KCHA (AM)

KCHA (1580 kHz) is an oldies formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Charles City, Iowa, serving Charles City & Floyd County as well as North Central and North Eastern Iowa. KCHA is owned and operated by North Iowa Broadcasting, LLC. It was first licensed on December 13, 1949.

KCHA

Charles City, Iowa
Broadcast area	Charles City, Iowa, Floyd County, IA
Frequency	1580 kHz
Branding	Fabulous 1580 & 103.3
Programming
Format	Oldies
Affiliations	CBS News Radio
Ownership
Owner	North Iowa Broadcasting, LLC (Coloff Media, LLC)
Sister stations	KCFI, KCHA-FM, KCZE, KLKK, KSMA-FM, KIOW, KHAM, KCVM, KCNZ, KMCH-FM
History
First air date	December 13, 1949
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	41102
Class	D
Power	500 watts day 10 watts night
Transmitter coordinates	43°03′05″N 92°40′00″W
Translator(s)	103.3 K277DM (Charles City)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	kchaam.com

Deadly Tornado

KCHA was noted for its role during the May 15, 1968 tornado that tore through Charles City, destroying over half the town and killing 13 residents and injuring hundreds. One of the largest twisters ever recorded in the state, the storm destroyed much of the downtown – 256 businesses and 1,250 homes. KCHA was warning people of the incoming storm when the tornado struck.^[2] After power was knocked out, station personnel installed an emergency generator at the transmitter site on Stony Point Road and was back on the air later that evening.

Transmission Location

The KCHA transmitter is located on Stony Point Road in Charles City, right off Business 218 near K-Mart.

Programming

The station broadcasts an oldies format.

KCHA also produces a special themed weekend on the weekends.

Broadcast Signal

The KCHA signal stretches from Forest City to West Union and Austin, Minnesota south to Waterloo during the day. At night, the signal covers Floyd County, IA.