KBEE

KBEE
City of license Salt Lake City, Utah
Broadcast area Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah
Branding B98.7
Slogan Today's Hits And Yesterday's Favorites
Frequency 98.7 MHz(also on HD Radio)
First air date June 15, 1979 (as KCPX-FM)
Format Adult Contemporary
ERP 40,000 watts
HAAT 894 meters
Class C
Facility ID 53497
Transmitter coordinates 40°36′30″N 112°09′34″W / 40.60833°N 112.15944°W
Callsign meaning K Bee
Former callsigns KCPX-FM (1979-1993)
KVRI (1993-1995)
Owner Cumulus Media
Sister stations KBER, KENZ, KFNZ, KHTB, KJQS, KKAT, KUBL
Webcast Listen Live
Website b987.com

KBEE, branded as B98.7, is a radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah which broadcasts at 98.7 MHz. It began in 1995 after Citadel Broadcasting purchased KVRI, a hot adult contemporary station. The station took the calls as KBEE although the music format virtually remained the same. The station's music focus has varied slightly over the past decade, heading more alternative-rock sounding. However, in 2002, the station returned to its roots as an AC (Adult Contemporary) station as "the all-new B98.7." The station shares the radio rights to the Utah Jazz (National Basketball Association) with sister station KFNZ.[1][2] The station is also broadcast on HD radio.[3] As of 2010, the station changed formats to adult top 40; however Mediabase & Nielsen BDS reported the station as adult contemporary still, particularly from when in 2009, KBZN acquired a more adult contemporary sound to replace smooth jazz and KOSY-FM switching to a mainstream AC sound, officially retiring the longtime soft adult contemporary format. Since July 2011, KBEE switched to the hot adult contemporary panel per Mediabase; the BDS switch is unknown. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[4] By February 2012, the station reverted to adult contemporary per Mediabase reports. Even after panel changes, Cumulus has always described the station as an AC. It is now also listed on the Nielsen BDS AC chart. On July 3, 2013 KBEE changed their format to adult top 40. On March 6, 2015 KBEE changed their format to adult contemporary.[5]

The station's studios are located in South Salt Lake (behind the I-15/I-80 interchange).

History

The station was first known as KCPX-FM beginning on June 15, 1979. On January 4, 1993, the station changed its call sign to KVRI and on finally on May 26, 1995, to KBEE-FM.[6]

Signal

From atop Nelson Peak, 10 miles (16 km) west of West Jordan, Utah, the station has an effective radiated power of 40,000 watts, which makes the station audible throughout most of north central Utah, including all of the Wasatch Front. KBEE also broadcasts an HD signal. The station has a height above average terrain of 894 metres (2,933 ft).

History of call letters

The call letters KBEE-FM were previously assigned to a station in Modesto, California. The station began broadcasting April 3, 1948, on 103.3 MHz. It was owned by the McClatchy Broadcasting Corporaton of California.[7]

Former logos

References

  1. ↑ "KBEE Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  2. ↑ "KBEE Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  3. ↑ "HD Radio Station Guide". HD Radio. iBiquity.
  4. ↑ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  5. ↑ KBEE Salt Lake City Returns to AC
  6. ↑ "KBEE Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  7. ↑ "McClatchy Firm Starts KBEE (FM) at Modesto" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 5, 1948. Retrieved 22 November 2014.

External links