 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "KEZK-FM" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater St. Louis |
| Frequency | 102.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 102.5 KEZK |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Adult contemporary |
| Subchannels |
|
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | February 8, 1969 (1969-02-08) (as KDNA) |
Former call signs | KDNA (1969–1973) |
Call sign meaning | "Easy" (former format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 13507 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 309 meters (1,014 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°34′27.9″N90°19′31.9″W / 38.574417°N 90.325528°W /38.574417; -90.325528 |
| Translator | HD2: 98.7 K254CR (St. Louis) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
|
| Website | |
KEZK-FM (102.5MHz) is acommercial radio station licensed toSt. Louis, Missouri. It broadcasts anadult contemporaryradio format and is owned byAudacy, Inc.[2] From mid-November through the Christmas holiday, KEZK switches to an all-Christmas music format. The studios and offices are on Olive Street inDowntown St. Louis.[3]
KEZK has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations, covering parts ofMissouri andIllinois. Thetransmitter is in Resurrection Cemetery inShrewsbury.[4] KEZK broadcasts using theHD radio hybrid format.[5] The HD2digital subchannel airs anurban contemporary format. The HD3 subchannel airs "Channel Q," Audacy'sTalk/EDM service for theLGBTQ community.
The 102.5 frequency in St. Louis had originally been the home of listener-supportedfree formKDNA from 1969 to 1972. KDNA was a non-commercial station, supported by listener donations, yet it broadcast on a commercial frequency. In 1972, it relocated to the non-commercial part of the FM dial, and becameKDHX at 88.1 MHz.
Heftel Broadcasting paid for the frequency, and in June 1973, it put KEZK on the air.[6] KEZK carried abeautiful music format and itscall sign reflected that format with the EZ call letters, referring toeasy listening. It was among St. Louis' highest rated FM stations in the 1970s and 1980s. By the mid-1980s, however, listeners interested in the beautiful music format were beginning to age and most advertisers were seeking a younger audience. In response, KEZK began adding more vocals to its mostly instrumentalplaylist.
On January 1, 1991, KEZK completed the transition to asoft adult contemporary format, playing music mostly from the 1970s and 1980s as well as some current soft hits.[7] Through the early 2000s, KEZK moved to a mainstreamadult contemporary music format.
Jeff Kapugi became KEZK's Program Director in November 2010, replacing Mark Edwards. The current program director is Cat Thomas.[8]
On December 27, 2010, the station rebranded from "Soft Rock 102.5 KEZK" to "Fresh 102.5"[9] adopting the brand used on sisterCBS Radio stationsWWFS New York City,WCFS-FM Chicago andWIAD Washington, D.C.
However, while those three stations had playlists more closely resemblinghot adult contemporary stations, KEZK continued to feature 1970s artists such asBilly Joel andChicago.[9] The name "Fresh" was more of a rebranding than a format change, as sister stationKYKY already features a Hot AC format.
On May 26, 2015, at 7:05 a.m., afterstunting the prior weekend with 1980s music (ending with "Kokomo" byThe Beach Boys), KEZK dropped the "Fresh" handle, rebranding as "102.5 KEZK, Today's Hits and Yesterday's Favorites." The first song after the relaunch was "P.Y.T." byMichael Jackson.[10] While many AC stations have moved more contemporary, KEZK continues to play artists from the 1980s, such asMichael Jackson,Madonna,Billy Joel andHall & Oates.
After the annual Christmas music programing concluded at the end of 2020, while using the slogan "All Your Favorites From the 80s and Today," the station shifted to a playlist with little to no recurrent music, and heavy emphasis on the 1980s and to a lesser extent, the 2000s. KEZK also plays songs from the 1970s, 1990s, and 2010s.[11]
On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge withEntercom.[12] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17.[13][14]
KEZK has been "St. Louis’ Official Christmas Station" since 2003. They switch to Christmas music during the second week of November, and air Christmas music until December 25, when the station usually plays 36 hours of commercial-free Christmas music from noon on Christmas Eve until midnight on December 25. KEZK also played Christmas music in late March until early April 2020 during the first few weeks of theCOVID-19 pandemicquarantines, calling it “Christmas In March”.
KEZK-FM's HD2 channel carries anurban contemporary format as "Hot 98.7", reflecting its simulcast onFM translator K254CR (98.7 FM). Prior to March 24, 2025, the HD2 channel and K254CR simulcastedKMOX; on the aforementioned date, KEZK-HD2/K254CR andWHHL (104.1 FM) swapped formats.[15]
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | Transmitter coordinates | FCC info | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K254CR | 98.7FM | St. Louis, Missouri | 138424 | 250 | 162 m (531 ft) | D | 38°36′47.2″N90°20′9.4″W / 38.613111°N 90.335944°W /38.613111; -90.335944 (K254CR) | LMS | Previously assigned to rebroadcastKFTK (1490 AM); reassigned toKFTK-FM and thenKMOX after KFTK (AM)'s license was cancelled by the FCC, and KEZK-FM HD2 after KMOX began simulcasting onKMOX-FM. |
In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 marketsAdult Contemporary station of the year award byRadio & Records magazine. Other nominees includedWMJX in Boston,KOST in Los Angeles;WALK-FM in Nassau, New York;WLTW in New York City; andWBEB in Philadelphia.[16]