KLBU
Encyclopedia
KLBU is a radio station
licensed to Pecos, New Mexico
, branded as Blu 102.9, and serving the Santa Fe
area. It broadcasts a format consisting of various Rhythmic music.
. Jim Duncan's goal was to create a radio station which featured music not heard on most commercial radio stations. The signal was very poor throughout its coverage area; it suffered interference from KRGN
in Amarillo, Texas
, KAZX
in Kirtland, New Mexico
, and KMEZ
in Belle Chasse, Louisiana
. Many adjustments and minor modifications were made to the transmitter site, however the signal never improved satisfactorily. A 5000-watt booster was added in May 2003 on a cellsite about 1 mile northwest of Santa Fe.
Will Sims, the managing partner of KENC began searching for a buyer for 102.9 FM. Ken Christensen, chief operating officer of Blu Ventures based in Fort Myers, Florida
, was looking to buy a Santa Fe radio station. Blu Ventures owns a chain of three sushi bars in Florida named Blu Sushi which are known for their Chill
inspired atmosphere. Blu Ventures also owns radioio.com, an internet radio site. Santa Fe was the chosen market because of its eclectic mix of people and its "unique creative energy that radiates outwardly across the US". In November 2003, KENC and the office on Cordova Road were sold to Blu Ventures.
and World Music
but was adjusted to include Chill
, Lounge
, Acid Jazz
, Trip hop
, House
, and softer Dance Hits, as well as Smooth Jazz
and Bossa Nova
, nearly all of the Classical, Blues, Folk, and Bluegrass was removed from the playlist. Chill, of course, was the most dominant genre in Blu 102.9's format. The music played on Blu 102.9 had a bit more energy than music played on a traditional smooth jazz
radio station. Many of the songs played were instrumental but some tracks contained vocals as well. Other songs featured vocal sound samples. Blu 102.9 was given the slogan Santa Fe's Choice for Chill".
Blu also aired a replay of BBC Radio 1
's "Gilles Peterson Worldwide" on Sunday and Wednesday nights, hosted by British
DJ Gilles Peterson
. Blu also began to broadcast live from a local nightclub, the program was called "The Blu Room", which featured local and international mix DJ's who spun live on the air on Friday nights. Blu also had several daytime personalities, including Joann Orner a.k.a. "The Lunch Lady".
In July 2005, General Manager, Karen Sanchez, was fired.
Just before summer of 2007, Blu 102.9 began operating under Hutton Broadcasting with a "special temporary authority" while still under ownership of Blu Ventures. After the STA was granted, Blu 102.9 discontinued airing any programming and began running on automation full time. As it was running on automation, the format slowly began changing, including more Jazz
and Rhythmic, and less Electronica
. At this point, it was known that KLBU would be sold to Hutton Broadcasting. In September, Blu 102.9 stopped streaming online and song titles were no longer displayed on the website.
In October 2007, Blu 102.9 was sold to Hutton Broadcasting. Management stated that no big changes are planned but the format would "evolve" to include other genres. Hutton Broadcasting also purchased KWRP-FM (formerly "Indie 101.5", now KVSF-FM
) and KBAC
(98.1 FM). Blu 102.9 moved out from its original location on Cordova Road to Hutton Broadcasting's building on Camino Estrada.
In September 2010 the format changed to playing various rhythmic sounds including pop, urban, dance, rhythmic alternative, and rhythmic hits from the 80's through today. It has also begun streaming it's live broadcast on the internet again.
, XM Satellite Radio
and internet radio
stations including Digitally Imported
and SomaFM
's Groove Salad, and is also heard evenings on San Diego alternative
station KBZT
-FM, but they are not quite the same as KLBU. Chill can also be heard on Y98 KYKY
/St. Louis, on the "Sunday Night Chillout", as well as Y98's HD-2 channel, called "Chill 98-1". KLLC
in San Francisco also has a chill station on its HD-2 channel.
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 Pecos, New Mexico
Pecos, New Mexico
Pecos is a village in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,441 at the 2000 census, growing much faster than in other parts of San Miguel County, partly because Pecos is within commuting distance of Santa Fe. The village is built along the Pecos River which flows from...
, branded as Blu 102.9, and serving the Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
area. It broadcasts a format consisting of various Rhythmic music.
KENC - Enchantment FM 102.9
102.9 FM signed on in August 2002 as KENC "Enchantment FM 102.9" under Meadows Media, programmed by Jim Duncan, which aired an eclectic music format made up of jazz (without much Smooth Jazz), Classical, World Music, Blues, folk, and Bluegrass as well as Adult Album AlternativeAdult 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....
. Jim Duncan's goal was to create a radio station which featured music not heard on most commercial radio stations. The signal was very poor throughout its coverage area; it suffered interference from KRGN
KRGN
KRGN is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Inspirational format. Licensed to Amarillo, Texas, USA, it serves the Amarillo area. The station is currently owned by Family Life Broadcasting, Inc....
in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
, KAZX
KAZX
KAZX is a radio station broadcasting a contemporary hit radio format. Licensed to Kirtland, New Mexico, USA, the station serves the Four Corners area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and features programing from Fox News Radio and Premiere Radio Networks....
in Kirtland, New Mexico
Kirtland, New Mexico
Kirtland is a census-designated place in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,190 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and KMEZ
KMEZ
KMEZ, is a radio station serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Port Sulphur, Louisiana and broadcasts at 106.7 MHz with an ERP of 98 kW...
in Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Belle Chasse, Louisiana
Belle Chasse is a census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Belle Chasse is part of the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area. The population was 9,848 at the 2000 census....
. Many adjustments and minor modifications were made to the transmitter site, however the signal never improved satisfactorily. A 5000-watt booster was added in May 2003 on a cellsite about 1 mile northwest of Santa Fe.
Will Sims, the managing partner of KENC began searching for a buyer for 102.9 FM. Ken Christensen, chief operating officer of Blu Ventures based in Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
, was looking to buy a Santa Fe radio station. Blu Ventures owns a chain of three sushi bars in Florida named Blu Sushi which are known for their Chill
Chill out music
Chill out music is an umbrella term for several styles of electronic music characterized by their mellow style and mid-tempo beats — "chill" being derived from a slang injunction to "relax."Chill out music emerged in the early and mid-1990s in "chill rooms" at dance clubs, where relaxing music...
inspired atmosphere. Blu Ventures also owns radioio.com, an internet radio site. Santa Fe was the chosen market because of its eclectic mix of people and its "unique creative energy that radiates outwardly across the US". In November 2003, KENC and the office on Cordova Road were sold to Blu Ventures.
KLBU - Blu 102.9
Enchantment FM came to an end at midnight on November 19th, and the new format as Blu 102.9 was launched. Karen Sanchez became KLBU's general manager. The call letters were changed to KLBU and the format still contained JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and World Music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
but was adjusted to include Chill
Chill out music
Chill out music is an umbrella term for several styles of electronic music characterized by their mellow style and mid-tempo beats — "chill" being derived from a slang injunction to "relax."Chill out music emerged in the early and mid-1990s in "chill rooms" at dance clubs, where relaxing music...
, Lounge
Lounge music
Lounge music is a retrospective description of music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is a type of mood music meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place — a jungle, an island paradise, outer space, et cetera — other than where they are listening to it...
, Acid Jazz
Acid jazz
Acid jazz is a musical genre that combines elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop, particularly looped beats. It developed in the UK over the 1980s and 1990s and could be seen as tacking the sound of jazz-funk onto electronic dance: jazz-funk musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd and Grant Green are...
, Trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, House
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, and softer Dance Hits, as well as Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
and Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova
Bossa Nova may refer to:*Bossa nova, a style of music*Bossa Nova , a dance form associated with the music*Bossa Nova , a 2000 film*Bossa Nova - album by John Pizzarelli...
, nearly all of the Classical, Blues, Folk, and Bluegrass was removed from the playlist. Chill, of course, was the most dominant genre in Blu 102.9's format. The music played on Blu 102.9 had a bit more energy than music played on a traditional smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
radio station. Many of the songs played were instrumental but some tracks contained vocals as well. Other songs featured vocal sound samples. Blu 102.9 was given the slogan Santa Fe's Choice for Chill".
Blu also aired a replay of BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's "Gilles Peterson Worldwide" on Sunday and Wednesday nights, hosted by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
DJ Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson
Gilles Peterson , is a DJ, record collector and record label owner from London, UK. Through his labels Acid Jazz, Talkin' Loud, and latterly Brownswood Recordings, he has been associated with the careers of well-known artists of the 1990s such as Erykah Badu, Roni Size and Jamiroquai...
. Blu also began to broadcast live from a local nightclub, the program was called "The Blu Room", which featured local and international mix DJ's who spun live on the air on Friday nights. Blu also had several daytime personalities, including Joann Orner a.k.a. "The Lunch Lady".
In July 2005, General Manager, Karen Sanchez, was fired.
Just before summer of 2007, Blu 102.9 began operating under Hutton Broadcasting with a "special temporary authority" while still under ownership of Blu Ventures. After the STA was granted, Blu 102.9 discontinued airing any programming and began running on automation full time. As it was running on automation, the format slowly began changing, including more Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Rhythmic, and less Electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. At this point, it was known that KLBU would be sold to Hutton Broadcasting. In September, Blu 102.9 stopped streaming online and song titles were no longer displayed on the website.
In October 2007, Blu 102.9 was sold to Hutton Broadcasting. Management stated that no big changes are planned but the format would "evolve" to include other genres. Hutton Broadcasting also purchased KWRP-FM (formerly "Indie 101.5", now KVSF-FM
KVSF-FM
KVSF-FM is a radio station in Pecos, New Mexico, broadcasting to the Santa Fe, New Mexico, area.KVSF-FM is owned by Hutton Broadcasting and shifted to the "Project 101.5" branding on July 1, 2007. The format consists of rock and pop music from 1965 to today. Its modern selections include rock...
) and KBAC
KBAC
KBAC is a commercial radio station located in Las Vegas, New Mexico, broadcasting to the Santa Fe, New Mexico, area...
(98.1 FM). Blu 102.9 moved out from its original location on Cordova Road to Hutton Broadcasting's building on Camino Estrada.
In September 2010 the format changed to playing various rhythmic sounds including pop, urban, dance, rhythmic alternative, and rhythmic hits from the 80's through today. It has also begun streaming it's live broadcast on the internet again.
Similar programming on other US Radio Stations
Chill is also featured on SiriusSirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
, XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
and internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
stations including Digitally Imported
Digitally Imported
Digitally Imported is an Internet radio broadcaster playing various types of electronic dance music including trance, progressive techno, eurodance and house across 38 separate streaming channels. It was founded in 1999 as a hobby project by Ari Shohat and was one of the first internet radio...
and SomaFM
SomaFM
SomaFM is a listener-supported, commercial-free Internet-only streaming music station, which started broadcasting out of founder Rusty Hodge's basement garage in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California...
's Groove Salad, and is also heard evenings on San Diego alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
station KBZT
KBZT
KBZT is a commercial modern rock music radio station in San Diego, California, broadcasting on 94.9 FM.-History:During the 1970s and '80s, KBZT was known as "KBest95" but in the 1980s morphed from oldies into soft rock, before being sold to Sandusky Radio and becoming "Y95" in 1987...
-FM, but they are not quite the same as KLBU. Chill can also be heard on Y98 KYKY
KYKY
KYKY, originally known as KSTL-FM, KRCH and later, KSLQ-FM prior to October 1, 1982, is an FM radio station serving the St. Louis, Missouri radio market. The current format of the station is Adult Top 40. It operates at 98.1 MHz. KYKY is owned by CBS Radio, which also owns soft rock station...
/St. Louis, on the "Sunday Night Chillout", as well as Y98's HD-2 channel, called "Chill 98-1". KLLC
KLLC
KLLC is a commercial radio station located in San Francisco, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KLLC airs an Adult Top 40 music format same as KZZO in Sacramento and on 97.3 HD-2 is Chill With Alice, a Chill format channel...
in San Francisco also has a chill station on its HD-2 channel.