The protests in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd have led to the destruction of the offices and studios of Santamaría Broadcasting Regional Mexican “La Raza 95.7” 1400 KMNV/95.7 K239CJ St. Paul.
Located along the corridor that has seen multiple buildings burned and/or looted, the station’s offices were located on the fourth floor of an office building on the corner of Lake Street and 27th Avenue South. The building is two blocks away from the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct, which has been the focal point for the protests. Northpine reports that the station had been off the air since Wednesday due to power outages caused by the protests.
KMNV simulcaster 1470 KMNQ Brooklyn Park MN has been off the air since March due to equipment upgrades that have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. General Manager Armando Quintero wrote in the filing at the time, “SANTAMARIA BROADCASTING, INC., LICENSEE OF KMNQ (THE ‘LICENSEE’) IS PERFORMING EQUIPMENT UPDATES THAT REQUIRE GOING DARK TEMPORARILY. IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING THE EQUIPMENT UPDATES, LICENSEE IS FACING ADDITIONAL DELAYS DUE TO THE COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS, AND CONSIDERS THE SAFETY OF ITS EMPLOYEES TO BE PARAMOUNT. LICENSEE EXPECTS THE STATION TO BE SILENT FOR A FEW MONTHS, AT MOST, AND THEREFORE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THIS SILENT STA.”