KOLV

KOLV
Broadcast area
Frequency100.1 MHz
BrandingBig Country 100.1
Programming
FormatCountry music
Ownership
OwnerLakeland Media LLC
History
First air date
June 27, 1983 (1983-06-27)
Former frequencies
101.7 MHz
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
50285
ClassC2
ERP50,000 watts
HAAT142 meters (466 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
44°58′14″N 95°14′59″W / 44.97056°N 95.24972°W / 44.97056; -95.24972
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.bigcountry100.com

KOLV is a country music radio station licensed to Olivia, Minnesota, broadcasting on 100.1 FM. KOLV serves the areas of Willmar, Redwood Falls, and Montevideo, Minnesota, and is owned by Lakeland Media LLC.

History

In 1982, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Olivia Broadcasting Company a construction permit for a new FM station in Olivia on 101.7 MHz. The station began operation in June 1983. George Blum, a longtime Upper Midwest broadcaster, and his wife Ruby built KOLV-FM after previous ownership and management work at stations in Wyoming, North Dakota, Montana, and Wisconsin.

The station moved to 100.1 MHz as part of an FCC allotment proceeding. To allow the co-channel WHMH-FM in Sauk Rapids to upgrade from class A to class C2, it was necessary for KOLV to be moved and its license to be modified accordingly, effective July 25, 1994.

In 1998, the Blums' Olivia Broadcasting Company sold KOLV to Bold Radio Inc. of Mankato for $335,000. Bold Radio was owned by Lynn C. Ketelsen and John and Steve Linder. Bold Radio in turn entered into a local marketing agreement with Steve Linder–owned Lakeland Broadcasting, owner of KQIC and KWLM in Willmar, for operational support and moved to upgrade the station's effective radiated power from 10,000 to 50,000 watts, retaining the local programming. The technical upgrade was expected to add Willmar and Hutchinson into the station's primary coverage area. Though KOLV formed part of the growing Lakeland cluster and was rebranded as Big Country 100.1, the company continued to maintain an Olivia studio. Lakeland Media LLC formally closed on its purchase of KOLV from Bold Radio on April 5, 2024, after having operated KOLV under the LMA.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KOLV". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 15, 1982. p. 100. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  3. ↑ Minnesota Broadcasters Association Anniversary & Directory (PDF). Minnesota Broadcasters Association. p. 61. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  4. ↑ "George Blum". Pavek Museum. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Tuned in to Blum: Olivia veteran radio man George Blum honored by Minnesota broadcasters". West Central Tribune. September 26, 1996. pp. A-2, A-11. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Radio Broadcasting Services; Sauk Rapids and Olivia, MN". Federal Register. June 17, 1994. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. February 16, 1998. p. 30. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  8. ↑ Lange, Carolyn (December 22, 1998). "KOLV Radio undergoes facelift, changes ownership: Combining resources". West Central Tribune. p. B6. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Broadcasting News-August 1998". NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting. August 1998. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
  10. ↑ Lange, Carolyn (September 29, 2015). "Celebrating 75 years of local radio: 'I am blessed and grateful to be part of a radio family'". West Central Tribune. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved June 8, 2026.
  11. ↑ Ellis, Jon (April 15, 2024). "FCC Monitor: FM Station Move Near Madison Completed". NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting. Retrieved May 13, 2026.