KEZE
Encyclopedia
KEZE "Hot 96.9") is a rhythmic contemporary
formatted radio station
licensed to Spokane, Washington
, USA. The Morgan Murphy Media station broadcasts at 96.9 MHz on the FM dial with an effective radiated power
of 8.2 kW. Its transmitter is located in Millwood, Washington
.
), sporting the slogan "Spokane's Best Rock". From the late 1970s through the 1980s, the station enjoyed large audience appeal on the strength of playing the "classics" (e.g. Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin
) as well as championing newer hard rock bands such as Night Ranger
, Krokus
, Ronnie James Dio
, Ozzy Osbourne
, and Def Leppard
. With the emergence of grunge and "the Seattle sound" in the late 80s and early 90s, KEZE adopted the harder-edged sounds of heavy guitar-based alternative rock (e.g. Soundgarden
, Alice in Chains
). "Rock 106" would disappear in November of 1995 when the station flipped to AAA
. The rock format and KEZE call letters would be moved to 96.9 FM in March of 1996. As the public appeal of guitar-based alternative waned in the mid-90s, KEZE attempted a "back to our roots" campaign as a Classic Rock station in 1996, only to flip to an all-80s format in 1999, known as Star @ 96-9. In 2003, it added more 1990's music, and by 2004, it evolved to an Adult Top 40 format. The morning show on the station was well-known local hosts "The Breakfast Boys", who are now on sister station KZZU
.
On October 12, 2005, the station flipped to Rhythmic Top 40, a move that might have been spurred by rumors that another move-in might fill the void after KYWL
dropped the format in 2004. Those rumors became reality in December 2005 when KQQB-FM signed with the same format as KEZE's, even though KEZE does have a better advantage over KQQB in terms of signal coverage in Spokane County proper. KQQB evolved into a Mainstream Top 40 direction, thus leaving KEZE as the only Rhythmic in the market. During this time, KEZE was known as "Wired 96-9" with the slogan "BLAZIN' TODAY'S HOTTEST MUSIC!", and was Spokane's home for the Portland, Oregon
based morning show The Playhouse (radio show)
. Wired was a generally successful station; however, ratings began to decline in early 2008.
On November 20, 2008, KEZE began playing Christmas music. This format change to Christmas music left Spokane without a Rhythmic Top 40 station and a home for The Playhouse (the Rhythmic format would be filled by KQQB-FM
in June 2009).
It also left speculation that the move might either be a stunt or possible format flip brewing. The temporary format change continued through Christmas Eve of that year.
On Christmas Day of 2008, KEZE switched to Top Country, branding itself as "Coyote Country." This made KEZE the fourth station in the Spokane area to broadcast the country format on the FM band following KDRK
("The Cat"), KIXZ ("KIX 96"), and KICR
. Shortly after the flip, ratings improved for station.
On May 15, 2009, Coyote Country added weekday morning show The Jay and Kevin Show which had previously aired on KDRK
(93.7 FM, "The Cat") for 11 years. Jay and Kevin are joined by Sean "Slim" Widmer, formerly of Spokane's Sports Show, as their producer.
On January 1, 2010, KEZE moved its Country format to 99.9, while KXLY-FM
's modestly successful AAA format took over 96.9. On November 12, 2010, the station flipped to all-Christmas, making it the second time in the station's history that 96.9 has played Christmas music. However, the AAA format returned after the stint. But even before and after the temporary holiday music phase, it was obvious that the Morgan Murphy/Spokane management had not found a successful formula for sustaining the station.
On April 20, 2011, station management announced that KEZE would return to a Rhythmic Top 40 format. It has already set up Facebook and Twitter accounts ahead of the switch, which revealed the station's new logo and moniker. On May 4, 2011, at 3:05 PM, The River signed off with "Tree by the River" by Iron and Wine. The station then launched "Hot 96.9" and its format with "Roll Up
" by Wiz Khalifa
(The River continues online at http://www.spokanesriver.com). With their return to Rhythmic Top 40, KEZE will face another Rhythmic, KGZG-FM, whose signal coverage requires a booster in Spokane (and who responded to KEZE's switch by setting up a website called "Not969.com" to direct listeners to its station), and Mainstream Top 40 KZBD
, whose lineup features a mostly voicetracked lineup.
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, USA. The Morgan Murphy Media station broadcasts at 96.9 MHz on the FM dial with an effective radiated power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 8.2 kW. Its transmitter is located in Millwood, Washington
Millwood, Washington
Millwood is a town in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census. Millwood is a suburb of Spokane, Washington, and is surrounded on three sides by the city of Spokane Valley, Washington.-History:...
.
KEZE History
KEZE is remembered by many being born in the 1960s as an album-oriented hard rock FM radio station on 105.7 FM ("Rock 106", now KZBDKZBD
KZBD is a Top 40 music formatted radio station serving the Spokane, Washington, USA area. The Mapleton Communications station broadcasts at 105.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW...
), sporting the slogan "Spokane's Best Rock". From the late 1970s through the 1980s, the station enjoyed large audience appeal on the strength of playing the "classics" (e.g. Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
) as well as championing newer hard rock bands such as Night Ranger
Night Ranger
Night Ranger is an American rock band from San Francisco that gained popularity during the 1980s with a series of albums and singles. The band's first five albums sold more than 10 million copies worldwide...
, Krokus
Krokus (band)
Krokus is a hard rock/heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed moderate success in North America during the 1980s.Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1974 by bassist Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer...
, Ronnie James Dio
Ronnie James Dio
Ronald James Padavona , better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band Dio, which means God in Italian. Other musical projects include the collective fundraiser...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, and Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. With the emergence of grunge and "the Seattle sound" in the late 80s and early 90s, KEZE adopted the harder-edged sounds of heavy guitar-based alternative rock (e.g. Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
). "Rock 106" would disappear in November of 1995 when the station flipped to AAA
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
. The rock format and KEZE call letters would be moved to 96.9 FM in March of 1996. As the public appeal of guitar-based alternative waned in the mid-90s, KEZE attempted a "back to our roots" campaign as a Classic Rock station in 1996, only to flip to an all-80s format in 1999, known as Star @ 96-9. In 2003, it added more 1990's music, and by 2004, it evolved to an Adult Top 40 format. The morning show on the station was well-known local hosts "The Breakfast Boys", who are now on sister station KZZU
KZZU
-External links:*...
.
On October 12, 2005, the station flipped to Rhythmic Top 40, a move that might have been spurred by rumors that another move-in might fill the void after KYWL
KBBD
KBBD is the Spokane, Washington, adult hits music formatted radio station whose slogan is "We Play Whatever". The Mapleton Communications, LLC, station broadcasts at 103.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 39,000 watts...
dropped the format in 2004. Those rumors became reality in December 2005 when KQQB-FM signed with the same format as KEZE's, even though KEZE does have a better advantage over KQQB in terms of signal coverage in Spokane County proper. KQQB evolved into a Mainstream Top 40 direction, thus leaving KEZE as the only Rhythmic in the market. During this time, KEZE was known as "Wired 96-9" with the slogan "BLAZIN' TODAY'S HOTTEST MUSIC!", and was Spokane's home for the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
based morning show The Playhouse (radio show)
The Playhouse (radio show)
The Playhouse was a Portland, Oregon-based syndicated morning drive time radio show which debuted on February 12, 2000. It originally aired weekday mornings between 5-10am on then-flagship radio station KXJM , with the last four hours of the show being broadcast live online with fully produced...
. Wired was a generally successful station; however, ratings began to decline in early 2008.
On November 20, 2008, KEZE began playing Christmas music. This format change to Christmas music left Spokane without a Rhythmic Top 40 station and a home for The Playhouse (the Rhythmic format would be filled by KQQB-FM
KQQB-FM
KGZG-FM is a radio station licensed to serve the community of Newport, Washington, USA. The station is owned by Pendleton Broadcasting and broadcasts to the greater Spokane, Washington, area...
in June 2009).
It also left speculation that the move might either be a stunt or possible format flip brewing. The temporary format change continued through Christmas Eve of that year.
On Christmas Day of 2008, KEZE switched to Top Country, branding itself as "Coyote Country." This made KEZE the fourth station in the Spokane area to broadcast the country format on the FM band following KDRK
KDRK
KDRK-FM is a country music radio station serving the Spokane, Washington area. The station broadcasts at 93.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 60 kW...
("The Cat"), KIXZ ("KIX 96"), and KICR
KICR
KICR is a radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA, the station serves the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene area. It is owned by Blue Sky Broadcasting.-History:...
. Shortly after the flip, ratings improved for station.
On May 15, 2009, Coyote Country added weekday morning show The Jay and Kevin Show which had previously aired on KDRK
KDRK
KDRK-FM is a country music radio station serving the Spokane, Washington area. The station broadcasts at 93.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 60 kW...
(93.7 FM, "The Cat") for 11 years. Jay and Kevin are joined by Sean "Slim" Widmer, formerly of Spokane's Sports Show, as their producer.
On January 1, 2010, KEZE moved its Country format to 99.9, while KXLY-FM
KXLY-FM
KXLY-FM is a country music outlet in Spokane, Washington that broadcasts at 99.9 MHz with an ERP of 37 kw. The station is owned by Morgan Murphy Media.-History:...
's modestly successful AAA format took over 96.9. On November 12, 2010, the station flipped to all-Christmas, making it the second time in the station's history that 96.9 has played Christmas music. However, the AAA format returned after the stint. But even before and after the temporary holiday music phase, it was obvious that the Morgan Murphy/Spokane management had not found a successful formula for sustaining the station.
On April 20, 2011, station management announced that KEZE would return to a Rhythmic Top 40 format. It has already set up Facebook and Twitter accounts ahead of the switch, which revealed the station's new logo and moniker. On May 4, 2011, at 3:05 PM, The River signed off with "Tree by the River" by Iron and Wine. The station then launched "Hot 96.9" and its format with "Roll Up
Roll Up
"Roll Up" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released as the second single from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers; having been written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate...
" by Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
(The River continues online at http://www.spokanesriver.com). With their return to Rhythmic Top 40, KEZE will face another Rhythmic, KGZG-FM, whose signal coverage requires a booster in Spokane (and who responded to KEZE's switch by setting up a website called "Not969.com" to direct listeners to its station), and Mainstream Top 40 KZBD
KZBD
KZBD is a Top 40 music formatted radio station serving the Spokane, Washington, USA area. The Mapleton Communications station broadcasts at 105.7 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW...
, whose lineup features a mostly voicetracked lineup.
96.9 History
The frequency signed on the air on December 13, 1991 with the call letters KSPO. KEZE would move to 96.9 on March 4, 1996.Images