KOAI
KOAI (95.1/94.9 FM "The Wow Factor") is a variety radio station serving the Phoenix metropolitan area and licensed to Sun City West, Arizona. The station is owned by Riviera Broadcasting, an affiliate of the Yucaipa Companies. Its studios are located on 7th Street in Midtown Phoenix, while its transmitter is located in Crown King, Arizona (producing a rimshot signal from 50 miles northwest of Phoenix).
| City | Sun City West, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Phoenix metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 95.1 MHz |
| Branding | 95.1 & 94.9 The Wow Factor |
| Programming | |
| Format | Mature adult variety |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Riviera Broadcast Group (Riviera Broadcasting, LLC) |
| Sister stations | KMVA, KZON, KKFR |
| History | |
| First air date | 1996 (as KFMR) |
| Former call signs | KFMR (1996-2005) KVIB (2005-2014) |
| Call sign meaning | K OAsIs (former station branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 16770 |
| Class | C |
| ERP | 41,000 watts |
| HAAT | 849 meters |
| Transmitter coordinates | 34°14′5.00″N 112°22′2.00″W |
| Translator(s) | 94.9 K235CB (Chandler) |
| Repeater(s) | 103.9-2 KZON-HD2 (Gilbert) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Direct Feed Player (geofenced to the Phoenix market only) |
| Website | 951thewowfactor.com |
History
95.1 went on the air in 1996, licensed to Winslow, broadcasting from Mingus Mountain and covering areas of Northern Arizona. It was owned by Ted Tucker's Desert West Air Ranchers Corporation. Tucker moved the station in 2000 to the Crown King site (along with a change of city of license to Mayer, later changed again to Sun City West) and sold it in 2004 to Sun City Communications for $18.7 million.[1] The new ownership flipped KFMR from a simulcast of Tucker's KCDX to the Hispanic rhythmic ("hurban") format as KVIB "The Vibe". As The Vibe, KVIB played a youth-oriented radio format playing both Spanish-language and English-language pop. The station's mix of music targeted the Valley's burgeoning young Latino population, particularly long-time residents who can speak English but prefer Spanish.
On January 23, 2014, KVIB changed their format to Spanish adult contemporary, branded as "Solamente Éxitos" with a bilingual presentation.[2]
On August 13, 2014, at noon, 95.1 flipped to Soft AC as 95.1 The Oasis, and nine days later, the station became KOAI. The last song of the Spanish AC format was "Royals" by Lorde with the first song on The Oasis being Cool Change by the Little River Band.[3][4] The station played a Christmas music format for the 2014 holiday season, the second station in Phoenix after KESZ.
On April 9, 2015, 95.1 gained an FM translator, K235CB 94.9 on South Mountain (licensed to Chandler), and also began simulcasting on the HD2 subchannel of KEXX.
In May 2015, KOAI adjusted its playlist to include more uptempo selections from the 1990s through the present time, while still retaining a gold/soft AC-lean.
On June 5, 2015, while it was still a soft AC station, KOAI picked up Delilah's radio show. Delilah continued on the station through two additional format changes, first to a traditional adult contemporary station, and then to classic hits. Delilah was dropped on August 25, 2017 in favor for more music.
On September 30, 2019 at 5PM, after playing "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer, KOAI changed their format from classic hits to a new format concept for baby boomers developed by veteran radio programmer John Sebastian, blending pop, rock, soul, and country from a seven-decade span and branded as "The Wow Factor". The first song on The Wow Factor was "Ride My See-Saw" by The Moody Blues.[5][6]
References
- Nett, Walt (2005). "Media Watch: Another Radio Player?". Tucson Weekly. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
- KVIB Phoenix Shifts to Spanish AC
- The Oasis Launches in Phoenix
- KVIB Becomes The Oasis
- The Wow Factor Debuts in Phoenix Radioinsight - September 30, 2019
- First Listen: KOAI (The Wow Factor) Phoenix Radioinsight - October 2, 2019
External links
- KOAI in the FCC's FM station database
- KOAI on Radio-Locator
- KOAI in Nielsen Audio's FM station database