KBQI

KBQI
City of license Albuquerque, New Mexico
Broadcast area Albuquerque, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Branding Big I 107.9
Slogan New Mexico's Country Station
Frequency 107.9 MHz (also on HD Radio)
Translator(s) 98.1 K251AU (Albuquerque, relays HD2)
First air date April 27, 1979 (as KFMG)
Format Country
HD2: Classic Country "Classic Country 98.1"
ERP 22,500 watts
HAAT 1,259.0 meters (4,130.6 ft)
Class C
Facility ID 4706
Callsign meaning AlBuQerque Interstate (see below)
Former callsigns KFMG (1979-1991)
KAMX (1991-1994)
KTEG (1994-2000)
Owner iHeartMedia, Inc.
Webcast Listen Live
Listen Live (HD2)
Website bigi1079.com
classiccountry981.com (HD2)

KBQI (107.9 FM, "Big I 107.9") is a radio station in Albuquerque, New Mexico which carries a country music format, owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.. Its studios are located in Northeast Albuquerque, and the transmitter tower is located atop Sandia Crest east of the city.

KBQI takes its branding, "Big I 107.9", from the I-40 and I-25 interchange near downtown Albuquerque that is locally known as "the Big I". At the time of the station's launch in July 2000, the "Big I" was at the start of a major reconstruction project which had finished in May 2002. The station also launched with former KRST morning personalities Tony Lynn and Myles Copeland taking the morning shift at the new station. This helped to make KBQI competitive with KRST which had once dominated the format in the market. Tony and Myles had hosted mornings for 11 years until they were let go in October 2011.[1] The syndicated Bobby Bones Show now airs in mornings.

In February 2006 the station began broadcasting in HD Radio with an additional HD-2 subchannel that played country variety. On June 21, 2013 the HD subchannel began to air a classic country music format re-broadcasting on translator K251AU on 98.1 FM. [2][3]

Station history

call letters format name time period
KFMG Album Oriented Rock Rock 108 1979-1991
KAMX Hot AC Mix 107.9 1991-1994
KTEG Modern Rock The Edge 1994-2000

References

External links

Coordinates: 35°12′43″N 106°27′00″W / 35.212°N 106.450°W