KQRS-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = KQRS-FM


city = Golden Valley, Minnesota
area = Minneapolis-St. Paul
branding = "92 KQRS"
slogan = "Minnesota's Classic Rock"
airdate =
frequency = 92.5 FM MHz HD Radio
92.5-2 FM KQRS2 Blues (HD Radio)
format = Commercial; Classic rock
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 315 meters
class = C
facility_id = 35505
callsign_meaning = Quality Radio Station
former_callsigns =
owner = Citadel Broadcasting
licensee = Radio License Holding III, LLC
webcast = [http://www.92kqrs.com//Article.asp?id=492737 Listen Live!]
website = [http://www.92kqrs.com/ 92kqrs.com]
affiliations =
sister_stations = KXXR, WGVX/WGVY/WGVZ

KQRS-FM (92.5 FM, KQ92 or 92 KQRS) is one of the most popular radio stations in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, and primarily broadcasts a classic rock music format.

KQRS, whose call letters stand for Quality Radio Station, is known as the station that finally unseated legendary area broadcaster WCCO (830 AM) from the top ratings spot, with help from "The KQ92 Morning Show" hosted by Tom Barnard. Barnard and the KQ Morning Show also were successful in holding the top rating spot when Howard Stern made his debut on the Twin Cities airwaves in 1997. Stern only lasted until mid-1999 in Minneapolis as his ratings brought him to the number two position in morning drive time, but the station that carried the show, WRQC, had poor ratings during the rest of the day, leading to the dropping of Stern and a format change.

The station is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which owns a few other outlets in the area, including "93X" (KXXR) (93.7 FM), and "Love 105" (105.1, 105.3 and 105.7 FM). Its main transmitter is located on the KMSP Tower in Shoreview, Minnesota, with backup facilities atop the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis.

History

The original call letters were KADM, and they were co-owned with sister AM station KEVE (as in "Adam and Eve"). Eventually, the call letters for both stations became KQRS. The KQRS call sign stayed with 1440 AM until 1996, when that frequency changed over to become part of Radio Disney, with a children's format (see KDIZ).

Initially, the station programmed a younger-leaning beautiful music/soft rock format. In addition to this format, Joe Pyne's talk radio show was carried. In the summer of 1968, they started experimenting with freeform progressive rock in the late night hours. It became popular, and by the end of the year, this became the KQRS' primary format.

By 1977, the freeform rock would give way to a tightly programmed rock approach, courtesy of radio consultants Burkhart/Abrams and their "Superstars" format, which was essentially just the hits from album-oriented rock. Loyal KQ92 listeners were very unhappy when this happened. This approach continued into 1986, with respectable, if not spectacular ratings, when KQRS signed a new consultant, Jacobs Media and evolved into its present day classic rock-leaning approach. That, coupled with its massively popular morning show, elevated KQRS to the top of the ratings.

Rival KXXR, then known as "93X", was purchased by then-owners Capital Cities-ABC in the Spring of 1994 and became an alternative rock station (KEGE, "The Edge"). It primarily competed with the growing "REV 105," though KQRS' owners purchased the three signals comprising it in 1997. The stations went through several incarnations, mostly playing alternative rock, prior to the current Soft AC/oldies format of "Love 105," which debuted on May 8, 2007.

With the three stations, Disney initially created what many in the industry refer to as the "wall of rock". It's easy to say that Disney dominated rock music in the Twin Cities, and used 93X and Drive 105 as 'flankers' to ward off competitors trying to knock off the cash cow known as KQRS.

KQRS has been programmed by veteran DJ Dave Hamilton for about 20 years. His airstaff has remained the same line up for years as well. Tom Barnard and Terri Pawelk "Traen/Trainy") in the morning (as well as others such as Pioneer Press sports collumnist Bob "Sanny" Sansevere, Mike "Stretch" Gelfand, Phillip "Philly Dawg" Wise, Bryce, Brian Zepp, and Channel 9 news personality Jeff Passolt); Wally Walker-middays; Ray Erick-afternoons and Lisa Miller-evenings and imaging voice of the station.

Former on-air personality Tony Lee did many bits and parody songs but quit due to differences. Barnard is notorious for not allowing the names of former on-air personalities to be mentioned once they exit the station; loyal listeners were surprised when one day Tony Lee wasn't on the air with the rest of the crew (no explanation of his departure, no mention of his name since). The morning show has become less humor-oriented and more news-oriented since Lee's departure; KQRS "compilation" CDs (most of which proved the morning show to mainly be a vehicle for Tony Lee's bits, skits and songs) from past years bear this out.

In May 2005, KQRS began offering podcasts of its popular morning show through the station's website.

On June 1, 2007, Citadel Communications closed on its purchase of ABC Radio.

Pop culture

In the 1996 Christmas-themed movie "Jingle All the Way", the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger calls KQRS in an effort to win a rare toy doll for his child. The character gets through and answers the question correctly, but finds out that he wins only a gift certificate.

External links

* [http://www.92kqrs.com/ KQRS official site]
* [http://mmslb.eonstreams.com/abc_mn_minneapolis_kqrs_fm_fast KQRS Streaming Audio]
* [http://www.radiotapes.com/ Radiotapes.com] Historic Minneapolis/St. Paul airchecks dating back to 1924 including airchecks of KQRS and other Twin Cities radio stations.
*FMQ|KQRS
*FML|KQRS
*FMARB|KQRS

References

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