KKHQ-FM

KKHQ-FM
City of license Oelwein, Iowa
Broadcast area Waterloo-Cedar Falls
Branding Q92.3
Slogan Today's Hottest Music
Frequency 92.3 MHz
First air date 1971 (as KOEL-FM)
Format Top 40 (CHR)
ERP 95,000 watts
HAAT 302 meters
Class C0
Facility ID 28472
Former callsigns KOEL-FM (1971-2003)
Owner The Cedar Rapids Divestiture Trust, Allen N. Blum, Trustee
(divestiture trust for Townsquare Media)
Sister stations KCRR, KOEL-FM
Webcast Listen Live
Website q923.net

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 under ownership of a divestiture trust for Townsquare Media. Aaron Santini has been the station's program director since its inception in 2003.

History

Before the 92.3 frequency was acquired by Cumulus Media from Connoisseur Media in 2000, the station was country music-formatted KOEL-FM "92.3 The Hog." This format flip also happened to other stations Cumulus acquired from Connoisseur, like KBEA (Muscatine-Quad Cities, IA), which had been a leading 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. You either had to choose from KZIA Z102.9 from Cedar Rapids, or KWAY-FM "Y99.3" from Waverly (which is now a Hot AC station). 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 is 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 is one of three stations (along with KCRR and KOEL-FM) that have been placed in a divestiture trust for eventual resale within two years.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "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.
  2. ↑ "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes". All Access. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.

External links

Coordinates: 42°40′52″N 91°52′52″W / 42.681°N 91.881°W / 42.681; -91.881

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