KTAR-FM
Encyclopedia
KTAR-FM is a radio station
broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, Arizona
, USA, the station serves the Phoenix area and is currently owned by Bonneville Holding Company. It is co-owned with KTAR
on 620 kHz in the AM band, which split off from KTAR-FM on 1 January 2007 as to provide more news on 92.3 FM and more sports on 620 AM, which absorbed the assets of co-owned KMVP
at 860 kHz in Phoenix.
In 1982 the call letters KEZC were issued on 92.3 FM, the station played a softer version of country formats common in the Phoenix market, and the station slogan was 'Easy Country'. In 1984, the station began to simulcast with KJJJ-AM, as KJJJ-FM, a country music
station, signed on. In 1985, KJJJ-FM flipped from country and KKFR premiered as a gold-based Top 40 outlet known as "The Fire Station.", and later "K-Fire". In 1988 they began using albeit briefly, "Hot Hits 92.3" but was forced to drop that by the owner of the "Hot Hits" slogan nationally. Over the years they began shifting towards a rhythmic/dance music
mix. They also adopted the "Power 92" moniker in 1988 and patterned their direction on (then-future and now-former sister station) KPWR
/Los Angeles
. They would later modify it to "Power 92.3" in 2000.
From 1993 to early 1994 they evolved to a mainstream Top 40 and leaned slightly toward modern rock
(to less of an extent than other Top 40 stations in other markets), but it didn't sit well with its listeners and the ratings slipped, and from January to March 1995, the rhythmic and dance music returned to the KKFR playlist. By 1997 they began dropping dance cuts, leading to the transformation into a R&B/Hip-Hop
approach. By the end of the year, the station was no longer Top 40 at all. Today, they still lean this way, but beginning in 2005 they would once again start adding more rhythmic pop
tracks into the current mix.
Chancellor Media (which later became AMFM, Inc.) purchased the station in late 1998 from its longtime owners, but when the company merged with Clear Channel Communications
, they had to divest the station to meet FCC ownership regulations. Emmis Communications
stepped in and became its owner in 2000.
. In turn, Bonneville announced a format change that would add a station to the Phoenix dial and change the Arizona radio landscape. Bonneville announced it would gradually move the news and talk aired on KTAR
620 to KKFR beginning 18 September 2006 (which was the day KKFR became KTAR-FM), and the AM property would merge with KMVP
, the local ESPN Radio
station, which would then be complete by 1 January 2007. When the merges, format changes, and divestitures were completed (such as a sale of KMVP-AM), KTAR-FM would become the news station, KTAR would become "Sports 620 KTAR" and acquire the broadcast rights to sports teams that KTAR held, and KMVP-AM would be divested after a simulcast period with KTAR. Meanwhile, the former occupant of 92.3, KKFR, went through changes; its intellectual property was acquired by Riviera Broadcast Group (which already owned KEDJ
and two stations in Las Vegas
), and shortly thereafter moved to 98.3 FM licensed to Mayer
, which was KKLD in Prescott Valley
. Sunburst Media let Riviera operate and later own the station; KKFR took over KKLD and created the new KKFR
. In 2007, less than a month after the split of the KTAR radio stations, the station tweaked its identity to News 92.3 KTAR-FM; previously, the "-FM" was not used, as the station was simulcasting with KTAR. Coincidentally, sister station KPKX
was the original home of the KTAR-FM call letters.
KTAR-FM is basically a 24-hour news station, but will air live sporting events
whenever more than one team with broadcast rights held by KTAR plays at the same time.
The decision to split KTAR into a news/talk station and an all-sports station was made by the management team of Erik Hellum, general manager; Russ Hill, director of news/talk and sports programming; and Scott Sutherland, director of sales. Hill oversaw the move of Bonneville's station KSL to FM and was brought in to manage the product changes. Sutherland was quickly promoted to market manager of Bonneville's Salt Lake City stations following the successful split.
Bonneville is pushing more news stations that it owns across the country onto FM, such as WTOP
and WWWT in Washington, DC and KSL-FM
in Bonneville's home market of Salt Lake City, Utah
.
The splitting of KTAR into an all sports station on 620 AM and a news/talk station on 92.3 FM has been extremely successful leading to higher audience ratings and a market leading revenue position. The combined KTAR brand has an audience estimated by Arbitron as 590,000 people. That makes it the radio brand with the most listeners in Arizona.
News/Talk 92.3 KTAR features a lineup of Arizona's Morning News with Ned Foster and Connie Weber (5-9am), Bruce St. James (9am-noon), Live and Local with Rob and Mark (12-3pm), Mac & Gaydos (3-7pm), and Dave Ramsey (7-10pm). KTAR-FM produces more than 14 hours of local programming a day.
signal is multiplexed. The main signal is a simulcast of KTAR's news and talk programming. The second channel carries Mormon Channel radio, the radio station of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The channel originates from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, and broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
, America In The Morning, The Dave Ramsey Show
, The Glenn Beck Program
, The Jim Bohannon Show
, Meet The Press with David Gregory
, and Voice To America with Tony Femino. KTAR-FM also airs local talk shows. Local hosts include: Bruce St. James, Mac Watson, Larry Gaydos, Pat McMahon, Ned Foster, Connie Weber, Michael Dixon, Jay Lawrence and Rosie Romero.
programming on the station features many personalities, including: Jim Cross, Jeremy Foster, Ned Foster, Sandra Haros, Pamela Hughes, Dennis Lambert, Bob McClay, Holliday Moore, Benjamin Nicks, Brian Rackham, Lou Romano, Mike Sauceda, Colton Shone, Connie Weber and Jayme West. Sports programming is handled by the following hosts: Dave Burns, Paul Calvisi, Craig Grialou and Kevin Ray. Weather forecasts
are contracted from KPNX-TV. "Detour Dan" Beach handles the station's traffic
reports. "Click Chick" Gayle Bass, focuses on the Internet
and entertainment segments.
, KTAR-FM inherited the local flagship station of the Arizona Cardinals
from its AM sister. "Sports 620" will continue to simulcast games that do not conflict with either the Phoenix Suns
or Arizona Diamondbacks
.
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 News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, Arizona
Glendale, Arizona
Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721....
, USA, the station serves the Phoenix area and is currently owned by Bonneville Holding Company. It is co-owned with KTAR
KTAR (AM)
KTAR is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It airs programming from ESPN Radio, in addition to KTAR-acquired broadcast rights for local teams...
on 620 kHz in the AM band, which split off from KTAR-FM on 1 January 2007 as to provide more news on 92.3 FM and more sports on 620 AM, which absorbed the assets of co-owned KMVP
KMVP
KMVP is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. KMVP is owned by Bonneville International Corporation.-History:The 860 kHz frequency was occupied by several radio stations in Phoenix. The first station signed on the air as early as 1953 with the call letters KIFN. KIFN was Phoenix's...
at 860 kHz in Phoenix.
History
In the late 1960s, the station first signed on as KXTC, and aired a mix of mainstream and contemporary jazz music. That lasted until 1978 when they switched to a disco format which they would have for about two years, using the name 'Disco 92'. Show hosts included Rick Nuhn, who would eventually be found at a number of other stations after KXTC became KEZC, and those included KUKQ 1060 AM, and most recently he worked for KNRJ/KAJM but did most of the work there for KAJM.KEZC, KJJJ, and KKFR
See also KKFRKKFR
KKFR "Power 98.3" is a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio outlet in the Phoenix, Arizona, radio market. The station broadcasts at 98.3 MHz on the FM dial with an effective radiated power of 41 kW. Its COL was Mayer, Arizona. The station is owned and operated by Riviera Broadcast Group...
In 1982 the call letters KEZC were issued on 92.3 FM, the station played a softer version of country formats common in the Phoenix market, and the station slogan was 'Easy Country'. In 1984, the station began to simulcast with KJJJ-AM, as KJJJ-FM, a country music
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...
station, signed on. In 1985, KJJJ-FM flipped from country and KKFR premiered as a gold-based Top 40 outlet known as "The Fire Station.", and later "K-Fire". In 1988 they began using albeit briefly, "Hot Hits 92.3" but was forced to drop that by the owner of the "Hot Hits" slogan nationally. Over the years they began shifting towards a rhythmic/dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
mix. They also adopted the "Power 92" moniker in 1988 and patterned their direction on (then-future and now-former sister station) KPWR
KPWR
KPWR is a commercial radio station located in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on an analog signal and in HD Radio...
/Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. They would later modify it to "Power 92.3" in 2000.
From 1993 to early 1994 they evolved to a mainstream Top 40 and leaned slightly toward modern rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
(to less of an extent than other Top 40 stations in other markets), but it didn't sit well with its listeners and the ratings slipped, and from January to March 1995, the rhythmic and dance music returned to the KKFR playlist. By 1997 they began dropping dance cuts, leading to the transformation into a R&B/Hip-Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
approach. By the end of the year, the station was no longer Top 40 at all. Today, they still lean this way, but beginning in 2005 they would once again start adding more rhythmic pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
tracks into the current mix.
Chancellor Media (which later became AMFM, Inc.) purchased the station in late 1998 from its longtime owners, but when the company merged with 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...
, they had to divest the station to meet FCC ownership regulations. Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications is a media conglomerate based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company owns radio stations and magazines in the United States, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria.-History:...
stepped in and became its owner in 2000.
News Talk 92.3 KTAR-FM
In 2006, Emmis sold the station to Bonneville InternationalBonneville International
Bonneville International Corporation is a broadcasting company wholly owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation...
. In turn, Bonneville announced a format change that would add a station to the Phoenix dial and change the Arizona radio landscape. Bonneville announced it would gradually move the news and talk aired on KTAR
KTAR (AM)
KTAR is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. It airs programming from ESPN Radio, in addition to KTAR-acquired broadcast rights for local teams...
620 to KKFR beginning 18 September 2006 (which was the day KKFR became KTAR-FM), and the AM property would merge with KMVP
KMVP
KMVP is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. KMVP is owned by Bonneville International Corporation.-History:The 860 kHz frequency was occupied by several radio stations in Phoenix. The first station signed on the air as early as 1953 with the call letters KIFN. KIFN was Phoenix's...
, the local ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
station, which would then be complete by 1 January 2007. When the merges, format changes, and divestitures were completed (such as a sale of KMVP-AM), KTAR-FM would become the news station, KTAR would become "Sports 620 KTAR" and acquire the broadcast rights to sports teams that KTAR held, and KMVP-AM would be divested after a simulcast period with KTAR. Meanwhile, the former occupant of 92.3, KKFR, went through changes; its intellectual property was acquired by Riviera Broadcast Group (which already owned KEDJ
KEDJ
KEXX is a commercial radio station located in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area on 103.9 FM. KEXX airs a modern rock music format branded as "X 103-9". In July 2009, the station added less commercials and plays deeper tracks rather than just radio hits unlike normal...
and two stations in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
), and shortly thereafter moved to 98.3 FM licensed to Mayer
Mayer, Arizona
Mayer is a census-designated place in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,408 at the 2000 census. Mayer includes three sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Mayer Apartments, Mayer Business Block, and Mayer Red Brick Schoolhouse.The 1993-1994 CBS...
, which was KKLD in Prescott Valley
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Prescott Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States, just east of Prescott. Prescott Valley was the seventh fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona between 1990 and 2000...
. Sunburst Media let Riviera operate and later own the station; KKFR took over KKLD and created the new KKFR
KKFR
KKFR "Power 98.3" is a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio outlet in the Phoenix, Arizona, radio market. The station broadcasts at 98.3 MHz on the FM dial with an effective radiated power of 41 kW. Its COL was Mayer, Arizona. The station is owned and operated by Riviera Broadcast Group...
. In 2007, less than a month after the split of the KTAR radio stations, the station tweaked its identity to News 92.3 KTAR-FM; previously, the "-FM" was not used, as the station was simulcasting with KTAR. Coincidentally, sister station KPKX
KPKX
98.7 The Peak is a commercial Adult Hits music radio station in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting on 98.7 FM.-Early Years:98.7 FM signed on in July 1960 as KTAR-FM, co-owned with KTAR and KTAR-TV . In the mid-1970's, the station became KBBC broadcasting Easy Listening music programming...
was the original home of the KTAR-FM call letters.
KTAR-FM is basically a 24-hour news station, but will air live sporting events
Broadcasting of sports events
The broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of sports as a television program, on radio and other broadcasting media. It usually involves one or more sports commentators describing the events as they happen.-United States:...
whenever more than one team with broadcast rights held by KTAR plays at the same time.
The decision to split KTAR into a news/talk station and an all-sports station was made by the management team of Erik Hellum, general manager; Russ Hill, director of news/talk and sports programming; and Scott Sutherland, director of sales. Hill oversaw the move of Bonneville's station KSL to FM and was brought in to manage the product changes. Sutherland was quickly promoted to market manager of Bonneville's Salt Lake City stations following the successful split.
Bonneville is pushing more news stations that it owns across the country onto FM, such as WTOP
WTOP-FM
WTOP is an all-news formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Washington, D.C., serving Metropolitan Washington, DC area. WTOP is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.WTOP is one of two all-news stations in the Washington, D.C...
and WWWT in Washington, DC and KSL-FM
KSL Newsradio
KSL NewsRadio is a radio programming service based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is broadcast simultaneously on AM station KSL and FM station KSL-FM...
in Bonneville's home market of Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
The splitting of KTAR into an all sports station on 620 AM and a news/talk station on 92.3 FM has been extremely successful leading to higher audience ratings and a market leading revenue position. The combined KTAR brand has an audience estimated by Arbitron as 590,000 people. That makes it the radio brand with the most listeners in Arizona.
News/Talk 92.3 KTAR features a lineup of Arizona's Morning News with Ned Foster and Connie Weber (5-9am), Bruce St. James (9am-noon), Live and Local with Rob and Mark (12-3pm), Mac & Gaydos (3-7pm), and Dave Ramsey (7-10pm). KTAR-FM produces more than 14 hours of local programming a day.
HD Radio
KTAR's HD RadioHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
signal is multiplexed. The main signal is a simulcast of KTAR's news and talk programming. The second channel carries Mormon Channel radio, the radio station of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The channel originates from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, and broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Show Hosts
Along with nationally syndicated shows such as ABC News PerspectiveABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, America In The Morning, The Dave Ramsey Show
The Dave Ramsey Show (radio program)
The Dave Ramsey Show is a three-hour, self-syndicated radio program and podcast that airs Monday through Friday from 2-5 EST. It is primarily broadcast from Brentwood, Tennessee, though often during the summer it is broadcast via remote from Ramsey's lake house...
, The Glenn Beck Program
Glenn Beck Program
The Glenn Beck Program is an American talk radio show hosted by commentator Glenn Beck on Premiere Radio Networks. Since its inception as a nationally syndicated show in 2002, the program has become one of the highest rated radio programs...
, The Jim Bohannon Show
Jim Bohannon
James E. "Jim" Bohannon is an American broadcaster who has worked in both television and radio.During the 1980s he was a fill-in for Larry King when King had his popular nighttime national radio program. He also does much work with the Smithsonian Associates...
, Meet The Press with David Gregory
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
, and Voice To America with Tony Femino. KTAR-FM also airs local talk shows. Local hosts include: Bruce St. James, Mac Watson, Larry Gaydos, Pat McMahon, Ned Foster, Connie Weber, Michael Dixon, Jay Lawrence and Rosie Romero.
Personalities
NewsNews
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
programming on the station features many personalities, including: Jim Cross, Jeremy Foster, Ned Foster, Sandra Haros, Pamela Hughes, Dennis Lambert, Bob McClay, Holliday Moore, Benjamin Nicks, Brian Rackham, Lou Romano, Mike Sauceda, Colton Shone, Connie Weber and Jayme West. Sports programming is handled by the following hosts: Dave Burns, Paul Calvisi, Craig Grialou and Kevin Ray. Weather forecasts
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
are contracted from KPNX-TV. "Detour Dan" Beach handles the station's traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
reports. "Click Chick" Gayle Bass, focuses on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and entertainment segments.
Arizona Cardinals
In 20102010 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2010 Arizona Cardinals season is the 91st season for the team in the National Football League, and their 23rd season in Arizona. The Cardinals failed to improve on their 10–6 record from 2009, and were eliminated from postseason contention in Week 15....
, KTAR-FM inherited the local flagship station of the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from its AM sister. "Sports 620" will continue to simulcast games that do not conflict with either the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
or Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
.