 | |
| Broadcast area | New Orleans metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 102.9MHz |
| Branding | KMEZ 102.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Urban adult contemporary |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KKND,WZRH,WRKN | |
| History | |
First air date | 1992 |
Former call signs | KNOK (10/18/89-9/27/91, CP) KMEZ (9/27/91-5/29/08) KKND (5/29/08-12/17/18) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 12157 |
| Class | C3 |
| ERP | 4,700watts |
| HAAT | 184 meters (604 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | kmez1029.com |
KMEZ (102.9MHz), better known as "KMEZ 102.9", is anurban AC outlet serving theNew Orleans area. TheCumulus Media station is licensed toBelle Chasse, Louisiana and broadcasts its format with an ERP of 4.7 kW. Its studios are located on the campus ofDelgado Community College inNew Orleans and the transmitter site is inChalmette, Louisiana.
The station, whose original calls wereKMEZ, started off in 1992 with a gold-basedUrban AC format and was known on-air as "Big Eazy 102.9", only to later re-image as "Old School 102.9" in an effort to capitalize on the growing interest in theRhythmic/Urban Oldies format. By 2004, it modified its format by adding current Adult R&B product to its playlist and reimaged itself again as"102.9, Old School & Today's R&B" to reflect the changes—and compete withWYLD-FM and hip hop stationWQUE. Despite being an Urban AC, KMEZ, who, during thefall of 2007, became the flagship station of theNew Orleans Hornets of theNational Basketball Association.
On May 20, 2008, KMEZ began simulcasting on sister station KKND, who in turn, dropped their struggling country format. The simulcast also marked KMEZ's move to the 106.7 frequency. This station received the callsign ofKKND from 106.7 FM on May 29, 2008, which took the call sign ofKXOS.
On July 3, 2008, at exactly 10:29 a.m.,Rock with You byMichael Jackson signaled the end of the "Old School" format (as that station completed its move to 106.7 FM), with the song fading into the introduction of the newRhythmic Contemporary-formatted "Power 102.9", signing on with 10,000 songs in a row, starting with New Orleans nativeLil' Wayne's "Lollipop". The station's logo and Hip-Hop direction is loosely based onKPWRLos Angeles and is expected to challengeWQUE, who has dominated the R&B/Hip-Hop scene in New Orleans for nearly two decades and has yet to be defeated.[2][3][4]
The station carried the syndicatedBig Boy's Neighborhood fromABC Radio when it first signed on.[5] In March 2010, due to the possibility of the show being cancelled due to the loss of their syndication deal with ABC, the program was dropped for a local show hosted by Big Abe & The Power Posse.[6] The show only lasted two years, as they were replaced by the Atlanta-basedRickey Smiley Morning Show in October 2012.[7]
Despite having a Hip-Hop heavy direction, KKND has adjusted its musical focus in summer 2013 to allow some Rhythmic Pop tracks to be played on the station. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[8]
On December 6, 2018, theurban AC format of "Old School 106.7" moved back to the 102.9 FM frequency and rebranded as "KMEZ102.9". The two frequencies simulcasted until 106.7 adopted a newclassic hits format as "The Krewe" the following month.[9] The KMEZ call letters were returned on December 17, 2018; in addition, the KKND calls returned to 106.7 on the same date.
_logo.png){kind=logo}
29°57′14″N89°57′00″W / 29.954°N 89.950°W /29.954; -89.950