KKFR
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Call sign meaning | K K FiRe (refers to former moniker "92 Fire FM") |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 41462 |
Class | C |
ERP | 41,000 watts |
HAAT | 852 meters (2,795 ft) |
Translator(s) | 96.1 K241BQ (Fort McDowell, relays KZON-HD3) |
Repeater(s) | 103.9 KZON-HD3 (Gilbert) |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live (may be restricted) |
Website | power983 |
KKFR (98.3
KKFR primarily competes against mainstream top 40 stations KZZP and KALV-FM, and classic hip hop station KZCE. This marks the first time in many years that "Power" had significant competition with rival stations in the market.
History
92.3 FM
On December 19, 1970, the station at 92.3 FM first signed on with the
In 1985, KJJJ-FM flipped to a gold-based top 40 format known as "The Fire Station, Arizona's 92 Fire FM" with new KKFR call letters. KKFR began shifting towards a more rhythmic/dance direction in the late 1980s. The station also adopted the "Power 92" moniker in 1988 and patterned its direction on KPWR in Los Angeles. KKFR adjusted its branding to "Power 92.3" in 2000. TV personality Danny Bonaduce worked at KKFR for a few months in 1989 and 1990 as a morning program co-host.
On December 16, 1993, despite high ratings with its rhythmic-leaning direction, KKFR evolved to a mainstream top 40 and leaned slightly toward
Chancellor Media (which later became AMFM, Inc.) purchased KKFR in late 1998 from its longtime owners The Broadcast Group, but when the company merged with
Move to 98.3 FM
On May 8, 2006, Emmis sold KKFR to Bonneville International, which, in turn, announced that KKFR would become the news station for the market as KTAR-FM; KTAR (620 AM) would absorb the sports assets of KMVP. On July 12, Emmis sold the KKFR intellectual property to Riviera Broadcast Group, which already owned KEDJ, for use on another radio station. That station was KKLD (98.3 FM); originally licensed to Prescott Valley, it changed its city of license to Mayer and adopted the KKFR call letters on September 1, 2006.[2]
On June 22, 2007, KKFR picked up an unlikely competitor when KZON dropped its talk radio format for rhythmic contemporary as "101.5 JAMZ". When KZON made the flip, it aired attack liners towards KKFR such as "The Power's Out", "Where Hip-Hop USED to live", and "100,000 watts of 'Static-Free' Jamz!" However, in a statement made to The Arizona Republic, KKFR's then-program director Bruce St. James, who joined KZON as its new PD in January 2010,[3] said, "What are they going to do? Play more Hip Hop than us? Really, I think we'll be ok."[4]
On December 1, 2008, KKFR dropped its slogan "Where Hip Hop Lives" in favor of "The Valley's #1 Hit Music Station" but retained its rhythmic direction. Ironically, KZON adopted the latter slogan in November, a month before KKFR changed theirs. This move gave Phoenix two radio stations with the same format and slogan; KKFR decided to drop the slogan after nearly a year. A similar scenario occurred between rivaling top 40 stations KZZP and KMVA.
On December 4, 2015, KKFR rebranded as "Power 98.3 & 101.9" after adding a simulcast on translator K270BZ (101.9 FM) in Phoenix.[5] This changed to "Power 98.3 & 96.1" on March 6, 2017, when the station began simulcasting on translator K241BQ (96.1 FM) in Fort McDowell and shut down K270BZ.[6]
On September 1, 2023, KKFR began playing frequent Drake tracks, branded as “Drake 98.3 & 96.1” coinciding with the It's All a Blur Tour with no other notable changes.[7] It has returned to its previous branding on September 7, 2023.
References
- ^ "KKFR/Phoenix Names 'The Dana Cortez Show' For Mornings". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ Arthur, Diane (July 12, 2006). "KTAR plans September launch of AM-FM simulcast". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ "Phoenix Vet Bruce St. James To PD Post At KZON & KMLE". All Access. All Access Music Group. January 5, 2010.
- ^ From The Arizona Republic (June 22, 2007)
- ^ Venta, Lance (December 4, 2015). "Power 98.3 Phoenix Launches East Side 101.9 Translator". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks.
- ^ Venta, Lance (March 7, 2017). "KKFR Moves Simulcast To 96.1". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks.
- ^ "KKFR Becomes Drake 98.3 For Labor Day Weekend". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2023-09-07.
External links
- Official website
- KKFR in the FCC FM station database
- KKFR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- K241BQ in the FCC FM station database
- K241BQ at FCCdata.org