| KVNS | |
| City: | Brownsville, Texas |
| Area: | Rio Grande Valley |
| Branding: | Fox Sports Radio 1700 |
| Frequency: | 1700 kHz |
| Airdate: | March 6, 1998 (as KQXX) |
| Format: | Sports |
| Power: | 8,800 watts day 880 watts night |
| Class: | B |
| Facility Id: | 87142 |
| Coordinates: | 25.9492°N -97.5542°W |
| Former Callsigns: | KQXX (1998–2004) |
| Affiliations: | Fox Sports Radio, Premiere Radio Networks, Westwood One |
| Owner: | iHeartMedia |
| Licensee: | iHM Licenses, LLC |
| Sister Stations: | KHKZ, KQXX-FM, KTEX, KBFM |
| Webcast: | Listen Live |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
KVNS (1700 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a sports format.[1] Licensed to Brownsville, Texas, the station is currently owned by iHeartMedia and features programming from Fox News Radio, Premiere Radio Networks and Westwood One.[2] It shares studios with its sister stations, KHKZ, KQXX-FM, KTEX, and KBFM, located close to the KRGV-TV studios in Weslaco, Texas, while its transmitter is located near Brownsville, Texas.
KVNS originated as the expanded band "twin" of an existing station on the standard AM band.
In 1949 a license was issued for a new Brownsville radio station, KBOR on 1600 kHz, owned by Brownsville Broadcasting Company. On March 17, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that eighty-eight stations had been given permission to move to newly available "Expanded Band" transmitting frequencies, ranging from 1610 to 1700 kHz, with KBOR authorized to move from 1600 kHz to 1700 kHz.[3] A construction permit for the expanded band station was assigned the call letters KQXX on March 6, 1998.
On February 26, 2004, 1700 AM changed its call sign to KVNS,[4] and the KQXX call letters were transferred to the former KBOR on 1600 AM.[5] On February 3, 2004, KVNS was sold to Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses, and on February 17, 2009, the station was sold to Clear Channel Broadcasting Licenses.[6]
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,[3] although this deadline was extended multiple times. It was ultimately decided to transfer full operations to the expanded band station, and on February 17, 2005, the license for original station on 1600 AM, KQXX, was cancelled.[7]
On September 17, 2012, KVNS 1700 AM changed formats from classic hits to sports, with programming from Fox Sports Radio.