KUMA (AM)

KUMA (1290 AM, "News/Talk 1290") is a radio station licensed to serve Pendleton, Oregon, United States. The station is owned by Randolph and Debra McKone's Elkhorn Media Group and the broadcast license is held by EMG2, LLC.

KUMA
Frequency1290 kHz
BrandingNews/Talk 1290
Programming
FormatNews/Talk
AffiliationsCitadel Media, Premiere Radio Networks
Ownership
Owner
  • Elkhorn Media Group
  • (EMG2, LLC)
KCMB, KTEL, KTIX, KUMA-FM, KWHT, KWRL, KWVN-FM
History
First air date
August 25, 1955 (at 1370)
Former frequencies
1370 kHz (1955-1956)
Call sign meaning
UMAtilla County
Technical information
Facility ID57756
ClassB
Power5,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates
45°40′25″N 118°44′48″W
Translator(s)96.5 K243CK (Pendleton)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitehttps://elkhornmediagroup.com/columbia-basin/

Programming

KUMA broadcasts a news/talk radio format which features programming from Citadel Media and Premiere Radio Networks.[1] Local weekday programming includes The Morning Edition with Butch Thurman and Danny Houle plus a 30-minute program called The Coffee Hour.

Syndicated programming includes talk shows hosted by Lars Larson,[2] Dave Ramsey, and Jim Bohannon,[3] plus Coast to Coast AM hosted by George Noory.[4] KUMA also airs The Huckabee Report with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Weekend programming includes syndicated shows hosted by Kim Kommando and Dr. Dean Edell[4] plus At Home with Gary Sullivan.[5]

History

KUMA began regular broadcasting on August 25, 1955, as a 1,000 watt daytime-only station broadcasting at 1370 kHz.[6] The station, owned and operated by the Pendleton Broadcasting Company, began unlimited 5,000 watt operation at 1290 kHz on January 3, 1956.[7]: A-351  Pendleton Broadcasting Company was owned by the Fisher family as one of four Oregon radio stations controlled by the Fisher Stations Group.[7]: A-412 

Pendleton Broadcasting Company, licensee of KUMA, was acquired by Theodore A. "Ted" Smith and his wife Phyllis on November 1, 1966.[8] Ted Smith had joined Pendleton Broadcasting Company in 1955, as general manager of KUMA, after his service in the United States Navy.[9][10] Ted Smith served as the president of the Oregon Association of Broadcasters in 1962.[11] KUMA was joined by an FM sister station, dubbed KUMA-FM, in 1978.[9] In September 1988, Ted and Phyllis Smith applied to the FCC to transfer control of the Pendleton Broadcasting Company to Gregory A. Smith, their son.[12][13] The deal was approved by the FCC on November 18, 1988.[12]

In March 1993, Pendleton Broadcasting Company, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station and AM sister station KUMA to Capps Broadcast Group's Round-Up Radio, Inc. The deal was approved by the FCC on July 1, 1993, and the transaction was consummated on the same day.[14]

KUMA switched to its current all-talk format in October 2002.[15] The station's initial talk lineup included syndicated news and talk programming hosted by Rush Limbaugh, Paul Harvey, Michael Reagan, Laura Ingraham, Jim Bohannon, and Art Bell.[15]

Effective November 1, 2017, Capps Broadcast Group sold KUMA and nine other broadcast properties to Elkhorn Media Group for $1.75 million.

Facilities

KUMA shares a studio building with sister stations KTIX (1240 AM), KWVN-FM (107.7 FM), and KWHT (103.5 FM).[16] This multi-station Capps Broadcast Group facility is located at the west end of Eastern Oregon Regional Airport.[16][17]

References
  1. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  2. "Radio Station Search Results: Oregon". LarsLarson.com. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  3. "Station Listings for Jim Bohannon Show in the state of Oregon". Jim Bohannon Show. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  4. "1290 KUMA". Capps Broadcasting Group. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  5. "At Home with Gary Sullivan Affiliate Update". Premiere Radio Networks. March 10, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  6. "Directory of AM and FM Stations and Market Data for the United States". 1956 Broadcasting Yearbook-Marketbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1956. p. 257.
  7. "Directory of AM and FM Radio Stations in the U.S.". 1958 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1958.
  8. "Directory of Radio Stations in the United States and Canada". Broadcasting Yearbook 1979. Washington, D.C.: Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 1979. p. C-182.
  9. "Theodore A. Smith". East Oregonian. May 10, 2006. In 1963, he began KJDY Radio in John Day and in 1976, KUMA FM station in Pendleton.
  10. "Obituary: Phyllis M. Smith". East Oregonian. June 25, 2008.
  11. "Past Presidents: 1960s". Oregon Association of Broadcasters. Archived from the original on June 21, 2011. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  12. "Application Search Details (BTCH-19880928EH)". FCC Media Bureau. November 18, 1988.
  13. Odegard, Kyle (August 15, 2002). "Stations playing musical towers". East Oregonian. [Gregory] Smith and his father Ted Smith used to own KUMA-FM and KUMA-AM
  14. "Application Search Details (BALH-19930311EC)". FCC Media Bureau. July 1, 1993.
  15. "Radio stations change their tune". East Oregonian. October 7, 2002. KTIX now features 24-hour ESPN sports programming while KUMA has an all talk format.
  16. Fybush, Scott (July 18, 2008). "The Big Trip 2007, part XI: Eastern Oregon to Boise". Tower Site of the Week.
  17. "NewsTalk 1290 KUMA - 'Pendleton - Oregon U.S.A.' Waymark". Waymarking.com. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
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