KWFS-FM
Encyclopedia
KWFS-FM is a radio station serving the Wichita Falls
area with a Modern Country
format. It broadcasts on FM frequency 102.3 MHz and is under ownership of Townsquare Media.
The station was not an instant success. There was some income from Muzak brand background music played on the station's SCA channel.
Oilman Steve Gose bought the station in 1965, and sold in 1968. The next owners were a partnership of local building contractors, whose college age children took a stab at an underground progressive rock format. The KNTO call letters stayed but the logo was modified to include a peace symbol. The reaction was extreme and the station went back to the old format (though changing description to "Conservative Contemporary").
In 1973 the station was sold to WDAS AM/FM Philadelphia owner Max M. Leon, and his son Steve. The station filed for and received a grant to move to 103.3 MHz with 100,000 watts horizontal and vertical at 450 feet. In 1977 the format was changed to smooth jazz, and in 1977 to Disco-rock.
The FCC investigated some character qualification issues at WDAS. The renewal of KNTO was delayed. In 1978 a deal was struck to sell KNTO to AM 990 KNIN. This was never approved at the FCC. In 1980 a sale was allowed to "Sunshine Radio", a partnership of the Dorsey radios interests and the holdings of Anthony Brandon. They relaunched the station as "QV-103" KKQV with an almumish Top 40 format. The station dropped Texas State Network in favor of RKO Radio.
KKQV acquired the 1290 AM KTRN from Sammons-Ruff Communications in 1980. KTRN went from Top 40 to Country.
103.3 KKQV later changed to KWFS with oldies, then to country. KWFS was adopted as the 1290 AM letters and a -FM suffix was added to the FM.
The station changed channels in 1998 to 102.3 as part of a swap that put 103.3 on air as a rimshotter of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Call letter history:
KWFS-FM from 03/01/1995
KWFS from 03/12/1990
KKQV from 09/29/1980
KNTO-FM from 05/21/1980
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
area with a Modern 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...
format. It broadcasts on FM frequency 102.3 MHz and is under ownership of Townsquare Media.
History
KWFS was originally known as KNTO (FM) and operated on 95.1 MHz. The letters stood for "North Texas and Oklahoma". KNTO went on air in August 1961, owned by a partnership of five local businessmen including Bob Lipscomb, Bill Thacker, and three others. KNTO operated from the Onaway Trail tower (same as today) with 3,100 watts horizontal only at 430 feet above average terrain. Studios were on Galveston Drive (near present I-44) before moving to the Onaway Trail building. The format was EZ listening/Beautiful Music.The station was not an instant success. There was some income from Muzak brand background music played on the station's SCA channel.
Oilman Steve Gose bought the station in 1965, and sold in 1968. The next owners were a partnership of local building contractors, whose college age children took a stab at an underground progressive rock format. The KNTO call letters stayed but the logo was modified to include a peace symbol. The reaction was extreme and the station went back to the old format (though changing description to "Conservative Contemporary").
In 1973 the station was sold to WDAS AM/FM Philadelphia owner Max M. Leon, and his son Steve. The station filed for and received a grant to move to 103.3 MHz with 100,000 watts horizontal and vertical at 450 feet. In 1977 the format was changed to smooth jazz, and in 1977 to Disco-rock.
The FCC investigated some character qualification issues at WDAS. The renewal of KNTO was delayed. In 1978 a deal was struck to sell KNTO to AM 990 KNIN. This was never approved at the FCC. In 1980 a sale was allowed to "Sunshine Radio", a partnership of the Dorsey radios interests and the holdings of Anthony Brandon. They relaunched the station as "QV-103" KKQV with an almumish Top 40 format. The station dropped Texas State Network in favor of RKO Radio.
KKQV acquired the 1290 AM KTRN from Sammons-Ruff Communications in 1980. KTRN went from Top 40 to Country.
103.3 KKQV later changed to KWFS with oldies, then to country. KWFS was adopted as the 1290 AM letters and a -FM suffix was added to the FM.
The station changed channels in 1998 to 102.3 as part of a swap that put 103.3 on air as a rimshotter of Dallas-Fort Worth.
Call letter history:
KWFS-FM from 03/01/1995
KWFS from 03/12/1990
KKQV from 09/29/1980
KNTO-FM from 05/21/1980