the station would transmit with only 25 watts of power from sunset to sunrise each day instead of the 500 watts in use during daylight hours. The FCC granted a new construction permit to make these changes on May 1, 1981.[7] After construction and testing were completed in August 1981, the commission granted KMRN a new broadcast license to cover these changes on September 11, 1981.[8]
After more than a decade on the air, Cameron Radio, Inc., made a deal to sell KMRN to Titan Corporation in July 1981. The FCC approved the deal on September 17, 1981.[9] This proved short-lived as in July 1982, Titan Corporation applied to transfer the KMRN broadcast license to Cameron Radio, Inc. The FCC approved this move on July 26, 1982.[10]
1990s
In March 1994, Cameron Radio, Inc., contracted to sell KMRN to Osland Broadcasting Company. The new company was owned by Iowa native Norman A. Osland and his wife, Betty.[11] The deal gained FCC approval on August 30, 1994, and the transaction was completed on October 8, 1994.[12] In February 1997, as the Oslands were preparing to return to Iowa for family reasons, Osland Broadcasting Company applied to sell KMRN to NFO, Inc.[11] The FCC approved this move on April 15, 1997, and completion of the transaction took place on May 5, 1997.[13] Two years later, in May 1999, NFO, Inc., filed an application to transfer the KMRN license to Shepherd Group holding company KAAN, Inc. The FCC approved the move on July 13, 1999, and completion occurred on July 20, 1999.[14]
2000s
In February 2007, the KAAN, Inc, subsidiary of Shepherd Enterprises, Inc. (David L. Shepherd, president) reached an agreement with Dean Goodman's GoodRadio.TV, LLC. Goodman agreed to pay Shepherd $27,600,000 for 16 Missouri-based radio stations, including KAAN, KAAN-FM, Bethany and KMRN, KKWK, Cameron, controlled by KAAN, Inc., plus $100,000 for a non-competition agreement and $2,900,000 over five years as a consulting fee. The FCC approved the multi-station sale on May 9, 2007, and the deal was consummated on August 8, 2007.[15]
One week later, as part of a complex internal reorganization of the GoodRadio.TV holding companies, an application was filed to transfer the licenses for KMRN and KKWK in Cameron, Missouri, and KAAN and KAAN-FM in Bethany, Missouri, to a new license holding company named Cameron/Bethany License Company, LLC. The FCC approved the transfer on September 10, 2007, and formal consummation took place on September 17, 2007.[16]
In December 2013, GoodRadio.TV and its subsidiaries merged into Digity, LLC. Effective February 25, 2016, Digity and its 124 radio stations were acquired by Alpha Media for $264 million.
