KQRS-FM

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Coordinates: 45°03′29″N 93°07′26″W / 45.058°N 93.124°W / 45.058; -93.124
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
KQRS-FM
MHz (HD Radio)
Branding92 KQRS
Programming
FormatClassic rock
AffiliationsWestwood One
Ownership
Owner
KXXR, WGVX, WWWM-FM, WLUP
History
First air date
September 1, 1962 (as KEVE-FM)
Former call signs
KEVE-FM (1962-1963)
KADM (1963-1964)
Call sign meaning
"Quality Radio Station"
Technical information
Facility ID35505
ClassC
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT315 m (1,033 ft)
Links
WebcastListen live
Listen Live via iHeart
Website92kqrs.com
KQRS Billboard
Historic KQRS logos

KQRS-FM (92.5

Twin Cities region of Minnesota. The station is licensed to suburban Golden Valley, transmits from the KMSP-TV tower in Shoreview, and is owned by Cumulus Media, with studios in Southeast Minneapolis in the Como
district.

History

The original call letters were KEVE-FM and the station was co-owned with sister AM station

show tunes and adult standards began in 1960 and was completed on both stations by March 1963.[1] On December 1, 1964, the call letters for both radio stations became KQRS. The KEVE studios had, by 1957, moved to its transmitter site in Golden Valley at 917 Lilac Drive, set back from Minnesota State Highway 100
. This location was the first studio and transmitter site for the station.

The KQRS

call sign stayed with the AM until 1982, when it switched to an oldies format as KGLD before returning to the simulcast and the KQRS calls less than two years later. In 1996, the AM was again split from the FM to become one of the first affiliates of Radio Disney, a format targeting children (see KDIZ). Both stations were owned by Disney
at the time. In early 2001, KQRS and KDIZ (along with sister stations 93X and 105.1/105.3/105.7) moved their studios and offices to 2000 Elm Street SE in Minneapolis, near the University of Minnesota campus.

In the mid-1960s, KQRS programmed a Middle-of-the-Road format (

freeform
rock in the late night hours with a program called "Nightwatch" with George Donaldson Fisher as DJ. This became very popular with college age listeners, and in a few months, the rock format was expanded to begin playing in the evenings as well with DJ Alan Stone, and was known as "Nightwatch Trip One", with Fisher's program renamed slightly as "Nightwatch Trip Two." A few months later, this became the primary full-time format.

By

album rock. This approach continued into 1986, with respectable, if not spectacular ratings, when KQRS signed a new consultant, Jacobs Media, and evolved into its present-day classic rock
format. That, coupled with its massively popular morning show, elevated KQRS to the top of the Minneapolis-St. Paul radio market ratings.

In 1994, KQRS had the distinction of unseating legendary area broadcaster

The KQ92 Morning Show hosted by Tom Barnard was a major element in KQ's ascendance to the top spot, along with shifting market demographics. Barnard and the KQ Morning Show also were successful in holding the top rating spot when Howard Stern made his debut on the Twin Cities airwaves in 1997. Stern lasted only until mid-1999 in Minneapolis as his ratings brought him to the number two position in morning drive time, but the station that carried the show, WRQC
, had poor ratings during the rest of the day, leading to the dropping of Stern and a format change.

Rival KRXX, then known as "93X", was purchased by then-owners

sports talk, and classic hip hop, before flipping back to Soft AC/oldies in late 2018
as Love 105.

With the three formats,

Twin Cities
, and used 93X and Drive 105/Zone 105 as 'flankers' to ward off competitors trying to knock off KQRS, its station with the largest audience in the market and the company's local cash cow.

KQRS had been programmed by award-winning programming veteran (and former DJ) David Hamilton for over 25 years, until his retirement in December 2012. At that time, Cumulus appointed WZGC (Atlanta) Program Director Scott Jameson, who exited in January 2020. The KQRS airstaff is live and local 24 hours a day and has remained unusually consistent for years as well, with most staffers there for 10 years or more. Tom Barnard had hosted the long-running morning show before retiring on December 23 2022. The KQ Morning show is now hosted by Steve Gorman (former drummer of the Black Crowes) Tony Lee, Brian Zepp and Candice Wheeler. Woody hosts middays 10am-3pm and Lisa Miller does the afternoon drive from 3pm-7pm. KQ's Weekend airstaff includes: Chris Nelson, James Young and Jordan.

In May 2005, KQRS began offering podcasts of the morning show through the station's website.

On June 1,

ABC Radio, acquiring KQRS. KDIZ, the former KQRS 1440, was retained by Disney. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[2]

HD Radio

KQRS began broadcasting an HD Radio signal in 2007. KQRS also offered an HD2 channel featuring a classic country format branded as "The Bear".

On December 31 2014 KQRS ceased operation of its HD signal alongside sister station KXXR. KQRS would begin HD operation full-time again 2 years later on December 31, 2016. "The Bear" did not return on KQRS-HD2 immediately following reactivation of HD operation.

On June 27, 2018, "The Bear" returned to KQRS-HD2 with a bigger emphasis on country golds from the 60s-2000s.

In January 2023, KQRS ceased HD operation once again. HD operation on KQRS would begin again in March 2023, however "The Bear" would not return to KQRS-HD2.

Pop culture

In the 1996

gift certificate
. The film is set in and was shot in the Twin Cities.

References

  1. ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1963-03-30). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. {{cite book}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.

External links

45°03′29″N 93°07′26″W / 45.058°N 93.124°W / 45.058; -93.124

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