 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Greater Houston |
| Frequency | 93.7MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 93.7 The Beat |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Urban contemporary |
| Subchannels | HD2:Pride Radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KBME,KODA,KPRC,KTBZ-FM,KTRH,KXYZ | |
| History | |
First air date | October 25, 1963 (1963-10-25) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | "Beat" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 9625 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 524 meters (1,719 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 29°34′27″N95°29′37″W / 29.57417°N 95.49361°W /29.57417; -95.49361 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | 937thebeathouston |
KQBT (93.7FM) is anurban contemporary radio station inHouston, Texas. It is owned byiHeartMedia. The station's studios are located along theWest Loop Freeway in the city'sUptown district, and the transmitter site is nearMissouri City, Texas.
KQBT carriesPride Radio on theHD Radio sub-channel.
The station initially signed on as KBNO by Joel S., Donald J., and James A. Kaufman on October 25, 1963, at 18,460 watts ERP, from an elevation at 457 feet height above average terrain. The station featured "popular music of the time andshow tunes". The studios andRCA BTF 5B transmitter were located on the 34th floor of the Gulf Building, and the corner of Main and Rusk Streets in downtown Houston. KBNO received its initial License to Cover on April 7, 1964.
In February 1970, KBNO adopted the "Hit Parade '70" contemporary format. The station was noted in the movieBrewster McCloud, which featured a station advertisement on the side of a passing bus that same year.
In August 1971, the station changed call letters to KRLY and maintained a top 40 format, but took on various format shifts and identities throughout the latter half of the decade, such asalbum oriented rock "Y-94" in 1977, "Disco 94" in 1979, then "KRLY 94", a top 40/urban hybrid. By mid-1981, the station had rebranded as "Love 94." During its time as “Disco 94,” radio/television personality turned 2018 congressional political candidate Dayna Steele was among its air staffers.
In March 1984, the station switched toadult contemporary as "Lite Rock 93.7" and changed calls to KLTR (adopted on March 20, 1984). The station rebranded to "K-Lite 93.7" in the late 1980s.
On November 25, 1993, at 2 p.m., the station flipped toClassic Hits, branded as "93.7 The Arrow", and launched withBob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll".[2] The KKRW call letters were adopted on December 20, 1993.
Over the next decade, the station evolved to straightforwardclassic rock. In the early 2000s, KKRW was home of the "Dean & Rog" morning show until they left in early 2009 (currently atKGLK/KHPT).
In early 2009, the station began airing (insyndication) formerKLOL morning hosts "Walton & Johnson", who host a politically-oriented morning show that leans right. The show was dropped from KKRW in December 2012 (they're now at sister stationKPRC). Afternoon personality Steve Fixx filled in with a music-heavy show for several months called the "Morning Classic Rock Fixx" until the arrival of veteran St. Louis personality JC Corcoran with "JC and the Morning Showgram" in March 2013.
KKRW enjoyed ratings success for a number of years, both in Arbitron's diary andPortable People Meter ratings measurement systems. KKRW took an initial ratings hit when Dean and Rog left for KGLK, but rebounded to beat the new challenger for roughly a year and a half because of the addition of longtime Houston-based radio shock jocks Walton & Johnson, who helped make KKRW their flagship station.
Ratings remained strong until KGLK, which played a slightly lighter classic rock format (identifying as classic hits), began simulcasting on 106.9 and 107.5 in June 2011. In its last full book with classic rock, KKRW was ranked #17 with a 2.4 share of the market according toArbitron's Houston market ratings.
On December 31, 2013, at 10 a.m., after playingThin Lizzy's "The Boys are Back in Town", the station beganstunting with music from many genres.[3][4] At Noon, after playingJourney's "Don't Stop Believin'," KKRW flipped toUrban Contemporary, branded as "93.7 The Beat." The first song on "The Beat" was "Drunk in Love" by Houston nativeBeyoncé.[5] The move gives Houston a straight-ahead, core-based R&B/Hip-Hop outlet and new competition forKBXX, whose direction focuses on hit-driven R&B/Hip-Hop material, as well as KBXX's sisterUrban ACKMJQ, both of which are owned byRadio One, and are usually the two dominant stations in the market.[6] It was the first time in 14 yearsiHeartMedia (then known as Clear Channel Communications) attempted an urban outlet in Houston, as it once owned KBXX and KMJQ from 1994 to 2000, when both were spun off to Radio One.
On January 15, 2014, KKRW changed call letters to KQBT to match the "Beat" moniker.[7]
On September 7, 2017, KQBT-HD2 launched a newurban adult contemporary format as104.5 Kiss FM, simulcasting on the leased translator 104.5K283CH (which was previously fed by sister stationKTBZ-FM HD2'sregional Mexican format). The station primarily competed withKMJQ.[8]
On February 18, 2019, the analog simulcast ofKiss FM ended after iHeartMedia's lease of the translator expired. The station continued to operate on KQBT asKiss 93.7 HD2.[9] On June 26, 2019, KQBT-HD2 flipped to iHeart's "Pride Radio" format of Top 40/Dance music targeting theLGBTQ community. This marks the second such format to air in Houston, the other beingEntercom's "Channel Q" network airing onKKHH-HD2.[10]