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| Broadcast area | Minneapolis-St. Paul |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 93.7MHz |
| RDS | PI: 4F23 PS: Artist Title 93X RT: Artist - Title |
| Branding | 93X |
| Programming | |
| Format | Active rock |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KQRS-FM,WGVX,WWWM-FM,WLUP | |
| History | |
First air date | October1960 (as WAYL) |
Former call signs | WAYL (1960–1988) KLXK (1988–1990) KRXX (1990–1994) KEGE (1994–1997) |
Call sign meaning | "93X Rocks" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 35506 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 315 m (1,033 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen Live via iHeart |
| Website | www |
KXXR (93.7FM) is anactive rockradio station broadcasting to theMinneapolis-St. Paulmetropolitan area. It is owned byCumulus Media, which also ownsKQRS-FM along withWGVX, WLUP, and WWWM. Its transmitter is located inShoreview, Minnesota. Its studios are in Northeast Minneapolis in theComo district.
Through much of its early history, the station was known as WAYL, airing abeautiful music format. When the format fell out of favor nationwide during the 1980s, the frequency enjoyed success with severalrock music formats. The station once broadcast using theCAM-D system.[2]
WAYL signed on the air with abeautiful music format in October 1960[3] and originally broadcast on 96.1 FM. They soon began broadcasting instereo. A few years later, WAYL moved to 93.7 FM. Entertainment Communications (laterEntercom) acquired the station in 1969.
In 1976, Entercom added an AM sister station with the purchase ofWYOO (980 AM).
In July 1988, due to the aging demographics of the beautiful music format (and despite high ratings), WAYL becameclassic hits KLXK, with the beautiful music format moving to 980 AM.[4][5] KLXK was clearly influenced by another young station,WKLH inMilwaukee, which had recently adopted a similar format. KLXK enjoyed modest success, but rivalKQRS-FM had retooled their format to include a large amount ofclassic rock product, and also had the top-rated morning show in the market.
KLXK eventually decided to attack KQRS from another front. On January 28, 1992, 93.7 flipped tohard rock with thecall sign KRXX ("93X").[6][7] Their co-owned AM station had earlier flipped to a similar hard rock format as KMZZ, initially airing thesyndicatedZ-Rock network for a time before briefly switching to a locally-based automatedheavy metal format ("Mega Rock 980") and finally simulcasting 93X by 1993.
Cap Cities/ABC, the owner of the rivalKQRS-FM, took control of 93X pending purchase (but not KMZZ, which was sold separately later) fromEntercom on February 4, 1994. The selling price was $20 million, then a record for the highest amount ever paid for a radio station in the market.[8] The following day, 93X beganstunting with a loop of one of the most popular stunting songs, "It's the End of the World as We Know It" byR.E.M. throughout the weekend. Confused listeners flocked in droves to the KRXX studios inEagan that Saturday to see what was going on. Some listeners thought the DJs were being held hostage and reportedly, more than 50 calls regarding KRXX were logged to 911. Finally, on Sunday, February 6, at 8 p.m., 93.7 began simulcasting KQRS' weeklyalternative rock show, "Over the Edge", leading the way for "93.7 The Edge", which billed itself as "Minnesota's New Rock Alternative". In a massively popular stunt to secure 93X listeners, the first song played after the switch was the same song as the stunting prior to the launch, "It's the End of the World as We Know It" byR.E.M..[9][10][11] The newcall sign KEGE-FM was soon registered for the new station. The move to create The Edge was due to the growing popularity ofmodern rock format nationwide, and to thwart Cargill Communications' pending plans to roll out the format on the newRev 105. The Edge came on the air almost two years afterKJJO switched tocountry music, and it did what KJ104 couldn't: it became a massive ratings success. At one point, KEGE had the highest overallArbitron market ratings of any modern rock station in the country.
A station-sponsored annual concert known as the “EdgeFest” (later “93XFest”) debuted soon after, and took place annually inSomerset, Wisconsin. It was so popular that even rival Rev 105 gave away tickets for it (though not mentioning the "Edgefest" name). When KEGE went back to being 93X and the "Edge" name was retired in the Twin Cities, the festival briefly continued as "Edgefest" and was later renamed “93XFest”. The annual festival in Somerset continued until 2004, when "93X Riverfest" replaced it.
Following theTelecommunications Act of 1996 that relaxed ownership restrictions, ABC purchased KEGE's rival,"Rev 105" in March 1997 and immediately began broadcastinghard rock on that station as "X105". Later that year, on September 18, at 2 p.m., the two stations did a format swap of sorts, with 93.7 returning toactive rock and the “93X” moniker with new callsign KXXR, while The Edge's format moved over to the 105 frequencies and rebranded as "Zone 105" (though it would be tweaked toadult album alternative) on September 24 after six days of simulcasting 93X on all four frequencies. On the final day of broadcasting, The Edge played "It's the End of the World as We Know It" byR.E.M. on a continuous loop.[12]
ABC sold its non-Radio Disney andESPN Radio stations, including KXXR, toCitadel Broadcasting in 2007. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[13]
In 2007, the station added an HD signal for its main programming. It also offered anHD2 channel featuring aCHR/Top 40 format branded as "The Machine", which aired for several years until the station ceased HD operations at midnight on December 31, 2014. On January 2, 2018, KXXR-HD2 "The Machine" returned to the air with aTop 40 format.
Programmed byKQRS-FM jock Chris Nelson, "The Machine" featured a commercial-free top 40 format. KXXR-HD2's main competition included iHeartMedia's heritage CHR station in the market,KDWB-FM, along with Hubbard Broadcasting'sKSTP-FM. Throughout its existence, there was no online stream available for "The Machine", and was exclusive to KXXR-HD2.
In January 2023, KXXR-HD2 switched the format to a simulcast of the "Love 105"soft adult contemporary format heard on sister stationsWGVX,WLUP andWWWM.[14]
In May 2023, KXXR discontinued its HD signal altogether due to transmitter issues.
In the early months of 2024, KXXR began transmitting an HD signal once again.
In March 2025, KXXR HD2 discontinued its simulcast of Love 105.
In June 2025, KXXR once again discontinued broadcasting an HD Radio signal.
45°03′29″N93°07′26″W / 45.058°N 93.124°W /45.058; -93.124
