KFYR TV Studios / Hoskins Block
KFYR is an AM radio station and the local NBC affiliate for the Bismarck-Mandan area. KFYR Radio was founded in 1925 by Philip Meyer and his wife Etta Hoskins-Meyer, who had previously found success with their local retail store. KFYR was one of three North Dakota stations to begin television broadcasts in 1953.
KFYR Radio broadcasts on the 550 AM frequency and can be heard across five states and two Canadian provinces, giving the station the widest land coverage area in the United States of any AM radio station.
Over the years, KFYR Radio has been known for such radio personalities as Phil Parker & Mark Armstrong (The “Phil & Mark Show”) and “Ol’ Reb” Jack Fisher, of whom the Rebel Burger at Scotty’s Drive-In is named for. Today, KFYR Radio, along with sister station KYYY (“Y-93″), are owned by Clear Channel.
KFYR-TV has always had an affiliation with NBC, and once held a partial affiliation with ABC. KFYR began test broadcasts in 1953. The station’s first network broadcast was the World Series on September 28, 1956. The Meyer family would eventually build North Dakota’s largest television network, acquiring stations in Williston, Minot, and Dickson. In 1997, the Meyer Family sold their interest in KFYR-TV, ending more than forty years of family ownership.
Dick Heidt is the current Station Manager, Monica Hannan is the current News Director, and has been a KFYR-TV anchor since 1988. For years Monica Hannan co-anchored the news desk with long-time anchor Chuck Bartholomay. Alan Miller replaced Bartholomay in 2001. That same year, Kevin Lawrence also joined as KFYR’s chief meteorologist.
The Provident Life Weather Beacon has been operated by KFYR since its construction in 1954.
External Links:
www.kfyr.com (Radio)
www.kfyrtv.com (TV)
