KKHQ-FM (98.5 MHz), branded as Q98-5, is a radio station serving Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and surrounding cities with a Top 40/CHR format. This station is owned by Townsquare Media.
History
KKCV signed on the air on January 7, 1994, and aired a country format branded as “The Hog.”[2] The station would later rebrand as “K98.5.”[3] On September 22, 2003, the country formats of KKCV and KOEL-FM were merged on the 98.5 FM frequency, along with the KOEL-FM call letters, as the latter flipped to Top 40/CHR format as “Q92.3.”[4]
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus stations, including the then-KOEL-FM, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus’ acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global are both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[5][6] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013; KOEL-FM was one of three stations (along with KCRR and KKHQ-FM) that were placed in a divestiture trust for eventual resale within two years.[7] In December 2016, the Federal Communications Commission approved Townsquare’s request to reacquire the stations from the divestiture trust.[8]
On December 9, 2020, KOEL-FM and KKHQ-FM swapped frequencies, bringing the KOEL-FM call letters and the country format back to 92.3 FM after 17 years. In return, KKHQ-FM’s Top 40/CHR format moved to 98.5 and rebranded as “Q98.5”.[9]
References
- ^ “Facility Technical Data for KKHQ-FM”. Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Amy Davis, “The wild, wild waves,” The Courier, February 20, 1994.
- ^ Emily Graham, “Radio Group holds two top slots,” The Courier, February 16, 2003.
- ^ “Broadcasting News-September 2003”.
- ^ “Official: Cumulus Buys Dial Global, Spins Some Stations To Townsquare; Peak Stations Sold To Townsquare, Fresno Spun To Cumulus”. All Access. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ “Cumulus Makes Dial Global And Townsquare Deals Official”. RadioInsight. August 30, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
- ^ “Cumulus-Townsquare-Peak Deal Closes”. All Access. November 15, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ “Connoisseur Media Sells Wichita Pair to Rocking M Media”.
- ^ “Townsquare Swaps Formats in Waterloo”.
External links
- Q98.5 – Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 66780 (KKHQ-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KKHQ-FM in Nielsen Audio‘s FM station database
42°26′31″N 92°23′49″W / 42.442°N 92.397°W