City of license | Belle Chasse, Louisiana |
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Broadcast area | New Orleans metropolitan area |
Branding | "Power 102.9" |
Slogan | Non-Stop Hip-Hop |
Frequency |
102.9 (MHz) 102.9 HD-2 for Regional Mexican |
First air date | 1992 |
Format | Rhythmic Contemporary |
ERP | 4,700 watts |
HAAT | 184 meters |
Class | C3 |
Facility ID | 12157 |
Callsign meaning | The END, which was a slogan for its dial position on the station the callsign used to be on which is now KMEZ |
Former callsigns | KMEZ (09/27/91-05/29/08) KNOK (10/18/89-09/27/91) |
Owner | Cumulus Media |
Sister stations | KMEZ, WRKN, WMTI |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | power1029.com |
KKND better known as "Power 102.9" is a Rhythmic Contemporary outlet serving the New Orleans area. The Cumulus Media station is licensed to Belle Chasse, Louisiana and broadcasts its format at 102.9 MHz with an ERP of 4.7 kW. The station competes with Clear Channel's WQUE for ratings.
The station, whose original calls were KMEZ, started off with a Gold-based Urban AC format and was known on-air as "Big Eazy 102.9", only to later re-image as "Old School 102.9" in an effort to capitialize on the growing interest in the Rhythmic/Urban Oldies format. By 2004, it modified its format by adding Adult R&B product to its playlist and reimaged itself again as "102.9, Old School & Today's R&B" to reflect the changes—and compete with WYLD-FM and hip hop station WQUE. Despite being an Urban AC, KMEZ, who, during the fall of 2007, became the flagship station of the New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association.
On May 20, 2008, KMEZ began simulcasting sister station KKND, who in turn, dropped their struggling Country format. The simulcast also marked KMEZ's move to the 106.7 frequency. This station received the callsign of KKND from KXOS on May 29, 2008, who changed their callsign to KMEZ, ending the KXOS callsigns run.
On July 1, 2008, Citadel Broadcasting officially chose Rhythmic Contemporary as the new format for the 102.9 frequency by unveiling the all-new "Power 102.9."[1] The station's logo and Hip-Hop direction is loosely based on KPWR/Los Angeles and is expected to challenge WQUE, who has dominated the R&B/Hip-Hop scene in New Orleans for nearly two decades and has yet to be defeated. Two days later on July 3 at exactly 10:29 AM (CDT), Power 102.9 made its debut by signing on with Lil' Wayne featuring Static Major's "Lollipop".[2]
The station carried the syndicated Big Boy's Neighborhood from ABC Radio when it first signed on.[3] But in March 2010 the program was dropped for a local show hosted by Big Abe & The Power Posse.[4] Despite having a Hip-Hop heavy direction, KKND has adjusted its musical focus to allow some Rhythmic Pop tracks to be played on the station. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[5]
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