KNAI (AM)
regional Mexican radio station in Phoenix
KNAI (860 kHz; "La Campesina 101.9") is a regional Mexican-formatted AM radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. KNAI is owned by the Chavez Radio Group. Its studios are located in Phoenix near Piestewa Peak and its transmitter is in South Phoenix near Broadway and 27th Avenue.
KNAI operates by day with 940 watts non-directional and at 1,000 watts at night with a directional antenna. Its programming is also heard on two translator stations, K270BZ (101.9 FM) and K270CV (101.9 FM).
AM 860 is a Canadian clear-channel frequency, on which CJBC in Toronto is the dominant Class A station.
History
KIFN and KVVA
On June 8, 1949, the Western Broadcasting Company received the construction permit to build a new radio station in Phoenix, Arizona, on 860 kHz. Construction work on KIFN's facilities in Riverside Park began in September, and an accelerated schedule allowed Arizona's first full-time Spanish-language radio station, KIFN signed on at midnight on Tuesday, November 22. KIFN initially broadcast with 250 watts but benefited from an increase to 1,000 watts in 1952. From the time it signed on until the early 1980s, KIFN operated as a daytime-only station; 860 is a Canadian clear channel frequency, limiting the coverage of American stations operating at 860.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “KNAI (AM)” as regional Mexican radio station in Phoenix. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as regional Mexican radio station in Phoenix. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6333997. Authority coordinates are 33.403, -112.123. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1949 and 1952.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “KNAI (AM)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow KNAI (AM) primary sources, KNAI (AM) archive and KNAI research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “KNAI (AM)”?
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- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “KNAI (AM)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.