KDRF

Last updated
KDRF
KDRF.png
Broadcast area Albuquerque, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Frequency 103.3 MHz
Branding103-3 Ed FM
Programming
Format Adult hits
Ownership
Owner
KKOB, KKOB-FM, KOBQ, KRST, KMGA, KNML, KTBL
History
First air date
1987 (as KIDI)
Former call signs
KIDI (1987–1992)
KASY (1992–1996)
KTBL (1996–2001)
KTZO (2001–2004)
Call sign meaning
FReD spelled backwards (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID 55052
Class C
ERP 20,000 watts
HAAT 1,293 meters (4,242 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°12′50″N106°27′1″W / 35.21389°N 106.45028°W / 35.21389; -106.45028
Links
Webcast Listen live
Website ed.fm

KDRF (103.3 MHz) is a radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is owned by Cumulus Media and has an adult hits format as "Ed FM" and uses the slogan "Playing Stuff We Like." Its studios are located in Downtown Albuquerque and the transmitter tower is located atop Sandia Crest east of the city.

Contents

History

Early history: 1987-1992

The 103.3 frequency signed on in 1987 as KIDI with a Spanish-language contemporary music format. In January 1992 the Guadalajara Chili Pepper Company sold KIDI to Ramar Communications for $1 million along with a construction permit for TV channel 50 (then identified as KBQE). [1]

Country: 1992-2001

By September 1992 it switched to a country music format as KASY ("Y-103/Cat Country") to challenge KRST. [2] In March 1996, Ramar Communications sold KASY-FM to Citadel Broadcasting for five million dollars. [3] The following month Citadel also acquired KRST and KRZY AM & FM from Crescent Communications for 23 million dollars [4] and by October of that year Citadel divested both KRZY stations to a Spanish language broadcaster. KRST kept the new country format and 103.3 became KTBL ("K-Bull") which played classic country. This gave Citadel complete dominance over the popular country music radio market in Albuquerque until 2000, when Clear Channel Communications launched KBQI-FM "Big I 107.9" to challenge KRST which had also hired morning personalities Tony Lynn and Miles Copeland. KRST saw its ratings slashed as a result.

Adult Album Alternative (AAA): 2001-2003

Logo for KTZO-FM, once a popular alternative rock radio station in Albuquerque Ktzo.png
Logo for KTZO-FM, once a popular alternative rock radio station in Albuquerque

In February 2001, 103.3 dropped its classic country format and moved the KTBL callsign and format to 1050 AM. After stunting from February 12–14 with all R.E.M., U2 and Dave Matthews Band each day, 103.3 launched as "103-3 The Zone" at 10am on February 15 with Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush as the first song played. [5] The callsign was changed to KTZO on February 19. KTZO originally had an adult alternative music format, playing in 20 song sets as a "quality rock" station. The Zone was designed to challenge Clear Channel's KPEK-FM "The Peak", which was playing mostly "softer" alternative bands at the time, but still played a great deal of pop songs targeted at a mostly female audience. Like its eventual successor, KTZO attempted to run without DJs until late 2001, when it had added an airstaff which included former KTEG morning host, Micheal Moxey, in morning drive. Other personalities included Don Kelly, Leah Black, Scott Souhrada, and later Forrest, Brian and Kit Missile.

Modern rock: 2003-2004

The format shifted to modern rock in early 2003, adding hard rock acts such as System of a Down and Korn, but also keeping bands like Coldplay from its old format and also playing 1990s alternative bands such as Green Day and Bush as well as modern bands including The White Stripes, Modest Mouse and The Killers which were not heard on other local stations. It also held an annual "Battle of the Bands" competition for local bands. The winner received regular airplay on the station. Soular gained a local fanbase after winning the first competition in 2002. Feels Like Sunday and Hollis Wake won later contests.

Adult hits: 2004-present

KDRF was originally launched on December 30, 2004, as "103-3 Fred FM", but in March 2005, XM Satellite Radio claimed the name "Fred" to be a trademark of their classic alternative station. [6] The name was then shortened to "Ed" to avoid fighting a costly legal battle. The station has no DJs and has a wide playlist of Top 40 hits from the early 1970s to the present. KDRF is also streamed online. Since 2015, Ed FM does "80s Throwback" playing all hits from the 1980s about every other weekend. Joe Cipriano had been the station imaging voice for many years. [7]

In April 2007, eD-FM enlisted Tom Dickson of Blendtec to do a Will It Blend? version to promote the station. The three 30-second commercials show different styles of music CDs being blended, showcasing the station's variety format. The commercials aired on all Albuquerque TV stations over a four-week period. The commercials returned in late 2007 after the first campaign saw improved ratings for the station.

Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. [8]

On December 2, 2021, KDRF added the Greg Beharrell show in which bits of the show air throughout the day. Beharrell also became the new imaging voice for the station. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKOB (AM)</span> Radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico

KKOB is a commercial AM radio station, licensed to Albuquerque, New Mexico and owned by Cumulus Media. Its news/talk format is branded as "96.3 Newsradio KKOB", reflecting a simulcast with co-owned KKOB-FM 96.3 MHz. Studios and offices are located in Downtown Albuquerque. KKOB is the oldest station in New Mexico and is the state's primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System.

WRKN is a sports-formatted FM radio station serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 28 kW, and is licensed to Picayune, Mississippi. Its studios are located at the Place St. Charles building in Downtown New Orleans and the transmitter site is outside Covington, Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWKL</span> Contemporary hit radio station in Hershey, Pennsylvania

WWKL is a commercial radio station licensed to Hershey, Pennsylvania, and serving South Central Pennsylvania, including Harrisburg, Lancaster and York. It is owned by Cumulus Media and it broadcasts a rhythmic contemporary format. The studios are on Vartan Way in Harrisburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSCS</span> Radio station in Fort Worth–Dallas, Texas

KSCS is a commercial radio station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts a hot country music radio format. The studios are in the Victory Park district in Dallas just north of downtown. KSCS and sister station WBAP are responsible for activation of the North Texas Emergency Alert System when hazardous weather alerts, disaster area declarations, and AMBER Alerts for child abductions are issued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WKDF</span> Radio station in Nashville, Tennessee

WKDF is a country music radio station in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Cumulus Media, with studios in Nashville's Music Row district. WKDF is the flagship station for the nationally syndicated Big D & Bubba Morning Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKOB-FM</span> News/talk radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico

KKOB-FM is a commercial radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is owned by Cumulus Media and it simulcasts a news/talk radio format with co-owned KKOB 770 AM. The studios and offices are on 4th Street NW in downtown Albuquerque. KKOB-AM-FM use the FM station's dial position for the moniker "96.3 News Radio KKOB".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTBL</span> Radio station in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico

KTBL is a commercial radio station licensed to the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico, and serves the Albuquerque metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media and its studios are located in Downtown Albuquerque and the transmitter tower is located in South Valley, New Mexico. KTBL operates with 1,000 watts. The station airs an active rock format branded as "94.5 The Pit" with the use of FM translator K233CG broadcasting at 250 watts off Sandia Crest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRST</span> Radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico

KRST is a commercial radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a country music radio format. The radio studios and offices are located in Downtown Albuquerque.

KMGA is a commercial radio station licensed to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and broadcasts an adult contemporary radio format. For much of November and December it switches to Christmas music. The radio studios and offices are in Downtown Albuquerque.

KLVP is a non-profit radio station licensed to Aloha, Oregon, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. The station is owned, and the broadcast license held, by the Educational Media Foundation. It airs the national contemporary Christian radio format known as "K-Love."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNRQ</span> Radio station in Harrisburg–Eugene, Oregon

KNRQ is a commercial radio station, licensed to Harrisburg, Oregon, and serving the Eugene–Springfield radio market. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs an alternative rock radio format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KRZY-FM</span> Radio station in Santa Fe, New Mexico

KRZY-FM is a Spanish-language Grupero and Cumbia music formatted radio station programmed by satellite, serving the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area. It is branded as "La Suavecita 105.9". It is owned by Entravision which also owns local television stations KLUZ, a Univision affiliate, and KTFQ, an Unimás affiliate. It is licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHLL</span> Radio station in Springfield, Massachusetts

WHLL – branded as Nueva 98.1 – is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language latin pop format licensed to Springfield, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves the Springfield metropolitan area; and the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The WHLL studios are located at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, alongside sister stations WMAS-FM and WWEI, while the station transmitter, shared with WMAS-FM, resides in Springfield's Brightwood neighborhood. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WHLL simulcasts over low-power analog Springfield translator W251CT (98.1 FM) and on the second HD Radio channel of WMAS-FM, and streams online via Audacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KNML</span> Sports radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico

KNML is a sports talk formatted radio station owned by Cumulus Media and licensed to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its studios are located in Downtown Albuquerque and it utilizes daytime and nighttime transmitters that are located within yards of each other in the southwest quadrant of the city, between the Rio Grande and the Albuquerque International Sunport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMJK</span> Radio station in the Kansas City metropolitan area

KMJK is a top 40 radio station serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. Licensed to North Kansas City, Missouri, the Cumulus Media, Inc. outlet operates with an ERP of 100 kW from a transmitter in Napoleon, Missouri. KMJK's studios are located in Overland Park, Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WIWF</span> Radio station in Charleston, South Carolina

WIWF is a commercial radio station in Charleston, South Carolina, broadcasting to the Lowcountry area South Carolina. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a classic hits radio format branded as "96.9 The Wolf." The syndicated John Boy & Billy show, from Premiere Networks, is heard weekday mornings on WIWF, with local DJs heard the rest of the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTVL</span> Radio station in Waterville, Maine, United States

WTVL was a commercial AM radio station licensed to serve Waterville, Maine, and serving Kennebec County. The station was owned by Townsquare Media and until January 2023, it broadcast an adult standards radio format, playing softer hits from the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s. The station featured the music of Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole and Dionne Warwick in its playlist.

WVBN is a radio station licensed to Bronxville, New York. The station is owned by VCY America and features a Christian radio format, consisting of teaching and traditional Christian music. WVBN's transmitter and tower are located on the campus of Montefiore Medical Center in the New York City borough of the Bronx.

KRZY is a radio station licensed to Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, serving the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The station is owned by Entravision Communications. KRZY broadcasts a Spanish-language Sports format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nash (brand)</span> Media brand and network owned by Cumulus Media in the United States

Nash is a media brand owned by Cumulus Media. It covers country music-related properties owned by Cumulus, including radio stations, digital properties and publications, Nash TV, concerts promoted by Nash FM stations, and associated programming syndicated by Westwood One—including The Ty Bentli Show, Nash Nights Live with Shawn Parr and The Blair Garner Show. The Lia Show, which has been separately syndicated by Westwood One in the evening hours, will replace Garner in August 2020. Its name comes from Nashville, Tennessee, the center of the commercial country music industry in the United States, which in turn was named for colonial-era politician and Continental Army General Francis Nash. The Nash FM branding is similar to the Hank FM branding in that these stations play over 1000 songs as opposed to other stations which play 300 to 600 songs.

References

  1. "Broadcast" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 13 January 1992. pp. 95, 115. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  2. "The M Street Journal" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 12 August 1992. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  3. "March 1996: The New Normal – RadioInsight". Radioinsight.com. 30 March 2016.
  4. "April 1996: Las Vegas Sees Multiple Flips – RadioInsight". Radioinsight.com. 29 April 2016.
  5. "103.3 KTBL becomes Adult Alternative "103-3 The Zone" – Format Change Archive". Formatchange.com. 15 February 2001. 1st song ref audio sample beginning at 3:23
  6. "Albuquerque – 103.3 Ed FM – Variety Hits". Varietyhits.com.
  7. "Joe Cipriano Voice Over Actor on TV, Radio & Movies". Joecipriano.com. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  8. "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  9. "103.3 Ed-FM Albuquerque Adds Greg Beharrell Show for Imaging". Radioinsight.com. 3 December 2021.