KTTB

Infobox Radio station
name = KTTB


city = Glencoe, Minnesota [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&call=KTTB KTTB-FM 96.3 MHz Glencoe, Minnesota] Radio-Locator]
area = Minneapolis-St. Paul
branding = B96 The Beat
slogan = "We R Hip Hop"
airdate = 1991
frequency = 96.3 FM (MHz)
format = Commercial; Rhythmic
power = 100,000 watts
erp =
class = C1
callsign_meaning = KTTB96
former_callsigns =
owner = Northern Lights Broadcasting
webcast = [http://go.eonstreams.com/?u=9577073 Listen Live!]
website = [http://www.b96online.com/ www.b96online.com]
affiliations =

KTTB is a radio station in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, 96.3 FM. KTTB's nickname is "B-96". The station primarily plays hip hop, rap, and urban music (Rhythmic Contemporary). The station is licensed to Glencoe, Minnesota, and the transmitter is located near Watertown. The station can be picked up throughout the metro area, and in other small markets such as St. Cloud and Mankato. Among the station's DJs are morning host Tone E. Fly (formerly of rival station 101.3 KDWB), drive time host Zannie K, and Peter Parker.

History

The frequency was originally licensed as KQXA by the FCC on August 15, 1991. In August 1993, the station signed on as KARP, playing a wide mix of classic rock, oldies, country music and farm reports.

To increase the value of the station, KARP's owners decided to seek FCC permission to increase power and move the transmitter closer to the metro area. The transmitter was moved farther east and power was increased from 50,000 watts to 100,000 watts, giving the station a city-grade signal over much of the west metro area. The move also resulted in WJMC-FM (96.3 FM) in Rice Lake, Wisconsin downgrading from 100kW to 50kW, changing its frequency to 96.1 FM, and moving its transmitter north. The actions were approved by the FCC in September, 1999. [ [http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0999.html Broadcasting News-September 1999 ] ]

In February 2000, KARP was purchased by a group consisting of local investors Kandu Communications and Cincinnati, Ohio-based Blue Chip Broadcasting, with the aim of bringing an urban contemporary-formatted music FM station to Minnesota for the first time. The station moved its transmitter to a new site later that month. [ [http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news012k.html Broadcasting News-January 2000 ] ] The transfer in ownership to Blue Chip Broadcasting took place just after Noon on May 18, 2000. The station played all requests during the morning hours, with goodbyes from the DJ's and other staff. Morning hosts John Carrigan and John Mons gave a final farewell, followed by "Happy Trails." They also announced that the KARP call sign and format would be moving to KKJR (106.9 FM) in Hutchinson, Minnesota on June 1. Following KARP's departure from 96.3 FM, the station began stunting, repeating a short list of songs from Prince and Janet Jackson. [ [http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news052k.html Broadcasting News-May 2000 ] ]

The new B96 debuted on June 1, 2000. In May, 2001, Blue Chip sold the station to Radio One, a company that specializes in formats geared toward the African-American community. [ [http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0501.html Broadcasting News-May 2001 ] ]

On June 14, 2007, Northern Lights Broadcasting, owned by the family of Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad, announced the purchase of KTTB from Radio One for $28 million (USD). The deal was approved by the FCC on August 20, 2007. [Vomhof, John Jr [http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2007/12/17/daily38.html "Pohlads, Hasselquist team on BMW deal"] Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal December 21, 2007] Northern Lights had already stated that it would keep the station's staff and format intact. [ [http://www.redorbit.com/news/entertainment/966178/northern_lights_broadcasting_acquires_kttb_fm__b96/index.html Northern Lights Broadcasting Acquires KTTB FM - B96 - Entertainment - redOrbit ] ] .

In September 2008, Northern Lights Broadcasting filed an application to change KTTB's city of license to Edina (the city in which the station's studios are located), move its transmitter to the tower in St. Louis Park used by AM stations WWTC and KYCR, and decrease its power (from 100,000 to 24,000 watts) and antenna height. Northern Lights purchased 1310 AM KRBI in St. Peter in late July and plans to change KRBI's city of license to Glencoe (which has no other radio stations licensed to it) to maintain local service to Glencoe. If approved, the deal will improve B96's signal in the urbanized portions of the Twin Cities metro. [http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/ (1)]

References

External links

* [http://www.b96online.com/ B96]
*FMQ|KTTB
*FML|KTTB