KWQW

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KWQW
KWQW logo
City of license Boone, Iowa
Broadcast area Des Moines metropolitan area
Branding 98.3 WOW-FM
Slogan Talk Radio That's Now
Frequency 98.3 (MHz)
First air date 1975
Format Talk radio
ERP 41,000 watts
HAAT 165 meters
Class C2
Facility ID 30116
Callsign meaning unknown
Owner Citadel Broadcasting
Sister stations KBGG, KGGO, KHKI, KJJY
Webcast Listen Live
Website 983wowfm.com

KWQW is a radio station licensed to Boone, Iowa, that serves the Des Moines area. The station, at 98.3 FM, currently has a talk radio format. KWQW's studios are in Urbandale, Iowa, along with Citadel Broadcasting's other stations: KGGO, KJJY, KHKI, and KBGG.

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[edit] History

"98 Rock" logo
"98 Rock" logo

The station began as KWBG-FM in 1975, a local Boone, Iowa radio station. In 1991, the station started to target the Des Moines, Iowa area with a country music format with call letters KIAB "K98" from 1991 to 1993. The station then became KRUU known as "The Rooster" from 1993-1996, also with a country music format before becoming KRKQ in 1996. As KRKQ the station took on the nickname of "98 Rock," featuring a classic rock format that competed with longtime ratings leader KGGO as well as the Bob & Tom Show. In 2000 the station's format was tweaked to classic hits as "Magic 98.3" after owner Barnstable Communications acquired KGGO. A short time later, the format was changed to adult contemporary as "98.3 the River."

"The River" logo
"The River" logo

Barnstable sold all of its Des Moines stations to Wilks Broadcasting in 2001; the stations were sold to Citadel Broadcasting in 2003. On November 11 of that year, Citadel changed KRKQ's format to talk radio as "WOW-FM, the Capital's Big Talker." The Bob & Tom Show was the only program that carried over to the new format. The station's call letters were changed to KBGG-FM shortly afterwards. On December 28, 2004, the call letters became KWQW.

During the 2004 Presidential election, the station gained attention by running satirical billboards portraying candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry as a same-sex bride and groom.

[edit] Programming

Most of KWQW's programming is syndicated. The Bob and Tom Show has been syndicated by the station since October 31, 1996. Other syndicated talk shows include Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Michael Savage. In 2005, Paul Harvey became part of the station's lineup after WHO dropped the show. The station has several local talk shows, "Mac's World" with J. Michael McKoy, on its daily schedule; along with Highway 6, the Iowa Sportsmans Hour, Cyclone Watch, the Iowa Business Hour, Inside Hawkeye Sports, Friday Night Live, On The Tee, and Moving Iowa.


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[edit] External links