| Broadcast area | Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 1600kHz |
| Branding | 1600 ESPN |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | ESPN Radio |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | KZIA, Inc. |
| KZIA | |
| History | |
First air date | December 20, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-12-20) (as KCRG) |
Former call signs | KCRG (1947–1953, 1954-2006) KCRI (1953–1954) |
Call sign meaning | Sports are commonly played in agym |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9718 |
| Class | B |
| Power | 5,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 41°58′15″N91°32′01″W / 41.97083°N 91.53361°W /41.97083; -91.53361 |
| Translator(s) | See§ Translators |
| Repeater(s) | 102.9 KZIA-HD3 (Cedar Rapids) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | kgymradio |
KGYM (1600AM) is aradio station broadcasting inCedar Rapids, Iowa. The station is owned by KZIA, Inc., which also ownsKZIA (102.9 FM). It is Cedar Rapids' second-oldest radio station, afterWMT.[2]
KGYM does not broadcast a digitalHD signal on its AM frequency of 1600 kHz, but it can be heard in HD onKZIA-HD3.[3]
KGYM signed on as KCRG on December 20, 1947, under the ownership of theCedar Rapids Gazette Company[4] (later known as Gazette Communications). The Gazette Company had launched Cedar Rapids' first FM station, KCRK-FM 96.1, a month earlier, and had applied for a construction permit for a television station on channel 9 that year. (KCRK-FM signed off in 1954, as FM radio was still in its infancy and the station proved to be unprofitable.) In 1953, the Gazette Company consolidated its interests with the Cedar Rapids Television Company, another group interested in the channel 9 license, and in October 1953, the call letters of the radio and television stations were changed to KCRI. After the Gazette Company bought out the Cedar Rapids Television Company's stock on August 27, 1954, the KCRG call letters were restored to both the AM and TV stations.[5]
KCRG was formerly anadult contemporary station until late 1984, when it switched to a big band/adult standards format. The station returned back to adult contemporary in January 1987, but flipped tooldies two years later in 1989. In October 1992, KCRG flipped tocountry music. KCRG adopted anews/talk format on September 6, 1994. By 2000, the station had moved to its current sports talk format, but continued to simulcastKCRG-TV's newscasts and ABC'sWorld News Tonight for radio listeners. KCRG adopted the nickname "The Zone" in 2003.
On July 10, 2006, Gazette Communications announced that KCRG was being sold to owners of another local broadcaster,KZIA, subject to FCC approval. The sale was finalized on October 31, 2006, and the call letters were changed to KGYM as a result of the sale.[6] After the acquisition, KGYM ended itssimulcasting of KCRG-TV's newscasts, and KGYM's studios moved from downtown Cedar Rapids to KZIA's studios on the city's southwest side.[7]
KGYM currently broadcastsESPN Radio programming along withIowa State University sports, college basketball and the NFL fromWestwood One, theIndyCar Series,Minnesota Twins baseball on 107.5 FM and area high school football and basketball games. It also carriedCedar Rapids Kernels games before sharing rights withKMRY, another Cedar Rapids radio station, during the 2006 season. Kernels games moved exclusively to KMRY starting in 2007.[8]
Local talk shows includeThe Gym Class hosted by KGYM sports director Scott Unash and formerCedar Rapids Gazette sports editor Mark Dukes, andThe Todd Brommelkamp Show hosted by Voice of the Hawkeyes magazine editor Todd Brommelkamp. "Spencer on Sports" was added in early 2022, hosted by Spencer Wagen.
| Call sign | Frequency (MHz) | City of license | Facility ID | Rebroadcasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K272GB | 102.3 | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 202139 | KGYM |
| K292FZ | 106.3 | Iowa City, Iowa | 153604 | KZIA-HD3 |