KSZR

KSZR (i97.5 FM, i97.5") is a CHR formatted radio station serving Tucson, Arizona, USA. It is licensed to broadcast from Oro Valley, Arizona, (a northern suburb of Tucson), but its reception is generally above average in most areas of Tucson. It is owned by Cumulus Media.

History

KSZR has gone through a variety of format changes in the past. Its first days on the air as KRKN were as a satellite based rock station.

In 1994 KRKN's call letters were changed to KCDI. As KCDI, the station was known as "CD Country" and played satellite delivered country music.

In 1996 KCDI became KSJM, and was known as "Power 97.5". Power played a mix of hip hop, Spanish, and Top 40 music, (today's Rhythmic Top 40) and received high ratings, which competed with KOHT.. Power was the first station in Tucson to play Rhythmic Top 40 over the FM airwaves.

After about two years, Citadel Broadcasting purchased the station from locally owned Slone Broadcasting. In 1998, Citadel turned Power 97.5 to a smooth jazz station. It was known as 97-5 The Oasis. The call letters became KOAZ.

Due to low ratings and a lack of interest, the smooth jazz format was scrapped for a Country format known as "Cat Country" in 2001. This seemed to be a response to Clear Channel Communications' addition of a country station to Tucson, 92.9 Coyote Country (KOYT)(Today's KMIY). Clear Channel's plans in creating Coyote Country were to take away enough listeners from long-dominant KIIM-FM 99.5 (who coincidentally enough is also owned by Citadel), who has consistently been number one in the Tucson Arbitron ratings. Both Cat Country and Coyote Country failed.

The station then changed to "Star 97.5" in 2002, a mix of pop, modern rock, and adult contemporary. The call letters became KSZR, and this format went on the longest. Ratings still failed to make a considerable difference, and Star 97.5 failed.

In November 2004, Citadel Broadcasting Corporation changed Star to BOB FM, an adult contemporary / variety hits format. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.^[1] On February 3, 2012 at Noon, the Bob FM format was dropped in favor of a CHR format, branded as "i97.5". The last song On BOB FM was Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC, with the first song on "i97-5" being "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO.

References

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for KSZR
• Radio-Locator information on KSZR
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for KSZR