 | |
| Broadcast area | Spokane metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 96.9MHz |
| Branding | Hot 96.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Rhythmic contemporary |
| Affiliations | United Stations Radio Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KHTQ,KXLX,KXLY,KXLY-FM,KXLY-TV,KXMN-LD,KVNI,KZZU-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | December 25, 1992 (1992-12-25) (as KSPO) |
Former call signs | KSPO (1992–1996) |
Call sign meaning | "Easy" (former format of105.7 FM) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 41119 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 8,200watts |
| HAAT | 365 meters (1,198 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | hot969.com |
KEZE (96.9FM "Hot 96.9") is acommercialradio station licensed toSpokane, Washington. It is owned byMorgan Murphy Media, with the license held by QueenB Radio, and it airs arhythmic contemporaryradio format.
The studios and offices are on West Boone Avenue in Spokane.[2] KEZE'stransmitter is located in the Antoine Peak Conservation Area inOtis Orchards, Washington.[3]
On December 25, 1992, the stationsigned on as KSPO under the ownership of Melinda Boucher Read, and airing aChristian radio format. It also carried news from theMutual Broadcasting System. In an era where few women were in charge at radio stations, Read served as the general manager andCEO of the station.
On March 4, 1996,KSPO moved to 106.5 FM, clearing 96.9 for KEZE to take over the frequency. KSPO is now theflagship station for the "American Christian Network".
The KEZEcall sign started out in 1979 at 105.7 MHz, using the identification "KEZE, E-Z listening". It initially airedbeautiful music.[4]
In 1979, KEZE-FM was acquired by Kaye-Smith Enterprises.[5] Kaye-Smith already ownedTop 40 stationKJRB, so the FM was flipped to a format that would also bring in young listeners,album-oriented rock. KEZE called itself "Rock 106 – Spokane's Best Rock". In 1989, KJRB and KEZE were acquired by Apollo Broadcasting.[6] Under Apollo, KEZE leaned more towardactive rock, with plenty of harder-edged rock acts on itsplaylist. Some of the core artists includedLed Zeppelin,Night Ranger,The Rolling Stones,Ozzy Osbourne, andDef Leppard.
With the emergence ofgrunge and "the Seattle sound" in the late 1980s and early 1990s, KEZE began emphasizing more heavy guitar-basedalternative rock, includingSoundgarden,Alice in Chains andNirvana. On October 20, 1995, the station flipped toadult album alternative (AAA) asKAEP, "105.7 the Peak".[7]
The rock format and KEZE call letters moved to 96.9 FM on March 4, 1996.[8] As the public appeal of guitar-based alternative waned in the mid-1990s, KEZE attempted a "back to our roots" campaign as aclassic rock station in 1996. In March 1999, KEZE flipped to an all-1980s hits format, known as "Star @ 96-9."[9][10]
In 2003, KEZE began adding some 1990's music. By the next year, it evolved to anadult top 40 format. The morning show on the station was well-known local hosts "The Breakfast Boys", Dave Sposito and Ken Hopkins, who are now onsister stationKZZU-FM.
On October 12, 2005, the station flipped torhythmic top 40, a move that might have been spurred by rumors that another station might move into the Spokaneradio market to fill the void afterKYWL dropped the rhythmic format in 2004.[11][12] Those rumors became reality in December 2005 whenKQQB-FM signed on with the same format as KEZE's, even though KEZE had an advantage over KQQB in terms of signal coverage ofSpokane County. KQQB evolved into aMainstream Top 40 direction, thus leaving KEZE as the only Rhythmic Contemporary station in the market.
During this time, KEZE was known as "Wired 96.9" with the slogan "Blazin' Today's Hottest Music." It was the Spokane affiliate for thePortland based morning showThe Playhouse. Though "Wired" was a generally successful station, ratings began to decline in early 2008.
On November 20, 2008, KEZE beganstunting withChristmas music, leaving Spokane without a rhythmic top 40 station and led to speculation the station would flip formats.[13]
On December 25, 2008, KEZE flipped tocountry, branding itself as "Coyote Country".[14] This made KEZE the fourth station in the Spokane area to broadcast a country format on the FM band, along withKDRK "The Cat",KIXZ-FM "KIX 96" andKICR "K102 Country". Shortly after the flip, KEZE's ratings improved, despite the four-way competition.
On May 15, 2009, Coyote Country addedThe Jay and Kevin Show in morningdrive time. Jay and Kevin had previously aired on KDRK for 11 years. Jay and Kevin were joined by Sean "Slim" Widmer, formerly ofSpokane's Sports Show, as their producer.
On January 1, 2010, KEZE and KXLY-FM swapped formats, with the country format moving to99.9 FM, while KXLY-FM's modestly successful AAA format as "River" branding moved to KEZE. On November 12, 2010, the station flipped to all-Christmas, making it the second time in the station's history that 96.9 has switched to Christmas music. The AAA format returned after the holidays.[15] However, after the temporary holiday music phase, it was obvious that the Morgan Murphy/Spokane management had not found a successful formula for bringing the station decent ratings.
On April 20, 2011, station management announced that KEZE would return to a rhythmic top 40 format.[16] It had already set up Facebook and Twitter accounts ahead of the switch, which revealed the station's new logo and moniker.[17]
On May 4, 2011, at 3:05 p.m., "The River"signed off with "Tree by the River" byIron and Wine. The station then launched "Hot 96.9" with "Roll Up" byWiz Khalifa. With the return to rhythmic contemporary, KEZE faced another rhythmic station, KGZG, whose signal coverage requires a booster in Spokane (and who responded to KEZE's switch by setting up a website called "Not969.com" to direct listeners to its station). Since its return to rhythmic, KEZE has seen its two competitors, KGZG andKPXR-FM, leave the format in 2014: KGZG went dark on April 7, 2014 (and would later return asKNHK-FM), while KPXR dropped Top 40/CHR to return to country the following month, and later flipped to alternative asKFOO-FM. With those flips, KEZE became the market's only rhythmic contemporary outlet.
47°43′34″N117°10′08″W / 47.726°N 117.169°W /47.726; -117.169