KIDR

KIDR

Phoenix, Arizona
Broadcast area	Phoenix area
Frequency	740 kHz
Branding	En Familia Radio
Programming
Format	Spanish Catholic religious radio
Ownership
Owner	En Familia, Inc.
History
Former call signs	KUEQ (1958–1967) KMEO (1967–1992)
Call sign meaning	KID Radio (former format)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	6383
Class	B
Power	1,000 watts (day) 292 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates	33°21′55″N 112°6′30″W / 33.36528°N 112.10833°W / 33.36528; -112.10833
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	EnFamilia.org

KIDR (740

Initially, KMEO remained successful. When KQYT flipped from easy listening in 1986, its listeners moved to KMEO, shooting the station into a tie with KZZP at the top of the Phoenix radio ratings.^[8] However, by early 1989, Group W was ready to try something different, moving to a soft adult contemporary sound and away from the syndicated format it had used.^[9] However, the changes caused KMEO's ratings to decline.^[10] The AM station was the first in the Valley to play continuous Christmas music, doing so in 1989.^[11]

Bonneville International bought KMEO-AM-FM from Group W in 1991.^[12] AM and FM programming was split for good when Bonneville relaunched KMEO-FM as "Sunny 97" KPSN on July 3, 1991; it is now KMXP. KMEO remained an easy listening station for another year.

Children's Radio KIDR

As the popularity of easy listening music declined among younger listeners, KMEO changed formats. In October 1992,^[13] AM 740 became an affiliate of Radio AAHS, a children's radio network. The station changed its call sign to KIDR, standing for KID Radio. Although the station has changed ownership and formats several times, its callsigns still refer to "Kid Radio." (The KMEO call letters were briefly used in the early 90s at 93.7 FM in Wickenburg.)

Bonneville sold the station to Radio AAHS directly in 1997. In 1998, when Radio AAHS ended its operations, KIDR began carrying its successor network, which included, for 12 hours each night, a dance/EDM music format known as Beat Radio. During the summer of 1998, then-programming director Matt Miller would deejay an hour of contemporary dance and alternative rock music from 2-3 PM Wednesdays-Fridays, in what would be deemed "The Afternoon Fiesta".^[14] Later in 1998, KIDR began broadcasting the Catholic Radio Network.

Switch to Spanish-language

In 2000, KIDR was bought by Radio Única, a national Spanish-language talk network. Radio Única failed to attract enough listeners or advertisers, so in 2003, KIDR and the other Radio Única-owned stations were sold to Multicultural Broadcasting as part of a $150 million bankruptcy liquidation.^[15][16]

Force Broadcasting, LLC acquired KIDR from Multicultural in 2009 for $1.5 million.^[17] On December 28, 2012, Force Broadcasting sold KIDR to En Familia, Inc. for $1.85 million.^{[citation needed]}

References

External links

• FCC History Cards for KIDR
• KIDR in the FCC AM station database
• KIDR in Nielsen Audio's AM station database