KZIA
Encyclopedia
KZIA, known as "Z 102.9", is a radio station
based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
. It has a Top 40 (CHR)
format primarily staffed with local personalities, including morning DJ's
Scott Schulte and Ric Swann. The station's transmitter is located in Hiawatha, Iowa
, and its signal reaches most of eastern Iowa
, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City
, and Waterloo
.
radio, purchased KQCR to create the Cedar Rapids market's first radio duopoly
. On September 5, 1995, KQCR changed its format to country music
and its call letters to KXMX, "Max 102.9". The country format lasted almost three years until Norton and Keller agreed to sell KRNA and KXMX to Texas
-based Capstar Broadcasting. While the KRNA sale was successful, Capstar terminated the agreement to buy KXMX. Norton and Keller kept the station, changing the format to top 40 and the call letters to KZIA on June 12, 1998. Today KZIA is the only locally-owned commercial FM
station in the Cedar Rapids market, as most FM's in the area are owned by either Clear Channel Communications
or Cumulus Media
.
On May 14, 2003, KZIA became the first Iowa radio station to broadcast in HD Radio
. The station also airs a Classic Rock format on HD2 and a sports format on HD3 that is a simulcast of sister station KGYM.
On October 31, 2006, KZIA acquired the former KCRG radio (1600 AM) from Gazette Communications
. KZIA renamed the station KGYM and moved its studios from downtown Cedar Rapids to the KZIA studios on the city's southwest side.
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...
based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. It has a 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...
format primarily staffed with local personalities, including morning DJ's
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Scott Schulte and Ric Swann. The station's transmitter is located in Hiawatha, Iowa
Hiawatha, Iowa
Hiawatha is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb located north of Cedar Rapids and is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and its signal reaches most of eastern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
, and Waterloo
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
.
History
KZIA was originally known as KQCR, which had a top 40 format as "Q103" for many years. In 1994, Rob Norton and Eliot Keller, owners of KRNAKRNA
KRNA is a radio station licensed to Iowa City, Iowa, with studios in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The transmitter for the station is located west of Oxford, Iowa. The station currently has an active rock format. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
radio, purchased KQCR to create the Cedar Rapids market's first radio duopoly
Duopoly (broadcasting)
In United States broadcast television and radio, duopoly is a term used to describe a single company which owns two or more stations in the same city or community....
. On September 5, 1995, KQCR changed its format to 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...
and its call letters to KXMX, "Max 102.9". The country format lasted almost three years until Norton and Keller agreed to sell KRNA and KXMX to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-based Capstar Broadcasting. While the KRNA sale was successful, Capstar terminated the agreement to buy KXMX. Norton and Keller kept the station, changing the format to top 40 and the call letters to KZIA on June 12, 1998. Today KZIA is the only locally-owned commercial FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
station in the Cedar Rapids market, as most FM's in the area are owned by either 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...
or Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
.
On May 14, 2003, KZIA became the first Iowa radio station to broadcast in HD Radio
HD 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...
. The station also airs a Classic Rock format on HD2 and a sports format on HD3 that is a simulcast of sister station KGYM.
On October 31, 2006, KZIA acquired the former KCRG radio (1600 AM) from Gazette Communications
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
The Gazette is a daily newspaper published in the American city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The first paper was published as an evening journal, as the Evening Gazette on Wednesday January 10, 1883 and sold for 3¢; it presently sells for 75¢. The newspaper is distributed throughout northeast and east...
. KZIA renamed the station KGYM and moved its studios from downtown Cedar Rapids to the KZIA studios on the city's southwest side.