KCYZ

42°04′38″N 93°38′54″W / 42.07722°N 93.64833°W / 42.07722; -93.64833LinksWebcastListen LiveWebsitenow1051.iheart.com

KCYZ (105.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Ames, Iowa, broadcasting to the Des Moines metropolitan area. KCYZ airs a hot adult contemporary radio format branded as "Now 105.1". KCYZ is owned by iHeartMedia with the license held by Citicaster Licenses LP. The studios and offices are on Main Street in Ames. KCYZ is Ames' FM home for Iowa State Cyclones college football and men's basketball, simulcasting with sister station KASI 1430 AM.

KCYZ has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 25,000 watts. The transmitter is on West 190th Street near Hyde Avenue, north of Downtown Ames.^[1]

History

The station signed on the air on June 20, 1968; 55 years ago (June 20, 1968).^[2] The original call sign was KCCQ and it broadcast on 107.1 MHz. It was owned by the Ames Broadcasting Company. KCCQ was the sister station of KASI 1430 AM. At the time, KCCQ was only powered at 3,000 watts. It was known as "Hot 107 KCCQ" and "107 KCCQ, Ames' Hot FM". Ames Broadcasting also owned KIKD-FM in Lake City. The company was owned by a woman, a rare event in that era. Betty Baudler Horras started as a bookkeeper before moving up to station management.

When it started life on June 20, 1968, KCCQ was one out of two Top 40 stations broadcasting in Central Iowa, including the Des Moines radio market. When the early 1980s rolled along, the station faced Top 40 competition against KRNQ, KIOA-AM, and KMGK (later KDWZ). Unfortunately, KCCQ's signal in Des Moines itself was relatively weak. When the station occupied 107.1, listeners in Des Moines and other parts of the southern fringe of KCCQ's coverage area could often hear interference from KJJC in Osceola, which was broadcasting at 106.9 with higher wattage than KCCQ.

But in 1998, the station moved its frequency to 105.1 and the power was increased to its current 25,000 watt output. That improved the signal, though it still only provides grade B coverage to Des Moines itself. With its improved signal, KCCQ and KASI were sold in 1999 to Jacor, which later merged with Clear Channel Communications, the forerunner to today's iHeartMedia.

After the purchase by Clear Channel, the company swapped KCCQ's CHR format with the alternative rock format of its then-new sister station KKDM. KCCQ was then known as "Channel Q". In August 2010, KCCQ rebranded as "New Rock 105.1".

On December 26, 2013, at midnight, KCCQ swapped formats with sister station KPTL and began broadcasting a Hot AC format, while its alternative rock format moved to 106.3. On April 4, 2014, KCCQ changed its call letters to KCYZ. Clear Channel also changed its name to iHeartMedia on September 16, 2014.

References

• Roepke D (1999) Two local radio stations sold for unspecified price Iowa State Daily 6/29/1999 p1.
• Heman B (1999) Carroll Broadcasting Co. announces bid for KIKD Daily Times Herald 2/4/1999 pp 1.

External links

• Official website
• KCYZ in the FCC FM station database
• KCYZ in Nielsen Audio's FM station database