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| Broadcast area | Portland, Oregon |
| Frequency | 106.7MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 106.7 The Eagle |
| Programming | |
| Format | Classic hits |
| Subchannels | HD2:KEX simulcast (news/talk) |
| Affiliations |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KEX,KFBW,KKCW,KKRZ,KPOJ,KXJM | |
| History | |
First air date | September 15, 1972 (1972-09-15) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "K-Lite" (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 4115 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 502 meters (1,647 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 45°30′57.4″N122°44′3.4″W / 45.515944°N 122.734278°W /45.515944; -122.734278 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 1067theeagle.iheart.com |
KLTH (106.7MHz "The Eagle") is acommercialFMradio station,licensed toLake Oswego, Oregon, and serving thePortland metropolitan area. It is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc., and airs aclassic hitsradio format. Specialty programs on KLTH includeCasey Kasem's "American Top 40: The 70s" on Saturday mornings and "American Top 40: The 80s" on Sunday mornings. Sundays also feature "Yacht Rock".
KLTH's studios and offices are located on SW 68th Parkway inTigard, Oregon.[2] Thetransmitter is located on SW Barnes Road in theTualatin Mountains.[1] KLTH covers much of NorthwesternOregon and SouthwesternWashington.
The stationsigned on for the first time at 10:15 p.m. on September 15, 1972, as KQIV.[3] It was a short-lived but popularprogressive rock station. KQIV was owned and operated by Willamette Broadcasting Company, Inc., with Walter J. M. Kraus serving as president. The station also called itself "KQ4" and "FM 107".
The original KQIV offices and studios were located at the Lake OswegoElks Lodge (#2263). Members of this historically conservative organization frequently crossed paths with the station'shippiedisc jockeys and creative staff.[4]
The KQIV transmitter was located betweenOregon City andCarver. AnAmerican Electronic Laboratories (AEL) FM-25KD transmitter fed 24,000watts into a Jampro JSCP eight element antenna yielding aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts.[4] The antenna was mounted on a 200-foot tower based at an elevation of 800 feet inheight above average terrain (HAAT).
Both the "Q" and "IV" in the station's call sign alluded to four-channelquadraphonic sound. KQIV was reported in the local press to be the second quadraphonic radio station in the world.[5] and the first to be designed and built to be quadraphonic,[4] But those reports were based on erroneous information. KQIV established its quadraphonic identity and "Rockin' in Quad" branding in anticipation of being selected as the exclusive FM station in the Portland radio market to field test theDorren Quadraplex System, invented by audio engineerLouis Dorren. About a month before KQIV went on the air, the FCC suspended further testing of Quadraplex due to a concern that the system used a subcarrier component not permitted under its regulations.[6]
KQIV continued to identify itself as a quadraphonic station in the hope that Quadraplex testing eventually would be permitted. Meanwhile, the station broadcast music fromphonograph records encoded in variousquadraphonic matrix formats.
In 1974, operation of KQIV was turned over to Brotherhood Broadcasting Company, with Roy Jay as president. Brotherhood changed the station's music format tourban contemporary, branded as "Soul 107". In 1975, the KQIV offices and studios were moved toMilwaukie. But the station's ratings failed to improve. Ongoing financial difficulties led to the court-orderedliquidation of KQIV, which went off the air on June 18, 1976.[7]
KQIV remainedsilent for nearly 14 months. On August 1, 1977, Communico Northwest Corp. began operating the station, using the same license as KQIV. Thecall sign switched to KMJK, using the moniker "Magic 107" and playingsoft rock.[8] The offices and studios moved to "Magic Manor" in Lake Oswego and the transmitter was relocated to Portland.[9]
On June 29, 1979, KMJK changed its format toTop 40, but still called "Magic 107". The contemporary hit format failed to catch on, and in July 1981, KMJK changed back tosoft adult contemporary music, still using the "Magic 107" moniker. In August 1982, KMJK switched back to Top 40, while retaining the "Magic 107" name. On April 13, 1987, at 6 a.m., after a 12-hourstunt, KMJK changed its format toclassic hits, now calling itself "Classic Hits 106.7".[10][11] On September 1, 1989, KMJK shifted its format toclassic rock, calling itself "Classic Rock 106.7".[12] On February 19, 1990, KMJK changed tohot adult contemporary as "106.7 Magic FM".[13]
On January 25, 1991, the station rebranded and changed call letters to "Mix 106" KMXI, while continuing its hot AC format.[14] On December 30, 1991, KMXI changed its format tooldies as "Oldies 106.7".[15]
In 1993, KMXI was bought by BayCom Partners for $2.6 million.[16] On July 7, 1993, 106.7 flipped toclassical music as "K-Bach" KKBK.[17] While the format was popular with mostly older listeners, the station struggled to attract advertisers.
In less than a year, management decided to try a different unique format that was catching on in many cities,smooth jazz. On March 17, 1994, the station became KKJZ, and rebranded as "Smooth Jazz 106.7".[18]
In 1998, KKJZ was acquired byInfinity Broadcasting, which later was merged intoCBS Radio.[19] On February 1, 2002, CBS changed the station's call sign to KLTH, and flipped back to soft AC as "Lite Rock 106.7, K-Lite".[20]
On January 9, 2006, KLTH changed its format to 1960s and 1970s oldies as "106.7 K-Hits".[21] Over time, KLTH expanded its scope to cover the 1980s as well. Its competition wasadult hitsKYCH, which was previously KKSN, Portland's outlet for the oldies format prior to KLTH's debut. The debut of “K-Hits” was quite successful, capitalizing on the oldies/classic hits vacuum left by KKSN. Programmed by Dennis Constantine and Creative Imaging by John Hugill, K-Hits was a top 3 contender until KQOL changed to classic hits and competed directly.
On April 1, 2009, CBS Radio sold KLTH toClear Channel Communications along withKXJM. The sale made KLTH and KQOL sister stations. Both co-existed until May 6, 2009, when KQOL flipped to classic rock asKFBW. Previous KQOL listeners were redirected to KLTH, which aired the message "Welcome 105.9 listeners." Weekend specialty programs on KLTH included "Saturday Night Fever", a weekly classicdisco show.
Shortly after the move, on August 17, 2009, the name was changed to "Oldies 106.7" with a logo identical to CBS Radio'sWODS inBoston. This was later replaced by a more modern logo. In the May 2011ArbitronPPMs, KLTH became the number one station in the Portland area radio rankings, overtaking the market's usual top station, co-ownedKKCW, which playsadult contemporary music.[22]
On August 1, 2014, at 5 p.m., KLTH shifted its format to classic hits and rebranded as "106.7 The Eagle".[23] Most listeners did not notice much of a change, since KLTH had already been cutting back 1960s titles and focusing mostly on the 70s and 80s hits.
In 2010, KLTH began broadcasting in theHD Radio format. On June 4, 2010, KLTH-HD2 signed on a 1950s-1960s oldies format branded as "Real Oldies".[24] On April 17, 2015, KLTH-HD2 switched to iHeartMedia's "My 60s" format, featuring the hits of the 1960s (now known as "iHeart '60s").
In December 2018 KLTH began airing "The Breeze" soft adult contemporary format on its HD3 subchannel. It has since been removed.
