![]() | |
| Frequency | 1230 kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | The Fan |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | KFXN-FM Fox Sports Radio Minnesota Vikings |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KATO-FM, KXLP, KDOG, KXAC, KTOE | |
| History | |
First air date | 1938 (as KYSM) |
Former call signs | KYSM (1938–2014) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 20386 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 44°10′6″N 93°54′39″W / 44.16833°N 93.91083°W |
| Translators | 103.1 K276EH (Mankato) 106.3 K292HI (Mankato) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | thefanmankato |
- See also KFAN Sports Radio Network
KFSP (1230 AM) is a radio station licensed to Mankato, Minnesota and serving the greater Mankato area and the Minnesota River Valley with a sports format. The station is an affiliate of the regional KFAN Sports Radio Network and Fox Sports Radio. Founded in 1938 as KYSM, KFSP is the oldest radio station in Mankato.
The station is owned by Linder Radio Group. It was formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications, which sold its Mankato stations — KYSM, KYSM-FM, and KXLP — to Three Eagles Communications following Clear Channel's 2006 privatization. In September 2007, Three Eagles agreed to sell KYSM and KXLP to Linder Radio Group, a.k.a. Minnesota Valley Broadcasting Co.[2] Linder currently owns KDOG, KTOE, KXAC, KATO-FM and KXLP in the Mankato market.
History
[edit]Plans for the station began as early as 1935, with a deposition hearing ordered by the Federal Communications Commission.[3] The station first signed on the air in 1938 under the call sign KYSM.[4] It was constructed by the F.B. Clements Company, featured two studios, and utilized a 281-foot radiator tower.[5] KYSM initially broadcast from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. with 250 watts of daytime power and 100 watts at night. KYSM began as an NBC AM-radio affiliate but later switched to the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1983.
KYSM was a Top 40 station in the 1960s,[6] full service MOR station during the 1970s and 1980s. The station aired a satellite-fed oldies format until 1995, when it flipped to a satellite-fed adult standards format.
Programming
[edit]The station broadcasts games for local and regional teams, including Minnesota Vikings Football, Minnesota State University-Mankato Football and Basketball, and Mankato MoonDogs Baseball. They also cover Mankato Loyola Crusader Sports.[7]
To improve the signal strength and coverage area in Mankato, the station's FM translator, K276EH (103.1 MHz), completed a significant move to an antenna higher on its existing tower in May 2024.[8] This technical upgrade helps the AM signal reach listeners more clearly through the FM dial.
References
[edit]- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KFSP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ The Free Press, Mankato, MN - Rearranging the radio dial Archived 2012-09-04 at archive.today
- ^ "About - Radio Mankato". Radio Mankato. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ "The Fan Mankato - FMSTREAM - The Radio Stream Directory". The Radio Stream Directory. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ Harren, Heather (April 13, 2019). "KYSM, Mankato's First Radio Tower". Blue Earth County Historical Society. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ "Lots of Commercials #13: KYSM AM 1968". YouTube.
- ^ "The Fan Mankato KFSP". Radio Mankato. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ "FCC Monitor: New Student-Run LPFM Granted in Iowa - Upper Midwest Broadcasting". Upper Midwest Broadcasting. May 27, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
External links
[edit]- 1230 The Fan official website
- The Fan Radio Network
- Facility details for Facility ID 20386 (KFSP) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KFSP in Nielsen Audio's AM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 149173 (K276EH) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K276EH at FCCdata.org
- Facility details for Facility ID 202097 (K292HI) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K292HI at FCCdata.org
