Update 8/15: The frequency swap took place as scheduled at 12am. KFAN moved from 1130 and its translator on 103.5 to 100.3. KTLK moved in reverse from 100.3 to 1130 and 103.5. The 103.5 translator will carry the News/Talk programming until the 102.5 translator is built.
At that point, 103.5 will assume the programming currently heard on “The Score 690” KFXN. As part of the changes the current call letters will not make the move. When the dust settles 100.3 will become KFXN-FM. The KFAN-FM calls are held by Adult Alternative “Texas Rebel Radio” in Johnson City, TX. 1130 will become KTCN. Clear Channel retains the KTLK calls at its 1150 in Los Angeles.
Update 8/12: As the 102.5 translator upgrade has not yet been approved by the FCC, KTLK’s programming will only appear on 1130 come Monday. The 102.5 translator will be added once approved and then built at a later date.
Update 8/11: A third station will be involved in the programming shifts taking place on Monday. “The Score 690” KFXN’s programming will move to the 103.5 translator that had been simulcasting KFAN. The programming will now originate from 107.9 KQQL-HD2. 690 was donated to the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council earlier this year. KFXN currently carries Fox Sports Radio, including Dan Patrick and Jim Rome from sign-on to 4pm and Yahoo Sports Radio from 4pm to sign-off and on the weekends.
100.3 has applied for new KFXN-FM call letters that will go live with the programming swap on Monday.
Update 8/8: The KFAN/KTLK frequency swap will take place on Monday, August 15. Sports KFAN will move from 1130 to 100.3. News/Talk KTLK will shift to 1130 and 102.5 K273BH. The latter will be rebranded simply as “Twin Cities News Talk“.
Update 8/7: KTLK is promoting it will announce its new radio home on Monday, August 8.
Original Report 8/5: David Brauer of MinnPost.com reports that Clear Channel will be swapping the programming of Sports 1130 KFAN and “News/Talk 100.3” KTLK-FM before the start of the football season.
KFAN and Hubbard’s “ESPN 1500” KSTP have been in a seasonal see-saw for the sports crown in the Twin Cities. KSTP is dominant in the spring and summer as the flagship to MLB’s Minnesota Twins. KFAN thrives in the fall and winter with the NFL Minnesota Vikings. KFAN will also be gaining the play-by-play rights to the NHL Minnesota Wild this season. CBS News/Talk 830 WCCO has the other two major sports rights in the market with the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves and University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Correction: University of Minnesota football moves to KFAN/KTLK-FM this season, while basketball and hockey will air on 1500 KSTP.
KTLK-FM is third in a four horse race for the News/Talk audience in the Twin Cities with the aforementioned WCCO, Minnesota Public Radio’s 91.1 KNOW-FM, and Hubbard’s female skewing “My Talk 107.1” WTMY. Should the move occur, KTLK will keep an FM presence as 103.5 K278BP Cottage Grove relays 1130’s programming.
With CBS continuing to add FM sports outlets in other markets, is this move being made to beat CBS to launching an FM Sports outlet in the Twin Cities. We have seen job postings for CBS looking to add News/Talk personalities in a midwestern market. Were these to make room for the sports shows on 830 moving to 104.1 KZJK or 102.9 WLTE?
Charles Everett 
CM 
Jason 
Glenn 
Andy 
Norm
WCCO no longer has University of Minnesota sports. KFAN and KTLK-FM will have Gophers football starting in September; KSTP will have Gophers men’s basketball starting in November.
Also, a frequency swap for the two Clear Channel stations will require new call letters. KTLK by itself is already assigned to (CC-owned) AM 1150 in Los Angeles.
Does anybody know if 102.5 will have an update in power? KTLK currently runs at 100 kW, but 102.5 is currently only 10kW.
102.5 is currently licensed with 40 watts, which will be increasing to 250 watts shortly.
You can see a map of 102.5’s projected coverage here.
Isn’t 102.5 Minneapolis currently an Air1 station? It looks to me that Clear Channel didn’t have all their paperwork approved by the FCC before making this switch. I will NOT be listening to 100.3 KFAN…I can’t stand sports! I am going to miss Talk Radio on FM. The AM signal is going to be too weak for my drive route….what to do??? I wonder how this will affect ad revenue for KFAN? sad…in Bloomington
102.5 does currently rebroadcast Air1. Their owner, Educational Media Foundation and Clear Channel are working in tandem in many markets to upgrade the translators with many of them now being programmed by Clear Channel.
KFAN will see its revenue grow a ton by the move. Conservative Talk normally skews much older into demographics not supported by advertisers. Clear Channel will reach the more advertiser friendly younger audiences with Sports on FM. That’s is the reason the move was made.
Without the upgrade “TwinCitiesNewsTalk” screwed up big time. AM and weak FM signals are not easy to get sitting inside a building. Davis/Emmer and Rush cannot be listened to today by a huge number of loyal listeners who are sitting at their desk right now.
Big mistake!
I agree with Jason. I wonder if the advertisers for these shows are aware of the major shrinkage in listeners due to the lack of transmitting power.
103.5 is terrible in the NW Metro…It appears to be ‘shared’ by two stations.
This is BAD!
We need to email their advertisers – THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR THEIR ADDS!!
Clear Channel made the advertisers aware of the changes. The fact of the matter is that Clear Channel believes it will make more money with Sports on 100.3 and Talk on 1130 than it did the other way around.
If CBS adds a sports talk signal to the FM dial in the Twin Cites, it would probably be 104.1. That station can’t keep a format for more than three years or so. Now that I think of it, neither can 100.3.
It will be a lot harder for CBS to launch a Sports station with KFAN now entrenched on FM and 1500 doing well with the Twins.