Audacy has filed for the cancellation of the FCC license for KDWN-AM, known at the end of its life as “The Talk of Las Vegas.” The longtime talk station is better known as the original signal where Art Bell started West Coast AM, which would become Coast to Coast AM.
The station originally signed on on April 7, 1975.
Starting as an overnight shift in 1983, Art Bell’s discussion of the paranormal and conspiracy theories alongside politics boosted the show’s popularity, leading to its national syndication in 1993. Initially broadcast from KDWN’s studios at the Plaza Hotel, the show later moved to Bell’s home studio and found a new home on Las Vegas’ KXNT-AM.
KDWN also played a pivotal role in Rush Limbaugh’s early syndication growth, becoming one of his first affiliates in 1988.
In 2006, Beasley Media Group acquired KDWN. The station introduced new shows and carried Raiders games until 2019. Beasley traded KDWN to Audacy in October 2022, who sold its transmitter site five months later for $40 million. KDWN signed off on March 1, 2023, with programming continuing on KMXB-HD3 and an FM translator.
Audacy applied to cancel KDWN’s license on March 11 after a year of silence. With the AM’s shuttering, KXNT – also owned by Audacy – is now Southern Nevada’s Primary Entry Point station for the Emergency Alert System.
Alongside the end of KDWN, comes the cancellation of Audacy’s KXST-AM license as well. The sports station came with the Entercom/CBS Radio merger, and shared the tower site with KDWN.
