KHVN
 | |
| Broadcast area | Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 970 kHz |
| Branding | Heaven 97 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | Urban Contemporary Gospel |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KGGR, K273BJ, KKGM, KRVA | |
| History | |
First air date | 1946 as KWBC |
Former call signs | KWBC (1946–1953), KNOK (1953–1982), KSAX (1982–1985) |
Call sign meaning | HeaVeN |
| Technical information | |
| Class | B |
| Power | 1,000 watts daytime 270 watts nighttime |
| Links | |
| Website | khvnam.com |
KHVN is an AM urban contemporary gospel radio station that serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station has had its gospel format since 1985, and is owned by Mortenson Broadcasting. It is the sister station to daytimer KGGR. The station is licensed in Fort Worth, Texas, but KHVN has applied to move its broadcasting activities to Bedford.
History
This station started out as Daytimer KWBC in 1946 with a Variety/Ethnic format that comprises mostly local, amateur, and public service programming under the ownership of Associated Broadcasters.
In 1950, J. Dean McClain joined the station with his hour-long "Blues at Sunrise". program. By the late 1950s McClain was program director, and later was station manager and general manager.[1]
By 1953, most commercial billings were from Ethnic shows, so their owners reimaged the station as KNOK-AM to serve an African American audience.
By 1954, KNOK-AM changed the format to R&B with Country and Spanish language programming on weekends. After 1957, KNOK-AM became a full-time R&B station and was the first station in the DFW area to exclusively do so. In the late 1960s, the African American Clay Smothers, who later served in the Texas House of Representatives was the station news editor known for his conservative commentary.[2]
From 1957 to 1979, it simulcasted to its FM sister station of the same callsign. In 1979, KNOK-AM transferred its R&B format to sister station KNOK-FM and changed its format to Jazz. Three years later, the station was renamed as KSAX (callsign to have stood for SAXophone) while maintaining its Jazz format before making its final switch to a Black Gospel formatted station as KHVN in 1985.
There have been rumors that KHVN 970 would be scheduled to go dark by New Year's Eve 2007 as part of the FCC's dial expansion program of 1989, in exchange for a frequency with a full day/night schedule on KKGM 1630. This move was scheduled for 1998 but Infinity/CBS Radio sold the frequency. Since Mortenson owns 970 and 1630, the divesting could feasibly still happen. As of 2018, it has not taken place.
Some churches featured on KHVN
- Victory International Church, Fort Worth, TX[3]
- New Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas
- East St. Paul Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas
- Heaven's Embassy Church, DeSoto, Texas
- Church of the Living Waters, Garland, Texas
- Love Chapel Church of God in Christ, Grapevine, Texas
- Evergreen Baptist Church, Irving, Texas
- Owens Chapel Church of God In Christ, McKinney, Texas
- Hebron Community Church, Grand Prairie, Texas
- St. Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, Denton, Texas
- First Baptist Church of Hamilton Park, Richardson, Texas
- Bear Creek Community Church, Irving, Texas
- The Glorious Anointing Church Of God In Christ, Arlington, Texas
- Praise Fellowship Worship Center, Frisco, Texas
- Logos Fellowship Church, Cedar Hill, Texas
- New Day Church, Bedford, Texas
Notes
- ^ J. Dean McClain: Broadcaster's signature show brought R&B to D-FW radio, Dallas Morning News, April 17, 2006
- ^ "Doris Eastman Harris, "Smothers ... New Voice of a Silent Majority", October 2, 1970". The Malakoff, Texas, News. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
- ^ victoryreport.com
External links
- Official website
- DFW Radio/TV History
- DFW Radio Archives
- Facility details for Facility ID KHVN ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's AM station database