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| Broadcast area | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 102.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| RDS | PI: 1B10 PS/RT: K*102 Title Artist |
| Branding | 102.1, K102 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Subchannels | HD3:WIXKsimulcast (Hmong music, news, and talk) |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | October 1,1967 (as WMIN-FM) |
Former call signs | WMIN-FM (1967–1968) |
Call sign meaning | Key (used with previous format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 59967 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 315 m (1,033 ft) |
| Translator | HD3: 106.7 K294AM (West St. Paul) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | k102.iheart.com |
KEEY-FM (102.1MHz, "K102") is acommercialFMradio stationlicensed toSt. Paul, Minnesota, and serving theMinneapolis-Saint Paulradio market and WesternWisconsin. It broadcasts acountry musicradio format and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. Theradio studios and offices are on Utica Avenue South inSt. Louis Park. KEEY-FM carries twosyndicated programs from co-ownedPremiere Networks:CMT Nights with Cody Alan, heard overnight, andThe Bobby Bones Show, heard Sunday evenings.
KEEY-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts. Thetransmitter is on Ramby Avenue inShoreview, nearInterstate 694.[2] KEEY-FM broadcasts usingHD Radio technology; the HD3 subchannelsimulcasts theHmong language format originating onWIXK (1590 AM); the HD3 sub-channel feedsFM translator K294AM (106.7 MHz).[3]
The 102.1 FM frequency was originally home toKSTP-FM, which launched in 1947. The station was the FM counterpart ofHubbard Broadcasting'sAM 1500KSTP. However, few people owned FM radios in those days, and management was doubtful the station could become profitable. Hubbard shut down the original KSTP-FM in 1952, and the license was cancelled.[4] The current KSTP-FM was re-established in 1965 on its present-day 94.5 MHz frequency.
The owners ofWMIN (1400 AM) relaunched the station on October 1, 1967. It originally had theWMIN-FMcall sign and itsimulcast the AM station. It becameKEEY ("Key") in 1968, ending the simulcast.
The FM station programmedDrake-Chenault'sautomated "Hit Parade '68", anadult contemporary format with nodisc jockeys. Drake's promotional materials indicated it was targeted to the 18-49 age group, for "those people who may not like Top 40 as a steady diet, and those who are not particularly fond of some of the outdatedMOR stations".
In 1971, KEEY-FM switched tobeautiful music, along with its AMsister station of the same name. The FM station was later co-owned with another AM station,WDGY. KEEY-FM played quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumentalcover versions of popular songs, along with someBroadway andHollywood show tunes.
KEEY-FM and WDGY switched to the current country music format in late 1982 as "K102." KEEY-FM quickly became a dominant force in the market. In 2000, the station was acquired by AMFM, Inc., a forerunner of today'siHeartMedia, Inc.[5]
K102 was named "Major Market Station of the Year" by theCountry Music Association in 2005 while being programmed by Gregg Swedberg. In 2010, K102 was the Academy Of Country Music's "Major Market Station of the Year." In 2012, The K102 Wake-up Crew with Donna and Muss won the CMA award in the "Major Market Personalities" category. The station and its personalities have been nominated many times for CMA and ACM awards.
In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 marketsCountry musicRadio & Records magazine station of the year award. Other nominees includedWUSN Chicago,KYGO-FM Denver,WYCD Detroit,WXTU Philadelphia, andKSON-FM San Diego.[6]
On April 25, 2006, iHeartMedia (then known asClear Channel Communications) announced that KEEY-FM would broadcast anHD Radio signal. KEEY-FM's HD2 signal, known as "K*102 New", carried a format focusing on new hits from today's and up-and-comingcountry music stars. Formerly during Christmas time, KEEY-HD2 carriedKQQL'sclassic hits format when that co-owned station switched to allChristmas music.
In November 2018, KEEY-FM launched an HD3 sub-channel carrying asoft adult contemporary format known as "The Breeze", as well as relaunching and rebranding KEEY-FM HD2 as "The Wolf 102.1 HD2".[7][8]
In May 2019, KEEY-HD2 reverted to its previous "K102 New" branding.[9] Competitor country stationKMNB now calls itself "102.9 The Wolf."
In August 2019, KEEY-FM HD2's Country music format was replaced withChristian Contemporary music from iHeart's "UP!" network.
As of April 2021, the "Breeze" programming that was airing on KEEY-HD3 moved to the HD2 sub-channel. The HD3 sub-channel was then flipped to a simulcast ofHmong languageWIXK, and became the new relay forFM translator K294AM (106.7 MHz, licensed toWest St. Paul).[10][11]
45°03′30″N93°07′28″W / 45.058306°N 93.124389°W /45.058306; -93.124389