KQHT
Encyclopedia
KQHT is a radio station
broadcasting a classic hits
format. Licensed
to Crookston, Minnesota
, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota
metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1985. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
music show "Riverside Blues Show", hosted by "your blues buddy" Kevin Hendrickson, on Sunday mornings. Riverside Blues show formerly was aired on sister station KJKJ
until 2002.
In addition to its music programming, the station broadcasts play-by-play coverage of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football
and men's hockey
games.
until 1998 when it changed to an adult contemporary format branding itself as "KQ96" in 1996, and rebranded as "Mix 96.1" in 1998. During that early 1990s battle with KKXL, there were personalities like Magic Mark & Paul Braun, Josh Jones, Shelley Carr, "Smilin'" Wade Williams, "Jammin" Jay Murphy, Denny "Crash" Shields, Michael Knight, Pat Ebertz, Bobby Brady, Minimum Wage Mike, Harry Callahan, Kim Cooley, Jack Hammer, Nick Logan, and many others.
In 2000, Clear Channel
bought KQHT and several other radio stations in Grand Forks, and KQHT changed its format to classic hits
(a mixture of classic rock
and oldies
music formats) calling itself as "96.1 The Fox". Clear Channel also got a broadcasting contract with the University of North Dakota to broadcast Fighting Sioux basketball, hockey, and football games. Hockey and football games broadcast on KQHT while basketball games air on sister station KSNR
100.3. The slogan changed from "Classic Hits" to "World Class Rock" in 2004, and evolved towards a broad-based classic rock
format. The station began leaning towards an oldies
format after KSNR flipped from oldies to country
in 2005. When competitor KNOX-FM flipped from classic country
to classic rock
in 2007, The Fox shifted back to a classic rock
format. KQHT tweaked back to classic hits
in 2010 after KNOX-FM flipped from classic rock to Top 40 (CHR)
to compete with sister station KKXL-FM
"XL93".
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...
broadcasting a classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format. Licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to Crookston, Minnesota
Crookston, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile...
, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1985. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
Programming
Weekday on-air personalities include Kevin Hendrickson on mornings, Sally Evans on mid-days, Paul Kelly on afternoons, Tony O'Brien on nights, and Cassidy Cher on overnights. Weekend hosts include Thomas Ray, Ken Morgan, and Mark Kidder. KQHT airs local bluesBlues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
music show "Riverside Blues Show", hosted by "your blues buddy" Kevin Hendrickson, on Sunday mornings. Riverside Blues show formerly was aired on sister station KJKJ
KJKJ
KJKJ is an American radio station serving Grand Forks, North Dakota. It first began broadcasting in 1985. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and the station's broadcast license is held by Citicasters Licenses, L.P.-Programming:KJKJ broadcasting an active rock music...
until 2002.
In addition to its music programming, the station broadcasts play-by-play coverage of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football
North Dakota Fighting Sioux football
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux are a college football program that competes in the Great West Conference in the NCAA Division I's Football Championship Subdivision...
and men's hockey
North Dakota Fighting Sioux hockey
The North Dakota Fighting Sioux men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team at the Grand Forks campus of the University of North Dakota. They are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I ice hockey...
games.
History
The station began life in 1985 as KLZC, later becoming 1985, until being KQHT in 1986. KQHT began as a Top 40 station in 1986 as "Magic 96" competing with XL93KKXL-FM
KKXL-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 format serving the Grand Forks, North Dakota area. It first began broadcasting in the 1970s as KKDQ. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
until 1998 when it changed to an adult contemporary format branding itself as "KQ96" in 1996, and rebranded as "Mix 96.1" in 1998. During that early 1990s battle with KKXL, there were personalities like Magic Mark & Paul Braun, Josh Jones, Shelley Carr, "Smilin'" Wade Williams, "Jammin" Jay Murphy, Denny "Crash" Shields, Michael Knight, Pat Ebertz, Bobby Brady, Minimum Wage Mike, Harry Callahan, Kim Cooley, Jack Hammer, Nick Logan, and many others.
In 2000, Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
bought KQHT and several other radio stations in Grand Forks, and KQHT changed its format to classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
(a mixture of classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
music formats) calling itself as "96.1 The Fox". Clear Channel also got a broadcasting contract with the University of North Dakota to broadcast Fighting Sioux basketball, hockey, and football games. Hockey and football games broadcast on KQHT while basketball games air on sister station KSNR
KSNR
KSNR is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Fisher, Minnesota, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota and Thief River Falls, Minnesota areas. It first began broadcasting in 1983...
100.3. The slogan changed from "Classic Hits" to "World Class Rock" in 2004, and evolved towards a broad-based classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. The station began leaning towards an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format after KSNR flipped from oldies to country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in 2005. When competitor KNOX-FM flipped from classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
to classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
in 2007, The Fox shifted back to a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. KQHT tweaked back to classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
in 2010 after KNOX-FM flipped from classic rock to Top 40 (CHR)
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
to compete with sister station KKXL-FM
KKXL-FM
KKXL-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 format serving the Grand Forks, North Dakota area. It first began broadcasting in the 1970s as KKDQ. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
"XL93".