WHO (AM)
WHO (1040 kHz "Newsradio 1040") is a commercial AM radio station in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and carries a conservative news/talk radio format, with studios on Grand Avenue in Des Moines.
| Broadcast area | Des Moines metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1040 kHz |
| Branding | NewsRadio 1040 WHO |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KCYZ, KDRB, KKDM, KXNO-FM, KXNO, KASI | |
| History | |
First air date | April 10, 1924 |
Former frequencies | |
| Technical information | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 51331 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 50,000 watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°39′10″N 93°21′1″W (main antenna) 41°39′10″N 93°21′7″W (auxiliary antenna) |
| Repeater(s) | 100.3 KDRB-HD2 (Des Moines) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | WHO Listen Live |
| Website | whoradio |
WHO broadcasts with 50,000 watts, the maximum power permitted for AM stations in the United States. It uses a non-directional antenna from a transmitter site on 148th Street South in Mitchellville, Iowa. WHO programming is also heard on the second HD Radio digital subchannel of co-owned KDRB (100.3 FM), and the station is Iowa's primary entry point station for the Emergency Alert System.
WHO dates back to the early days of broadcasting and is a Class A clear-channel station. The station is one of only two 50,000-watt AM radio stations in Iowa. The other is KXEL in Waterloo. However, WHO was originally a Class I-A, while KXEL was given Class I-B status, requiring a directional antenna at night, to avoid interfering with the other Class I-B station on 1540, ZNS-1 in Nassau, Bahamas. WHO high power and Iowa's excellent soil conductivity gives it at least secondary daytime coverage of most of Iowa, as well as parts of Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. With a good radio, it can be heard at night across much of North America, but is strongest in the Central United States.