KNIR

Brief history

KNIR at one time was an AM/FM combo in New Iberia with a country music format on AM and beautiful music on FM. Radio talk show host Jeanne Sparrow once hosted a program in the evenings and weekends on KNIR. French-language programming in Cajun and Creole dialects were also aired on KNIR in addition to being an affiliate for Tulane University's sports radio network. The country format remains on the FM station (now known as KXKC a separate entity now owned by Citadel Broadcasting.)

KNIR was the first AM station to simulcast KJMJ, thus forming repeater network Radio Maria USA,the English language unit of Radio Maria Inc. based in Como, Italy. Radio Maria USA programming is also heard in Canada in the evenings and weekends on Toronto-based HMWN Radio Maria, which broadcasts on an FM subcarrier of CFNY-FM and on cable and on internet throughout the Canadian provinces.

Radio Maria USA consists of originator KJMJ and nine repeater stations located in Louisiana, eastern Texas, central Pennsylvania,southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast,the Door Peninsula in eastern Wisconsin and west central Ohio. Radio Maria USA is continuing its mission to expand its repeater network in addition to streaming on the internet. Two such stations WOLM in D'Iberville, Mississippi and WRMW in Peshtigo, Wisconsin both made their on-air debut just before Memorial Day weekend of 2010.

Listeners outside KNIR's listening area can also access the Radio Maria audiostream using iPhone, BlackBerry and Android mobile phone devices by downloading the appropriate app from its website.

KNIR's local studio is located at 345 Doucet Road in Lafayette.