 The station initially operated at a power of 220,000 watts, later increasing power to 288,000 watts.According to the 1960 U.S. census, the population of Pembina the year KCND went on the air was a mere 625 people, making Pembina one of the smallest non-suburban municipalities in the U.S. to have its own TV station.KCND operated as a semi-independent station.