KHNC

Radio station in Johnstown, Colorado

40°23′11″N 104°54′19″W / 40.38639°N 104.90528°W / 40.38639; -104.90528 (KHNC)LinksWebsite1360khnc.com

KHNC (1360 AM) "The Lion" is a privately owned radio station broadcasting a conservative talk format in Johnstown, Colorado, United States.

History

KHNC began broadcasting in January 1993. It was originally owned by Donald and Sharon Wiedeman, broadcasting the same conservative talk format it has carried since.^[1] The station first gained notoriety in 1996 when the Montana Freemen called into the station during their 81-day standoff with the FBI,^[2] though the station was already airing programming that espoused conspiracy theories and railed against the "New World Order".^[3] Known initially as the "USA Patriot Network", KHNC rebranded as the "American Freedom Network" after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.^[4] Some of its programming also aired over shortwave station WWCR.^[4]

On November 29, 1997, a fire broke out at KHNC's studio base, destroying the former farm store, which also housed a magazine known as American Freedom.^[5] The blaze was started by a faulty hot plate^[2] inside the residence of Suzanne Harris and Peter Ludwell, who hosted a show on the station and lived in the building; the transmitter, located on Wiedeman's 600-acre (240 ha) farm, was not damaged.^[6]

Wiedeman died in 2015. In 2019, Joe Jaquint, who already hosted the "Patriot Radio News Hour" which aired on the station, acquired KHNC for $250,000, through his wholly-owned Patriot Trading Metals Group.^[7] Effective February 28, 2020, Jaquint transferred the station's license to Excursion Broadcasting Network, LLC, of which he is two-thirds owner.

Notes

^ "KHNC(AM)" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook. 1995. p. B-66 (226). Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Hot plate blamed for blaze". The Daily Sentinel. Associated Press. December 2, 1997. p. 12B. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ Harkavy, Ward (June 15, 1994). "Out of the Norm". Westword. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ ^a ^b Harkavy, Ward (July 4, 1996). "Still Crazy After All These Years". Westword. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ "Right-wing radio station gutted by Saturday fire". The Daily Sentinel. Associated Press. December 1, 1997. p. 1A. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ Wagner, Kyle (January 8, 1998). "A Bitter Pill". Westword. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
^ "Deal Digest – April 11, 2019". Inside Radio. April 11, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.