| KFBU | |
| City: | Fox Farm, Wyoming |
| Area: | Cheyenne, Wyoming and Fox Farm, Wyoming |
| Branding: | Your Network of Praise |
| Airdate: | November 21, 1997 (as KKWY) |
| Frequency: | 1630 kHz |
| Format: | Religious |
| Translator: | K234AH 94.7 (Cheyenne) |
| Power: | 10,000 watts day 1,000 watts night |
| Class: | B |
| Facility Id: | 87155 |
| Former Callsigns: | KKWY (1997–2005) KRND (2005–2021) KVAM (2021–2022) |
| Owner: | Hi-Line Radio Fellowship, Inc. |
| Webcast: | Listen Live |
| Website: | YNOP |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
KFBU (1630 AM) is a non-commercial religious music and talk station licensed to Fox Farm, Wyoming and serving the Cheyenne, Wyoming region, under the YNOP branding.
The station currently clears the entire network schedule of YNOP, with hosts such as David Jeremiah in the mornings, Jay Sekulow in the early afternoons, and Greg Laurie in the evenings. The company designates free time for CCM and some occasional hymnals in-between shows, and is completely music based at night. The station has an affiliation with "20 The Countdown Magazine" during late Saturday afternoons, where as neighboring KUYO has it in the early afternoon.
KFBU began as the "Expanded Band" twin to an existing station on the standard AM band. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available transmitting frequencies, which ranged from 1610 to 1700 kHz. This authorized then-KJJL in Cheyenne to modify its not-yet-built Construction Permit for a relocation to Fox Farm on 1530 kHz to instead change to 1630 kHz.[1]
A construction permit for the expanded band station on 1630 kHz was assigned the call letters KKWY on November 21, 1997.[2] The FCC's initial policy was that both the original station and its expanded band counterpart could operate simultaneously for up to five years, after which owners would have to turn in one of the two licenses, depending on whether they preferred the new assignment or elected to remain on the original frequency.[1] However, this deadline was extended multiple times, and the originating standard AM band station, by then KJUA on 1380 kHz, was not deleted until March 18, 2019.[3]
KKWY had a classic country format. On April 10, 2005, the call sign was changed to KRND, and the station would eventually be switched to 24/7[4] Spanish-language programming under La Familia Broadcasting. In 2013,[5] an application was submitted for 1.7kW by KRND, and effective February 19, 2020,[6] the license was switched over from La Familia to Spanish Media Consulting Corporation, amongst numerous attempts to make antenna adjustments.
See also: KRKY-FM. In March 2021, the station fell silent, as a result of a sale from La Familia Broadcasting to media conglomerate Cedar Cove Broadcasting,[7] and on the 20th, the station signed on as a re-broadcaster of the KRKY-FM brand of country music and classic hits. Both KRND and its translator were involved in the sale, allowing a tri-plex of Vic Michael's stations in the Cheyenne market. On March 29, 2021, the call sign was changed to KVAM, after it was transferred from a station on 1570 AM in Loveland, Colorado. The sale by La Familia Broadcasting was consummated on May 13, 2021, at a price of $40,000.
In July 2021, after just a two and a half month run with Michael's K-rocky, the station, along with the 94.7 translator, switched affiliates to religious YNOP,[8] and begin broadcasting the network's programming effective immediately. The KRKY format is now limited to KFCY in Altvan, and Michael also acquired a construction-permit in Kimball. It is unknown whether Cedar Cove continues to own the property, leasing it out to YNOP, or if a sale had occurred.
On October 31, 2022, the station changed its call sign to KFBU, which was the call sign assigned to the first broadcasting station in the state of Wyoming. Effective February 17, 2023, Michael Radio Company sold KFBU and its translator K234AH to Hi-Line Radio Fellowship, Inc. for $40,000.
The KFBU transmitter tower site is located in the South Side Historic District, between 2nd and 3rd street and Evans and Van Lennen Avenue, sharing the lot with St. Joseph's food pantry. The station operates with a daytime power of 10,000 watts, offering local coverage to Cheyenne and Burns.[9] The coverage is enhanced by good ground conductivity in most of the metro, and a non-noisy environment. At night, in common with most Expanded Band stations, the power decreases to 1,000 watts, which still covers Cheyenne locally, along with skywave coverage to Salt Lake City and Albuquerque.[10]
Presently, KFBU operates a translator on 94.7, K234AH, located 11 miles west of Cheyenne, which broadcasts a city grade signal to the area.