KQKS
![]() | |
Broadcast area | Denver metropolitan area |
---|---|
Frequency | 107.5 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | KS1075 |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Rhythmic contemporary |
Subchannels | |
Ownership | |
Owner |
|
History | |
First air date | July 9, 1966 | (as KLAK-FM at 107.7)
Former call signs |
|
Former frequencies | 107.7 MHz (1966–1970) |
Call sign meaning | "Kiss" (former Kiss FM branding) |
Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 35574 |
Class | C |
ERP | 100,000 watts |
HAAT | 365 meters (1,198 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°41′46″N 105°09′58″W / 39.696°N 105.166°W |
Translator(s) | |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast |
|
Website |
KQKS (107.5
Its studios and offices are located in the
KQKS history
KLMO-FM
What is now KQKS originally
In December 1986, Western Cities Broadcasting purchased KLMO-FM. The company would move the transmitter site closer to Denver, increase power from 28,000 watts to 58,000 watts, and raise antenna height from 88 feet to 980 feet. The
Top 40 KS104
In mid-1987, the branding was shortened to "KS104". On August 1, 1987, amidst heavy competition against three other FM adult contemporary stations in Denver, and with only one Top 40 station in the market, KQKS segued to a Mainstream Top 40 format, again as "KS104."[4] By 1989, KQKS evolved into a Dance-leaning Rhythmic Top 40 outlet.[5] By 1993, the station shifted back to mainstream contemporary hits when it was left as the market's sole surviving Top 40 radio station. The air staff at the time included Mark Speers and Laurie Michaels in mornings, PJ Cruise in middays, Michael Hayes in afternoons, Sweet G in evenings, Ed Atkins in late evenings, JJ Cruze on overnights, and Brandon Scott on swing.
By 1995, KS104 was competing heavily against KWMX and KALC, particularly for the young female audience. As a direct result, KQKS returned to a rhythmic contemporary direction that year. But by 1996, KQKS was struck by a major blow when the entire on-air staff defected across the street to newly minted Rhythmic Contemporary rival KJMN, and began attacking "KS104" on-air and on the streets. The station ran automated without live air staff for the remainder of its time at 104.3.
Move to 107.5 FM
In November 1996, Western Cities sold "KS104" to Jefferson-Pilot Communications (now known as
.)The move boosted KQKS's ratings, resulting in KJMN throwing in the towel on March 30, 1997. Since then, KQKS has faced several competitors. In 2009,
Ownership changes
In late 2005, Lincoln Financial Group acquired Jefferson-Pilot, which in turn resulted in Lincoln Financial becoming KQKS' parent company. The firm decided to keep Jefferson-Pilot's broadcasting properties in its portfolio despite offers by other broadcasting groups to buy the stations. On April 3, 2006, KQKS and the other stations began replacing the ownership on-air liners "A Jefferson-Pilot Station" with "A Lincoln Financial Station." In June 2007, Lincoln Financial announced that would put its television and radio stations up for sale. KQKS and its sister stations in Denver were among the properties being shopped around by Lincoln Financial, until the company suspended those plans in 2008.
On December 8, 2014,
107.5 History
Country KLAK-FM
On July 9, 1966, KLAK-FM
Top 40 KPPL/CHR Y108
In February 1983, KPPL and AM sister station KLAK were acquired by Malrite Communications, and would become a sister station to Top 40/CHR powerhouse WHTZ (Z100) in New York, which went on the air the same year. In July 1984, 107.5 switched to Top 40/CHR, took the call sign KRXY-FM, and adopted the moniker "Y108 FM".[11] It was the top-rated CHR station in Denver during the mid and late 1980s, competing against KOAQ (Q103) until that station transitioned to an adult contemporary format in 1986, and against KPKE until that station flipped in 1987. KRXY also simulcast at night on 1600 AM as "KRXY-AM" during this time. Program directors were Robin Mitchell, Scott Fischer (interim), John Driscoll, Mark Bolke, and Dom Testa, who took over programming duties in 1991. The music directors were Geina Horton, Todd Cavanah, and Dom Testa. The Y108 morning show was hosted by, in sequence, Chuck Buell and the Denver Morning Zoo (also featuring Geina Horton, Jon Dwayne and Con Schafer), and later in 1986 by Dave Otto (featuring Lee Ann Nye as Iva B. Presley). Afternoon personalities included Beau Matthews, Scott "Scruff" Thrower, and Dom Testa. Evenings featured Bwana Johnny and Michael "Moondoggie" Moon. Don MacLeod was heard on late nights and weekends.
In October 1987, Malrite Communications sold KRXY to Capital Cities/ABC Radio for a reported $10.7 million.[12]
In October 1988 (variously reported as 1987), an 18 year-old armed with a rifle, six cassette tapes of The Smiths and one Morrissey album, drove to the station with the intent of forcing them to play music by the English alternative rock bands. The station's production manager, Greg Fadick, encountered the troubled young man in the parking lot, and later recalled having the barrel of a Remington pointed in his face for a minute or two. The would-be assailant then suddenly turned the rifle around and handed it to him butt-first, and asked him to call the police. "Tell them I need help," he said.[13] "I was gonna hijack it, but I lost my nerve," he told one of the officers. "I was going to make 'em play some tapes, but I couldn't go through with it." Telling police, he picked Y108 "because they're number one."[14] The 2021 film Shoplifters of the World is loosely based on this incident, although in the movie a radio station is actually held at gunpoint and forced to play songs by The Smiths.[15][16][17]
KWMX/KHHT
KRXY was overtaken in the ratings by KQKS (then at 104.3 FM) in 1991; by this time, KRXY began to lean toward
At midnight on August 2, the station began stunting with audio from movies as "America's Radio Movie Channel." At 5 p.m. that day, KWMX officially flipped back to Top 40, and changed its moniker to "K-Hits 107.5." On August 30, 1996, the call letters switched to KHHT to match the "K-Hits 107.5" moniker.[24][25] However, the new format failed to catch on.[26] On January 8, 1997, after Jefferson-Pilot bought KQKS, the "K-Hits" format was discontinued with KQKS moving its call letters and rhythmic format to 107.5. The call letter change to KQKS officially took place February 21, 1997.[7]
Airstaff
Larry Ulibarri, Kendall B, and Kathie J held down the morning time slot, the longest in the station's history, from 2001 until March 2017 when a contract dispute resulted in their departure from KQKS. Kendall B had already left the station in January 2017 to pursue other opportunities.[27][28]
Music history
KQKS played a pivotal role in breaking the record "
HD Radio
KQKS's HD2 subchannel airs a country music format, feeding translator station 103.1 K276FK in Denver, known as "Front Range Country 103.1".
On March 12, 2021, KQKS launched a sports format on its HD3 subchannel, branded as "Mile High Sports" (the format was previously heard on KDCO). KQKS-HD3 is simulcast on FM translator K251CV (98.1 FM).[29]
On March 3, 2023, KQKS-HD2/K276FK dropped the comedy format (the station becoming notable at that time for being one of the only remaining radio stations in the United States to carry such a format; the format moved to KQMT-HD2) and flipped to a 1990s-focused classic country format, branded as "Front Range Country 103.1".[30]
References
- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KQKS". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ a b Broadcasting Yearbook 1967 page B-27
- ^ R&R Magazine 1987 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1987 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ "Mile High Battle: Denver" (PDF). Network 40 (1992-07-10, page 4). Retrieved February 21, 2018.
- ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 page D-74
- ^ a b R&R Magazine 1997 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1997 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ "Entercom Acquires Lincoln Financial Media" from Radio Insight (December 8, 2014)
- ^ "FCC OKs Lincoln Financial-Entercom Deal" from All Access (June 26, 2015)
- ^ R&R Magazine 1984 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1987 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ Herrera, Dave (February 27, 2013). "More than a fascinating piece of Smithsology, the '80s radio takeover is a story of redemption". Westword. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Herrera, Dave (February 25, 2013). "The Smiths '80s radio-station takeover: What really happened according to the police report". Westword. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Cross, Alan (March 6, 2021). "In 1987, a Smiths fan sought to hijack a Colorado radio station. There's now a movie based on that". A Journal of Musical Things. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Katie (March 25, 2021). "Review: Coming of age to the sounds of the Smiths in 'Shoplifters of the World'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- ^ Wenzel, John (March 29, 2021). "Denver-set movie 'Shoplifters of the World' based on real-life Morrissey, The Smiths lore". TheKnow.DenverPost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ R&R Magazine 1991 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1991 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1993 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ Ratings directories 1992 worldradiohistory.com
- ^ Ratings directories 1994 worldradiohistory.com
- ^ Ratings directories 1996 worldradiohistory.com
- ^ R&R Magazine 1996 americanradiohistory.com
- ^ "Changing formats mean battle on rock 'n' roll front", The Denver Post, August 6, 1996.
- ^ Ratings directories 1997 worldradiohistory.com
- ^ "10 Questions with ... The KS 1075 Morning Show" from All Access (February 3, 2010)
- ^ "KS 107.5 Morning Show With Larry and Kathie Canceled After Contract Dispute" from Westword (March 30, 2017)
- ^ Mile High Sports Returns To Denver Radioinsight - March 12, 2021
- ^ Audacy Launches Front Range Country 103.1 Denver Radioinsight - March 3, 2023
External links
- Official website
- KQKS in the FCC FM station database
- KQKS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- K251CV in the FCC FM station database
- K251CV at FCCdata.org
- K276FK in the FCC FM station database
- K276FK at FCCdata.org
- Video profile of Y108 morning personality Chuck Buell Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame