KTCZ-FM

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Coordinates: 45°03′30″N 93°07′28″W / 45.058278°N 93.124361°W / 45.058278; -93.124361
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
KTCZ-FM
KTLK
  • W227BF
    • History
    First air date
    		January 1947 (as WTCN-FM)
    Former call signs
    		WTCN-FM (1947-1954)
    KWFM (1954-1969)
    KTCR-FM (1969-1984)
    Call sign meaning
    		K Twin CitieZ
    Technical information
    Facility ID10142
    ClassC
    ERP100,000 watts
    HAAT315 m (1,033 ft)
    Translator(s)
    Links
    WebcastAnalog/HD1: Listen Live
    HD3: Hot 102.5 Listen Live
    WebsiteAnalog/HD1: cities971.iheart.com
    HD3: hot1025.iheart.com

    KTCZ-FM (97.1

    studios and offices on Utica Avenue South in St. Louis Park
    .

    KTCZ's

    urban contemporary format known as "Hot 102.5", and feeds FM translator K273BH
    (102.5 FM).

    KTCZ has an auxiliary transmitter with an

    Downtown Minneapolis
    .

    History

    WTCN-FM

    The 97.1 frequency was home to one of the first FM stations in the Twin Cities,

    signing on the air in 1947 as WTCN-FM.[4] It was co-owned with WTCN (now WWTC
    ), one of the oldest radio stations in Minneapolis-St. Paul, having signed on the air in 1925.

    In 1949,

    Midwest Radio and Television, which also purchased a majority share of WCCO Radio from CBS that same year. Midwest changed the call letters to match its newly acquired WCCO, while WTCN-TV was sold to the Minnesota Television Service Corporation headed by St. Paul businessman Robert Butler, a former ambassador to Cuba and Australia. Butler's company quickly applied for a new TV license on channel 11, but had to negotiate for the frequency with the owner of WMIN, who also applied for the channel. The two stations, WTCN and WMIN, arranged to share the TV broadcast day, alternating every two hours. This became the area's third TV station on September 1, 1953. The WTCN call sign remained with it until 1985, when it became WUSA
    .

    KWFM and KTCR-FM

    WTCN-FM became KWFM in 1954. Al Tedesco purchased KWFM in

    daytimer KTCR. As a result of the sale, the FM station became KTCR-FM.[5] Tedesco and his two brothers were inducted into the Pavek Museum of Radio Hall of Fame
    in 2005.

    In the early 1980s, KTCR-FM was a struggling country music station, and was up against aggressive competition during this time, most notably from KEEY-FM.

    KTCZ

    On February 8, 1984, after Tedesco decided to sell his stations to John and Kathleen Parker, KTCR-FM dropped the country format and became KTCZ, "Cities 97". The station's new format was unique, featuring a mix of

    freeform days of KQRS-FM
    .

    In the 1980s, the term "

    iHeartMedia, Inc.

    For a few years in the 2010s, the station carried the

    syndicated call-in show Loveline, which had received strong ratings on the former KEGE. Most other Loveline affiliates were alternative or active rock
    stations geared toward a younger demographic than KTCZ's. The talk programming also conflicted with Cities 97's "more music" mandate.

    The station's original studios and transmitter were located at 38th Street and Minnehaha Avenue in south Minneapolis from at least the mid-1950s until 1985. The tower was short for a full-power FM station, at a

    KTCJ (AM) in New Hope, where it was positioned on one of the three AM towers. Later, KTCZ's transmitter was moved to the KMSP-TV tower in Shoreview, from where most of the other Twin Cities FM stations transmit. KMWA
    now uses the New Hope tower.

    In 2012, the station dropped its longtime "Quality Music from Then and Now" positioner in favor of "Discover New Music", as the format evolved into

    modern adult contemporary
    .

    On August 20, 2018, at 12 p.m., after promoting a "major announcement" through the prior weekend, the station rebranded slightly to "Cities 97.1", re-adjusting its format to play more songs from its longtime adult album alternative format, adding music from artists like Leon Bridges and Amy Shark, and reducing the number of hot AC recurrents. With the changes, KTCZ introduced a new slogan, "Uniquely Twin Cities". The first song under the adjusted format was "Beautiful Day" by U2.[7][8]

    On February 4, 2019, KTCZ-FM announced its new morning show featuring Hunter Quinn and Mollie Kendrick. Quinn was formerly with Seattle country station KNUC, while Kendrick was promoted from her evening air shift at KTCZ. At the same time, interim morning host Paul Fletcher would return to afternoons. The morning show had been without a permanent host since Keri Noble's exit in November 2018.[9]

    HD Radio

    See also: K273BH

    HD2

    On April 25,

    chill music. On December 23, 2012, KTCZ-HD2 changed its format to sports radio
    , branded as "The Score." By Autumn of 2013, "The Score" was replaced by a simulcast of the "New Music" specialty channel found on the IHeartRadio online/mobile platform.[10]

    In June 2014, following the flip of co-owned

    St. Paul. It later added two other translators, K221ES (92.1 FM) and K249ED (97.7 FM), both in Albertville
    .

    HD3

    On June 5, 2015, KTCZ-HD3 launched a

    urban contemporary on February 12, 2018.[12][13]

    Studio C

    See also: Cities 97 Sampler

    Studio C is a room located at the radio station, with equipment used to record bands and singers, as well as chairs to accommodate a small audience. Many acts who come to the Twin Cities are invited to Studio C to play a few songs and have some brief fan interactions.

    From 1989 to 2018, KTCZ each holiday season would release an album, cassette tape and/or CD, known as the Cities 97 Sampler. Proceeds would benefit Minnesota charities. Most of the Cities 97 Sampler tracks were recorded in Studio C in front of a small audience, with the remaining tracks recorded live at local clubs in and around the Twin Cities. Some recordings that did not make the cut for the Cities 97 Sampler can be found on the KTCZ webpage.

    References

    1. ^ "Your Midwest Media - Minneapolis-St. Paul Dial Guide". www.yourmidwestmedia.net. Archived from the original on 2013-08-05.
    2. ^ FCC.gov/KTCZ
    3. ^ "KTCZ-FM 97.1 MHz - Minneapolis, MN". radio-locator.com.
    4. ^ a b http://collections.mnhs.org/visualresources/image.cfm?imageid=151085
    5. ^ "Radio station founder Al Tedesco dies". Associated Press. 2002-12-06. Archived from the original on 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2005-01-25.
    6. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook page B-224
    7. ^ Says, Maytableinc (August 20, 2018). "Cities 97 Minneapolis Returns To AAA Roots - RadioInsight".
    8. ^ "First Listen: Cities 97.1 Minneapolis - RadioInsight". August 23, 2018.
    9. ^ "Hunter Quinn & Mollie Kendrick Take Mornings At Cities 97.1". RadioInsight. 2019-02-04. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
    10. ^ KTCZ-HD2 Legal Identification dated 11/2013 from Northpine.com
    11. ^ "Classic Hip-Hop Hot 102.5 Minneapolis Debuts - RadioInsight". June 5, 2015.
    12. ^ "Hot 102.5 Minneapolis Flips To Urban - RadioInsight". February 18, 2018.
    13. ^ http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=16 HD Radio Guide for Minneapolis-St. Paul

    External links

    45°03′30″N 93°07′28″W / 45.058278°N 93.124361°W / 45.058278; -93.124361

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