 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Frequency | 98.3MHz |
| Branding | 98.3 The Vibe |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40 |
| Affiliations | Cumulus Media Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KBGG,KGGO,KHKI,KJJY | |
| History | |
First air date | 1975 (as KWBG-FM) |
Former call signs | KWBG-FM (1975–1991) KIAB (1991–1993) KRUU (1993–1996) KRKQ (1996–2003) KBGG-FM (2003–2004) |
Call sign meaning | "Wow" (previous branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 30116 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 41,000watts |
| HAAT | 165 meters (541 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°49′51.0″N93°43′54.0″W / 41.830833°N 93.731667°W /41.830833; -93.731667 |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | 983vibe.com |
KWQW (98.3FM, "The Vibe") is atop 40radio station licensed toBoone, Iowa, and serving theDes Moines area. The station is currently owned byCumulus Media. KWQW's studios are inUrbandale, along with Cumulus' other stations:KGGO,KJJY,KHKI, andKBGG. Its transmitter is located near Big Creek Lake southwest ofSheldahl.
The station began as KWBG-FM in 1975, a localBoone, Iowa radio station.[1] In 1991, the station started to target theDes Moines, Iowa area with acountry music format with callsigns KIAB "K98" from 1991 to 1993. The station then became KRUU known as "The Rooster" from 1993–1996, also with acountry music format before becoming KRKQ on January 12, 1996.[2]
As KRKQ, the station took on the nickname of "98 Rock," featuring aclassic rock format that competed with longtime ratings leaderKGGO, as well as the syndicated "Bob & Tom Show." In 2000, the station's format was tweaked toclassic hits as "Magic 98.3" after owner Barnstable Communications acquired KGGO.[3] A short time later, the format was changed toadult contemporary as "98.3 the River."
Barnstable sold all of its Des Moines stations to Wilks Broadcasting in 2001; the stations were sold toCitadel Broadcasting in 2003. On November 11 of that year, Citadel changed KRKQ's format totalk radio as "WOW-FM, the Capital's Big Talker." The Bob & Tom Show was the only program that carried over to the new format. The station's callsign was changed to KBGG-FM shortly afterwards.[4] On December 28, 2004, the callsigns became KWQW.The Bob & Tom Show remained on the station until December 30, 2011, when it was moved toKGGO. In 2005,Paul Harvey became part of the station's lineup afterWHO dropped the show.
Citadel merged with Cumulus Media in September 2011.[5]
In April 2014, KWQW rebranded as "98.3 The Torch"[6] but continued with a Conservative Talk format. "The Torch" primarily carriedCumulus Media Networks' in-house offerings, includingDennis Miller,The Savage Nation,The Mark Levin Show,John Batchelor, andRed Eye Radio, all in their live time slots. (The station did not carryImus in the Morning orHerman Cain.) A local morning show,The Morning Drive, aired (as its name indicated) in morningdrive time, and the station also carried the last two hours of theGlenn Beck Program live (WHO, whose sister companyPremiere Networks owns Beck's rights, does not carry Beck). The station served as an affiliate for theKansas City Chiefs.
On October 5, 2015, at Noon, KWQW flipped toclassic hip hop as "98.3 The Vibe". The first song on "The Vibe" was "2 Legit 2 Quit" byMC Hammer.[7][8]
On May 28, 2021, at Midnight, KWQW flipped to Top 40/CHR, maintaining the "Vibe" branding. With the shift in format, KWQW became the third contemporary hits-based FM station in the Des Moines radio market, which is as many as the market has ever had in more than 30 years. Thus far the station has struggled in the Neilsen overall ratings, mostly staying in the 1 share range.[9]