KKFR

KKFR "Power 98.3" is a Rhythmic Contemporary Hit Radio outlet in the Phoenix, Arizona, radio market. The station broadcasts at 98.3 MHz on the FM dial with an effective radiated power of 41 kW. Its COL was Mayer, Arizona. The station is owned and operated by Riviera Broadcast Group. Its slogan was "The Valley's #1 Hit Music Station."

Competition-wise, KKFR is one of four Top 40 stations battling for listeners in the Phoenix market, the other three being "Rhythmic Leaning" Top 40s KZZP and KMVA, and the brand new "Rhythmic Contemporary" KZON. This marks the first time in many years that Power had significant competition with rival Rhythmic stations in the market.

History

92.3 FM

See also KTAR-FM

In 1982, the construction permit for KEZC was issued on 92.3 FM. In 1984, KJJJ-FM, a country music station, signed on. In 1985, KJJJ-FM flipped from country, and KKFR premiered as a gold-based Top 40 outlet known as "The Fire Station." Over the years they began shifting towards a rhythmic/dance music mix. They also adopted the "Power 92" moniker in 1988 and patterned their direction on (then-future and now-former sister station) KPWR/Los Angeles. They would later modify it to "Power 92.3" in 2000. TV personality Danny Bonaduce worked at KKFR for a few months in 1989-1990 as a morning program co-host.

From 1993 to early 1994, they evolved to a mainstream Top 40 and leaned slightly toward modern rock (to less of an extent than other Top 40 stations in other markets), but the ratings slipped; and from January to March 1995, the rhythmic and dance music returned to the KKFR playlist.

By 1997, they played less dance songs, leading the transformation into a R&B/Hip-Hop approach. By the end of the year, the station was no longer Top 40. Beginning in 2005, they started adding more rhythmic pop tracks into the playlist.

Chancellor Media (which later became AMFM, Inc.) purchased the station in late 1998 from its longtime owners, but when the company merged with Clear Channel Communications, they had to divest the station to meet FCC ownership regulations. Emmis Communications became its owner in 2000.

Move to 98.3

On 8 May 2006, Emmis sold KKFR to Bonneville International, which, in turn, announced that the station would become the news station for the market, their AM on 620 absorbing the sports assets of KMVP; 92.3 would become KTAR-FM. On 12 July, Emmis sold the KKFR intellectual property to Riviera Broadcast Group, which already owned KEDJ, a modern rock outlet on 103.9 FM licensed to Gilbert for use on another radio station. The station was KKLD Prescott Valley, which moved to Mayer and became the new KKFR on 1 September [1]. The Power name was kept, but the frequency portion of the name was adjusted to fit the new location.

On June 22, 2007, KKFR picked up an unlikely competitor when KZON dropped Talk to go Rhythmic as "101.5 JAMZ". When KZON made the flip it aired attack liners towards KKFR by telling listeners that "The Power's Out," "Where Hip-Hop USED to live," and "100,000 watts of 'Static-Free' Jamz!" However, in a statement made to the Arizona Republic, KKFR's then-PD Bruce St. James had the following to say, "What are they going to do? Play more Hip Hop than us? Really, I think we'll be ok." ^[1] St. James, by the way, would end up joining KZON as its new PD in January 2010.^[2]

On December 1, 2008, KKFR dropped "Where Hip Hop Lives" in favor of the slogan "The Valley's #1 Hit Music Station" but retained its Rhythmic direction. Ironically KZON adopted the latter slogan in November, a month before KKFR changed theirs. This move gave Phoenix two radio stations with the same format and slogan; KKFR decided to drop the slogan after nearly a year. A similarity happens to rivaling top 40 stations KZZP and KMVA.

References

External links

• Power 98.3's website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KKFR
• Radio-Locator information on KKFR
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KKFR