 | |
| Broadcast area | Albuquerque -Santa Fe |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 94.1MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 94 Rock |
| Programming | |
| Format | Mainstream rock |
| Subchannels | HD2:Mainstream urban "Power 100.9" |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KABQ,KABQ-FM,KBQI,KPEK,KTEG,K251AU,K265CA | |
| History | |
First air date | June 25,1961 (as KDEF-FM) |
Former call signs | KDEF-FM (1961–1976) KRKE-FM (1976–1980) KWXL (1980–1985) KRKE-FM (1985–1986) |
Call sign meaning | K ZRealRock |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 68609 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 22,500watts |
| HAAT | 1,259 meters (4,131 ft) |
| Translator | HD2: 100.9 K265CA (Albuquerque) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 94rock.iheart.com |
KZRR (94.1FM, "94 Rock") is acommercialradio station inAlbuquerque, New Mexico, broadcasting to theAlbuquerque-Santa Fe, New Mexico, area. KZRR airs amainstream rockradio format and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. Theradio studios and offices are in Northeast Albuquerque.
KZRR has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 22,500watts. Thetransmittertower is atopSandia Crest east of the city.[2] It broadcasts usingHD Radio technology.[3] The HD-2digital subchannel features anmainstream urban format, known as "Power 100.9"; that subchannel feeds 250 wattFM translatorK265CA at 100.9 MHz.[4]
Weekday mornings feature Swami Rob, Skyler and Phil Mahoney. Skyler also is heard in middays. The rest of the station's DJ arevoice-tracked from out of town stations.
On June 25, 1961, the stationsigned on asKDEF-FM, mostlysimulcastingsister stationKDEF (1150 AM).[5] The station was initially heard from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., but in May 1962, it began full-time broadcasting.[6] In September 1962, KDEF-AM-FM were sold by owner Frank Quinn to a Philadelphia group.[7]
Doubleday Broadcasting purchased the stations in 1965, and by about 1970, KDEF-FM was operated by theUniversity of Albuquerque[8] as a student run station.[9] Media Horizons purchased the stations in 1973, and moved the studios from downtown to the northeast heights.[10]
In March 1976, KDEF-FM was sold to Gaylord Broadcasting Co. for $150,000, and changed call letters toKRKE-FM. That samecall sign was used on 610 AM, which Gaylord had purchased in 1973. (KDEF AM was later sold to a different owner.) Plans also included moving the transmitter to Sandia Crest.[11] The format on KRKE-FM was initiallyModern Country.[12] By the end of that year the format was listed as "Automated Rock".[13]
Later in 1977, the station picked up the Abrams/Burkhart "Superstars"Album-oriented Rock format.[14] That was the first time the station began using the "94 Rock" moniker.[15]
In January 1980, Gaylord sold KRKE AM-FM to the Journal Star station group for $4.5 million.[16] In June, the call letters changed toKWXL still branded as "94 Rock". In March 1985, the stations were sold to Compass Communications.[17] In April, the station changed its call letters back to KRKE-FM, intending to make station identification easier in morning and afternoon drive times, when it was simulcast with KRKE AM. The format was also changed to "Superstars II," with an emphasis on rock titles from the 1960s and 70s. It also featured a Sunday morningjazz program intending to reach an older audience than KWXL's targeted 18-34 audience.[18]
In 1986, the stations were sold to Sandia Peak Broadcasters. In July, it changed to the currentKZRR call sign, rebranding as "The New 94 Rock".[19] KRKE AM changed to KZSS with anAdult Contemporary format, but in March 1988, it returned to simulcasting KZRR, citing problems of "public perception of the AM band".[20]
In November 1986, the station began weekdays with morning "shock" radio show host TJ Trout.[21][22] Trout was featured in nearly all billboard and television ads over the next couple of decades, helping keep station ratings high. Trout retired in December 2011.
In 1993, Sandia Peak Broadcasters merged with Progressive Broadcasting which ownedclassic rock formatted KLSK 104.1 to become Twin Peaks Radio.[23] By this time KZRR began to lean more onmodern rock without completely changing to that format, promoting itself as "The Cutting Edge of Rock".[24]
In 1996, Trumper Communications purchased KZRR, KZSS and KLSK, as well as modern rockKTEG (then on 107.9) andKHTZ. This also caused a legal dispute with TJ Trout, who sued the former owners when learning that his on-air name had been trademarked.[25] Trout had resigned and had planned to start a new show onKKOB. Trumper resolved the issue by allowing Trout ownership of his name and remaining at KZRR.[26] (Trout joined KKOB in 2019.)
Now clustered with classic rock and modern rock stations, the music format on KZRR had changed to playing mostlyhard rock with an emphasis on music from the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s.[27] In 1999, KZRR was acquired byClear Channel Communications.[28] Clear Channel changed in its name in 2014 toiHeartMedia, Inc.
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