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KQRC-FM

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KQRC-FM
Broadcast areaKansas City metropolitan area
Frequency98.9 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding98.9 The Rock!
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatMainstream rock
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
1962; 62 years ago (1962)
Former call signs
  • KCLO-FM (1962–1979)
  • KTRO (1979–1982)
  • KZZC (1982–1987)
  • KCWV (1987–1989)
  • KRVK (1989–1992)
Call sign meaning
"Rock"
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID74101
ClassC0
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT335 meters (1,099 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
39°01′19″N 94°30′50″W / 39.022°N 94.514°W / 39.022; -94.514
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live (via Audacy)
Websitewww.audacy.com/989therock

KQRC-FM (98.9 MHz, "98-9 The Rock") is a radio station licensed to Leavenworth, Kansas and serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its studios are located in Mission, Kansas, and its transmitter site is in South Kansas City. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc.

History

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1962–1979: KCLO-FM

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The 98.9 MHz frequency shuffled between formats when it first went on the air in 1962. Licensed to Leavenworth, the station began as KCLO-FM, a religious-MOR outlet simulcasting with its AM sister station on 1410.

1979–1982: KTRO

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In 1979, it became a country station as KTRO.

1982–1986: KZZC

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Mark and Connie Wodlinger, the former owners of Top 40 outlet KBEQ-FM, bought KTRO in late 1982. In December of that year, KTRO began targeting the larger Kansas City market by flipping to a Top 40 format as "ZZ 99", KZZC.[2] KZZC competed heavily against KBEQ by emphasizing on newer music in comparison to KBEQ's oldies lean. The station also was home to Kansas City legendary DJ Randy Miller in morning drive. During this time, the station's transmitter was relocated to a site near Basehor in Wyandotte County to improve coverage. On August 25, 1986, due to financial trouble, the station flipped to a syndicated oldies outlet as "98.9 Gold" with the KZZC call letters still in place.[3][4] In August 1987, the station's transmitter moved again, this time to the KCTV Tower.

1987–1989: KCWV

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On September 24, 1987, at Noon, "98.9 The Wave" debuted with a new age (a precursor to the smooth jazz format) and easy listening format, competing with a multitude of AC stations. The call letters were also changed to KCWV.[5][6] In May 1989, Wodlinger Broadcasting sold the station to Journal Broadcast Group for $6 million.[7][8]

1989–1992: KRVK

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On October 27, 1989, at 5:37 pm, the station flipped to soft rock as KRVK, "98.9 The River".[9][10] The station was largely automated with very low-key on-air personalities.

1992–present: KQRC

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On April 3, 1992, at 5 p.m., after playing "The River" by Garth Brooks, the station flipped to its current format as "98.9 The Rock", which debuted with Kansas City band Shooting Star's "Hang On For Your Life".[11][12] The current KQRC call letters were adopted on April 20, 1992. The Rock has lived up to its name in the stability of its format, surviving a rock format shuffle in 1997 that claimed Kansas City's (then) longest-surviving (23 years) FM rock station, KYYS.

Journal sold KQRC to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1997, with Entercom buying the station in 2000.[13][14]

In 2002, the station's transmitter would be relocated to its current location near East 56th Street and Bennington Avenue in South Kansas City.

After sister station KRBZ announced it would end its alternative rock format in August 2024, KQRC would pick up their former afternoon program, The Church of Lazlo, in the same timeslot; as a means of transition, the two stations would simulcast the show until KRBZ's flip to a sports talk format as "The Fan" took place.[15]

Rockfest

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For many years, KQRC hosted Rockfest, the largest single-day music festival in North America.[16] Past headliners include Disturbed, Godsmack, Staind, Seether, Stone Temple Pilots, and Korn.

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KQRC-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Gerald B. Jordan, "Broadcasting couple to recharge station", The Kansas City Star, November 8, 1982.
  3. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1986/RR-1986-08-08.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  4. ^ Barry Garron, "KZZC-FM to switch to oldies", The Kansas City Star, July 31, 1986.
  5. ^ Barry Garron, "Oldies station KZZC to join the Wave of soft rock, jazz", The Kansas City Star, September 11, 1987.
  6. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1987/RR-1987-09-18.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  7. ^ "KCWV sold to Milwaukee firm", The Kansas City Star, May 4, 1989.
  8. ^ Barry Garron, "New signals", The Kansas City Star, May 12, 1989.
  9. ^ Barry Garron, "New radio station owners make River of the Wave", The Kansas City Star, October 30, 1989.
  10. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1989/RR-1989-11-03.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  11. ^ Barry Gammon, "Here comes the Rock", The Kansas City Star, April 6, 1992.
  12. ^ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1992/RR-1992-04-17.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  13. ^ Eric Palmer, "Radio stations to go on market", The Kansas City Star, March 18, 1997.
  14. ^ Aaron Barnhart, "Sinclair group at the top of 'The Rock'", The Kansas City Star, February 26, 2000.
  15. ^ "96.5 FM in KC changing formats from alternative rock to sports". August 8, 2024.
  16. ^ "Rockfest: KC's one-day festival grew to national proportions". Kansas City Star. May 2009. Archived from the original on May 31, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
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