KKHQ-FM
KKHQ-FM (92.3 FM, "Q92.3") is a radio station serving Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and the surrounding area known as the Cedar Valley with a Top 40 (CHR) format. This station broadcasts on FM frequency 92.3 MHz and is owned by Townsquare Media.
City | Oelwein, Iowa |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Waterloo-Cedar Falls |
Frequency | 92.3 MHz |
Branding | Q92.3 |
Slogan | Today's Hottest Music |
Programming | |
Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
Ownership | |
Owner | Townsquare Media (Townsquare Media Waterloo License, LLC) |
Sister stations | KCRR, KOEL, KOEL-FM |
History | |
First air date | 1971 (as KOEL-FM) |
Former call signs | KOEL-FM (1971-2003) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 28472 |
Class | C0 |
ERP | 95,000 watts |
HAAT | 302 meters |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | q923.net |
History
Before the 92.3 frequency was acquired by Cumulus Media from Connoisseur Media in 2000, the station was country music-formatted KOEL-FM. This format flip also happened to other stations Cumulus acquired from Connoisseur, like KBEA (Muscatine-Quad Cities, IA), which had been a country station as well as KBOB "BOB Country." The country format and KOEL-FM call sign still live on in Waterloo/Cedar Falls on 98.5 MHz, branded as "K98.5".
Before the flip to CHR, the only other stations in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Area that carried the format were distant and somewhat weak signals: KZIA Z102.9 from Cedar Rapids, or KWAY-FM "Y99.3" from Waverly. Although Waverly is considered part of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls DMA, KWAY's signal was not the strongest. At only 4,600 watts, it is considered just another small-town radio station. And while KZIA used a full 100,000 watts, the tower was at least 40–50 miles away, which made it hard to receive over the closer stations.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus stations, including KKHQ-FM, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global are both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[1][2] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013; KKHQ-FM was one of three stations (along with KCRR and KOEL-FM) that were placed in a divestiture trust for eventual resale within two years.[3] In December 2016, the Federal Communications Commission approved Townsquare's request to reacquire the stations from the divestiture trust.[4]
References
- "Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- "Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes". All Access. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/160697/connoisseur-media-sells-wichita-pair-to-rocking-m-
External links
- KKHQ in the FCC's FM station database
- KKHQ on Radio-Locator
- KKHQ in Nielsen Audio's FM station database