KNMX

Las Vegas, New Mexico
Broadcast area	Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico
Frequency	540 kHz
Branding	K New Mexico
Programming
Format	New Mexico music
Ownership
Owner	Sangre De Cristo Broadcasting Co, Inc.
Sister stations	KBQL, KMDS, KMDZ, KNMM
Technical information
Facility ID	58915
Class	D
Power	5,000 watts day 20 watts night
Transmitter coordinates	35°34′25″N 105°10′17″W / 35.57361°N 105.17139°W / 35.57361; -105.17139
Translator(s)	99.9 MHz K260DJ (Las Vegas)
Links
Website	SDCradio.com

KNMX (540 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Las Vegas, New Mexico, serving the Santa Fe area. The station is owned by Sangre De Cristo Broadcasting Co, Inc.^[1] It broadcasts a Spanish language radio format of New Mexico music with some Regional Mexican and Ranchera music.

By day, KNMX is powered at 5,000 watts. But because 540 AM is a Mexican and Canadian clear-channel frequency, KNMX must reduce nighttime power to only 20 watts to prevent skywave interference to the dominant Class A stations on this frequency. It uses a directional antenna at all times.^[2] Programming is also heard on FM translator 99.9 MHz K260DJ.^[3]

History

On April 11, 1979, San Miguel Broadcasting Company, Inc., filed a construction permit to build a new radio station at 540 kHz in Las Vegas. The Federal Communications Commission approved the construction permit in December,^[4] and the station began broadcasting in October 1980. It was the area's first Spanish-language radio outlet, though it took three years for KNMX to turn a profit.^[5]

San Miguel owned the station until 1993, when it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.^[6] Sangre de Cristo acquired KNMX in 1996 for $235,000, after the station had been placed in trusteeship.^[7]