WKFR-FM
 | |
| Broadcast area | Battle Creek - Kalamazoo metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 103.3 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 103.3 KFR |
| Programming | |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Subchannels | HD2: WBXX simulcast (Urban adult contemporary) |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WKMI, WRKR | |
| History | |
First air date | June 11, 1963 |
Former call signs | WELL-FM (1963–1964) |
Call sign meaning | Keener Fourteen |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 14658 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 50,000 watts |
| HAAT | 147 meters |
Transmitter coordinates | 42°21′20.1″N 85°20′28″W / 42.355583°N 85.34111°W |
| Translator(s) | 102.5 W273AR (Paw Paw) (relays HD2) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | wkfr |
WKFR-FM (103.3 MHz 103.3 KFR) is a commercial radio station licensed to Battle Creek, Michigan. It airs a contemporary hit radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. The studios and offices are on Jennings Drive in Kalamazoo.
WKFR-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000 watts, the maximum for most stations in Southern Michigan. The transmitter is on North 44th Street at East E F Avenue in Augusta.[2]
History
[edit]The station signed on the air in June 11, 1963.[3] Its original call sign was WELL-FM and it broadcast at 96.5 MHz. WELL-FM and its sister station, WELL-AM, simulcast their programming for most of the 1960's, but all that change in 1964 when both WELL-FM and WELL-AM becomes WKFR-FM & AM. The AM station became Top 40 outlet as "Keener 14", while the FM station moved to 103.3 MHz. And by the late 1960's WKFR-FM had broken from the simulcast of WKFR-AM and was airing an automated Beautiful Music format, playing quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental songs.
In 1972, WKFR-AM changed its call letters to WKNR-AM after that call sign was dropped by the former WKNR in Detroit but their FM station remained WKFR-FM, but by the end of the 1970's WKFR-FM had evolved from MOR "good music" to an AC format. Then in 1981 WKFR-FM inherited the now Top 40/CHR format from WKNR-AM and has been keeping and retained it ever since.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus Media stations, including WKFR-FM. The price tag was $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global. Both Townsquare and Dial Global were controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[4][5] The sale was consummated on November 14, 2013.
References
[edit]- ^ "Facility Technical Data for WKFR-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/WKFR
- ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-102. Retrieved June 11, 2025.
- ^ "Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus". All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ "Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official". RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 14658 (WKFR-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- WKFR-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 148903 (W273AR) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- W273AR at FCCdata.org
42°21′22″N 85°20′28″W / 42.356°N 85.341°W
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