KCNM/KZMI is giving away cash, other prizes

After 32 years, KCNM 1080AM, the longest surviving radio station in the CNMI, along with its sister station on the FM channel, 103.9 KZMI-FM, will finally receive names by the end of the month.

Most of us have known the stations as 103.9 and 1080 for many years and not realized that these are not actual station names. They are, in fact, call IDs provided by the Federal Communications Commission, similar to the letter and numbers on a vehicle license plate.

For the most part, the two stations have maintained their genre throughout the years, although more on the FM side than AM. KCNM-AM 1080 began as a country music station, which provided several Chamorro and Carolinian hours per day. It wasn’t until in early 2002 that the AM station changed into a 24-hour news broadcasting station. Meanwhile, 103.9FM has maintained its identity and core genre since it was launched in early 1987, playing R&B, classic music, and adult contemporary.

However, according to Bob Webb, general manager for the two radio stations and radio personality Bobby Bogart, “In recent years, although we still receive song requests for music from the aforementioned genres, more and more requests for hot contemporary music have been making our request lists.”

Webb “wants to assure our long time listeners that the stations are theirs. However, we have also gained new audiences, as our older listeners stay with us, many whose children have also joined our large family of listeners, and we want to let them know that these are also their stations. So the whole reason for the new identity is to properly represent all generational cultures in the CNMI.”

Acknowledging that the stations belong to the listeners, the power to name the stations are being given to the CNMI public.

As of last Friday, Oct. 14, KZMI launched their “Name Our Station” promotions on social media and on the air. The promotion will run until Thursday, Oct. 20 at 11:59pm. On Friday the winners will be announced on the on the air at 103.9 FM, and on the stations’ Facebook page.

On Friday, Oct. 21, KCNM will launch their “Name Our Station” promotion.

All CNMI residents ages 13 years and above qualify to participate in both promotions through votes, likes and shares on social media, and participate in the on air challenges and competition for cash and other prizes.

Other prizes include a laptop from Saipan Computer Services and mobile phones from IT&E.

The KCNM/KZMI team encourages the public to participate and be part of the making of the two stations’ exciting new look, feel, and sound.

Here’s a brief look at how you can enter for a chance to win: like the post and you receive a chance to win cash, share the post and you get a chance to win cash, participate in the poll and you not only get a chance to win cash, you also get a chance to win a laptop from Saipan Computer Services or a chance to win a mobile phone from IT&E.

The five lucky winners will be selected randomly using a random name selection app.

How to win, rules and regulations, and other information can be found on 103.9KZMI-FM’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kzmi1039fm or by emailing kzmi-fm@pticom.com.