 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Sioux City, Iowa |
| Frequency | 1410 kHz |
| Branding | KLEM 1410 AM 96.9 FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Powell Broadcasting Company, L.L.C. |
| KSUX, KKYY, KQNU, KKMA, KSCJ | |
| History | |
First air date | September 21, 1954[1] |
Call sign meaning | Le Mars |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 32998 |
| Class | B |
| Power |
|
Transmitter coordinates | 42°49′04″N 96°09′47″W / 42.81778°N 96.16306°W |
| Translator | 96.9 K245AM (Le Mars) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | klem1410.com |
KLEM (1410 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Le Mars, Iowa. The station is owned by Powell Broadcasting Company, L.L.C. It airs a classic hits music format.[3]
History
[edit]KLEM was established by Bob McKune and officially signed on the air on October 12, 1954.[4] The station was built to serve as the primary local voice for Plymouth County, focusing on "live and local" programming that included high school athletics and agricultural news. In July 1961, the station was sold to Paul and Patty Olson, who operated it for nearly four decades.[5][dead link] Ownership transferred to the Powell Broadcasting Company in 1999, which integrated KLEM into a regional cluster of stations serving the Siouxland area.[6]
The KLEM transmitter site is located near the Floyd River, making the station's physical infrastructure highly susceptible to seasonal flooding. Historical river crests have repeatedly compromised the station's AM signal. In September 2018, the Floyd River crested at 25 feet, surrounding the transmitter tower and forcing the station to cut power to the AM equipment to avoid catastrophic electrical failure.[7] In June 2024, the region experienced a "500-year" flood event where the Floyd River reached a record stage of 29 feet at Le Mars.[8] The flooding submerged the transmitter site, leading to a prolonged outage of the 1410 AM signal. During the recovery period, KLEM filed for Special Temporary Authority (STA) with the FCC to operate at a reduced power while the water-damaged components were replaced.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Official Opening Day Of Radio KLEM Today". Le Mars Globe-Post. Le Mars, Iowa. September 23, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved September 25, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KLEM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "Winter 2008 Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
- ^ "History of Le Mars Radio" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "AM History Cards for KLEM" (PDF). Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "Upper Midwest Broadcasting: Iowa Archive". NorthPine. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "Floyd River Flood Impacts Broadcast Infrastructure". Le Mars Sentinel. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "National Weather Service: Floyd River at Le Mars Flood Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
- ^ "2024 Archive - FCC Monitor". Iowa Media News. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
External links
[edit]- KLEM official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 32998 (KLEM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KLEM in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 152251 (K245AM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K245AM at FCCdata.org
- FCC History Cards for KLEM
  | This article about a radio station in Iowa is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |