KEGK

KEGK
City of license Wahpeton, North Dakota
Broadcast area Fargo-Moorhead
Branding Eagle 106.9
Slogan "All Classics, All The Time"
Frequency 106.9 MHz
First air date 1988
Format Commercial; Classic hits
ERP 41,000 watts
HAAT 164 meters
Class C2
Facility ID 25533
Callsign meaning EaGle
Former callsigns KGWB (1988-2003)
Owner Great Plains Integrated Marketing
(SMAHH Communications II Inc.)
Sister stations KQLX-AM, KQLX-FM
Webcast Listen Live
Website

KEGK (106.9 FM, "Eagle 106.9") is an oldies/classic hits radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead area, licensed to Wahpeton, North Dakota, and primarily plays rock and pop music from the 1970s and 1980s. The station is owned by Great Plains Integrated Marketing.

History

KGWB 107.1 FM signed on as a 3,000 watt Class A radio station serving Wahpeton, North Dakota with a CHR/AC hybrid format. It continued in this format until the late 1990s, when the format was changed to oldies. In 2003, Triad Broadcasting signed a local marketing agreement with Guderian Broadcasting to operate KGWB. The station moved to studios in Fargo, and its frequency was moved to 106.9. The power was upgraded to 41,000 watts to bring a signal to Fargo-Moorhead, and the call sign was changed to KEGK with the "Eagle 106.9" moniker. KEGK continues to maintain a control room and sales office in Wahpeton (located at the KBMW studios) to meet FCC requirements. The newly configured station was launched in March 2003, with Tim Murphy as Program Director and Morning Announcer. Initially the station pulled a stunt and went with an "All Beatles" format to attract attention. After five days of the Fab Four, the station settled in to its oldies format. Within ten months, the station moved from #19 cellar-dweller to a Top Five station in the market. After three years of ratings and revenue growth, Murphy left in August 2006 and returned to Michigan. Eventually he landed in Oregon where he is the Operations Manager for the five station Ohana Media Group in Astoria and does mornings for 102.3 KCRX-FM. He also took time to pen a highly successful book series "Flannel John's Cookbooks for Guys." In 2007, KEGK began to include music from the 1980s along with the 1960s and 1970s. The station began airing Christmas music on November 9, 2007 along with KMXW, Who has soon after, stopped playing Christmas music and switched to a format that directly competes with "The Eagle". In 2008, the station started playing all-Christmas on November 1.

On March 18, 2008, the FCC ordered Triad to terminate its JSA to operate KEGK within 90 days. The order was a result of a 2004 rule change that counts JSA's towards ownership cap limits. The FCC had previously granted Triad a waiver to continue the JSA because Clear Channel was grandfathered at one extra station when the 2004 rule change occurred. However, that situation ended when Clear Channel sold its Fargo group and one station was divested, leading the FCC to decide that Triad's waiver was no longer needed.

On April 17, 2008, it was announced that Scott Hennen's of Fargo bought KEGK. It became the sister station of 50,000 watt AM 1100 WZFG. Both are located at the new SMAHH headquarters, at 64 Broadway in downtown Fargo.

On Monday, May 5, Hennen's former WDAY colleague Paul Bougie (who Hennen hired when he left the station) began as host of morning show on 106.9 (with returning morning show co-host Shelley Knight). The show also simulcasts on WZFG from 5 AM to 8 AM. Knight's former co-host, Jim Daniels is now at 107.9 The Fox.

In the September 8, 2010 edition of the Fargo Forum, it was announced that Scott Hennen was removed as President and CEO of Great Plains Integrated Marketing, by the Board of Directors, effective 9/8/2010. Other local outlets reported that "effective immediately, he will no longer be an employee, and therefore no longer running day to day operations".

Program Schedule

Former DJs

External links

Coordinates: 46°32′46″N 96°37′41″W / 46.546°N 96.628°W