KWLM

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title: "KWLM" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-in-minnesota", "news-and-talk-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "radio-stations-established-in-1940", "kandiyohi-county,-minnesota", "1940-establishments-in-minnesota"] topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KWLM" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]

Field	Value
name	KWLM
city	Willmar, Minnesota
branding	"News/Talk 1340 AM & 96.3 FM"
airdate	1940
frequency	1340 kHz
format	News/Talk
translator	96.3 K242CF (Willmar)
101.1 K266CM (Sunburg)
language	English
power	1,000 watts unlimited
class	C
facility_id	35377
coordinates
callsign_meaning	WiLlmar, Minnesota
owner	Lakeland Broadcasting Company
sister_stations	KLFN, KOLV, KQIC, KSCR-FM, KKLN, KBMO
webcast	Listen Live
website	KWLM Online
affiliations	ABC News Radio
NBC News Radio
Compass Media Networks
Premiere Networks
Westwood One
Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Vikings
licensing_authority	FCC
::

| name = KWLM | logo = | logo_size = | city = Willmar, Minnesota | area = | branding = "News/Talk 1340 AM & 96.3 FM" | airdate = 1940 | frequency = 1340 kHz | format = News/Talk | translator = 96.3 K242CF (Willmar) 101.1 K266CM (Sunburg) | language = English | power = 1,000 watts unlimited | class = C | facility_id = 35377 | coordinates = | callsign_meaning = WiLlmar, Minnesota | former_callsigns = | former_frequencies = | owner = Lakeland Broadcasting Company | licensee = | sister_stations = KLFN, KOLV, KQIC, KSCR-FM, KKLN, KBMO | webcast = Listen Live | website = KWLM Online | affiliations = ABC News Radio NBC News Radio Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks Westwood One Minnesota Lynx Minnesota Timberwolves Minnesota Vikings | licensing_authority= FCC

KWLM (1340 AM, "News/Talk 1340 AM & 96.3 FM") is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Willmar, Minnesota, since 1940. The station was assigned the call sign "KWLM" by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The station's broadcast license is held by Lakeland Broadcasting Company. KWLM is one of four stations in the Lakeland Broadcasting Group, which includes KLFN ("106.5 The Train"), KOLV ("Big Country 100.1"), and KQIC ("Q102"). The station's AM signal is supplemented by FM translator K242CF at 96.3 MHz in Willmar, and in 2025, the station’s format was further expanded to relay on KBMO in Benson following an ownership acquisition.

History

KWLM is one of the heritage radio stations in Minnesota, having officially signed on the air on October 5, 1940. The station was founded by Harry W. Linder, a visionary entrepreneur who had to visit Washington D.C. twice to convince the FCC that a market as small as Willmar could support a local station. The call letters were originally selected to represent "Willmar, Land of Many Lakes" or simply "WiLLmar, Minnesota."

Just over a month after its launch, the station proved its vital importance during the Armistice Day Blizzard of November 11, 1940. With over a foot of snow and hundreds dead across the region, KWLM became the "social network" of its day, broadcasting emergency weather information and connecting isolated rural families. The station remains under the control of the Linder family through Lakeland Media LLC, making it one of the longest-running family-owned broadcast operations in the state. The station is a member of the Linder Farm Network, broadcasting agricultural news and market reports three times daily.

Alumni

Jack Lynch served the community for nearly 50 years as an on-air personality for KWLM. In addition, Lynch served on hospital and school boards as well as serving as mayor of Willmar from 1973 until 1976. Lynch died in 1999. He was the first announcer hired by the station, beginning his career just days before KWLM went on the air in October 1940.

Translators

KWLM programming is also carried on two broadcast translator stations to extend or improve the coverage area of the station. | call1 = K242CF | freq1 = 96.3 FM | watts1 = 250 | class1 = D | city1 = Willmar, Minnesota

| callsign = | call2 = K266CM | freq2 = 101.1 FM | watts2 = 250 | class2 = D | city2 = Sunburg, Minnesota | fid1 = 78070 | fid2 = 202344

References

References

1. "Huge Number of AM Revitalization FM Translator Deals Filed with FCC, Including New York, L.A. Plans".
2. "Classic Country Gets Upgrade in Western Minnesota". NorthPine.
3. "KWLM Celebrates 75 Years Of Broadcasting". Lakeland Broadcasting.
4. "KWLM History - BLOX Digital". Willmar Daily Tribune Archive.
5. "Linder Family - CommunityGiving". Willmar Area Community Foundation.
6. "Radio Stations - Minnesota News Network". Minnesota News Network.
7. "Jack Lynch". Pavek Museum.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::