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KVFD - AM Fort Dodge, Iowa

The Northwest Broadcasting was granted a construction permit in 1937 from the Federal Communications Commission to build build and operate a new broadcast station at Fort Dodge, Iowa on 1370 khz with a power of 100 watts. 1370 was to be shared with KFGQ, Boone, Iowa. Northwest was a group of local citizens including President Edward Breen, an attorney and member of the Iowa State Senate; Vice President O.M. Oleson; and Secretary-Treasurer Allen R. Loomis II. Breen started at WHO, Des Moines, as an announcer and later rose to Program Director before moving to Fort Dodge to practice law. Call letters KVFD were assigned to the station, which remained unbuilt until 1939 due to local challenges. On July 13, 1939, KVFD was re- granted a construction permit by the FCC; this time for 250 watts days and 100 watts nights (still sharing time with KFGQ at Boone on 1370).
Sunday, December 24, 1939, KVFD went on the air from a transmitter site on U.S. Highway 169 and 20, south of Fort Dodge as an independent, non-network-affiliated station. An RCA transmitter and 310 foot Windcharger Tower were installed. Studios and offices were in the Warden Building downtown. Edward Breen was President and General Manager.

Pursuant to the NARBA Treaty frequency reallocations, taking place Saturday, March 29, 1941 in in which 1,300 North American broadcast stations changed their dial positions, KVFD shifted up from 1370 to 1400 khz (still dividing time with KFGQ). In order to secure more air time, Northwest Broadcasting Company entered into an agreement with KFGQ for that station to relinquish their use of 1400 kilocycles in return for a new vertical transmitting tower, purchased by KVFD's KVFD's owners, enabling the non-commercial Boone station to switch to a different frequency. October 1, 1941, KVFD switched from share time hours to unlimited hours on 1400 kilocycles and raised nighttime power from 100 to 250 watts. Also on October first, KVFD affiliated with the Mutual network.
Ownership of KVFD by Edward Breen and Allen R. Loomis continued throughout the forties. FM broadcasting began in October 1947 when the Northwest Broadcasting Company placed KFMY (FM) on the FM dial at 102.7 megacycles. The antenna was side-mounted on the KVED tower. The station's television outlet, KQTV (TV) channel 21, was placed on the air from Fort Dodge November 2, 1953.

The FCC granted a change in KVFD's transmitter and antenna location June 25, 1959. In early 1960, that permit was modified to allow for an increase in daytime power to 1,000 watts (250 watts nighttime. In the summer of 1961, the Mutual-affiliated station raised day power to 1,000 watts and moved to the new tower site. The FCC licensed these technical improvements August 30, 1961.


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KVFD Profile (continued) Page Two:

In late 1961, James C. Dowell became General Manager of KVED. Ed Breen once again became President and General Manager in 1963. By mid-1964, KVFD operated daily from 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 midnight. In 1965, an affiliation with the statewide Iowa Radio Network was added. Longtime Commercial Manager Max Landes was named Station Manager of KVFD in March 1969. On September 28, 1970, the station was granted FCC permission to relocate it's transmitter and tower site to one half mile south of the intersection of U.S. Highways 169 and 20 (facing U.S. 169). That move was carried out July 6, 1971. Studios and offices remained in the Warden Building.

The Northwest Broadcasting Company (Ed Breen, (Ed Breen, President and General Manager) sold KVFD on August 1, 1971 for $450,000 to Fort Dodge Broadcasting Inc. (C. Ross Martin 15% interest; Max E. Landes 15%; Glenna Christians 20%; 20%; Albert Rutlidge 10%, and E. E. Wayne Cooley 25% & Glen Stanley 15%) with FCC approval May 28, 1971. Max Landes became President and General Manager of the "middle-of-the- road"-formatted station. In 1973, KVFD switched to a "Top 40/MOR" music format. Farm programming composed 21 hours weekly of KVFD's broadcast schedule. Founder Edward Breen died in 1979. His channel 50, KVFD-TV left the air May 4, 1977 as a result of a tornado and was never rebuilt.

In December 1984, KVFD raised night power from 250 to 1,000 watts, matching it's daylight power. KVFD was sold by Fort Dodge Broadcasting Inc. to Dodge to Dodge Communications Inc. for $475,000 in 1988. The new licensee was owned equally by Dean P. Sorenson and Raymond Lamb. Dodge Communication concurrently purchased FM station, KFTX-FM Fort Dodge. FCC approval took place June 1, 1988. Ray Lamb was President of KVFD and Mel Moyer it's new General Manager. Studios were relocated from 912 First Avenue South to 3566 Fifth Avenue South in 1988. Other Managers in 1989-1990 & 1991 were Al Lobeck, Don Weir & Steve Heston. In October 1991, Sorenson bought out Lamb's 50% interest and became 100% owner of Dodge Communication. In December 1991, William L. Grady became Manager.

Today, KVFD, Iowa's 16th oldest continuously licensed AM broadcast station, operates on 1400 kHz. with 1,000 watts of power (non-directionally) from studios at 3566 Fifth Avenue South, Fort Dodge, Iowa and is affiliated with the CBS Network. The station airs an "Original Hits" programming format and remains licensed to Dodge Communications Inc. Dean Sorenson, President. Station Manager is William L. Grady.