KPRR (102.1 FM "Power 102 FM"), is a commercial

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. The station is owned by

iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc. (formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc.), a company fou ...

and airs a rhythmic contemporary

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelle ...

. It offers a more broad-based direction in its playlist than most other rhythmic stations, with a mix of R&B/ Hip-Hop, Dance, Hurban and Rhythmic Pop fare. KPRR has its studios and offices on North Mesa Street (

Texas State Highway 20 State Highway 20 (SH 20) is a highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that runs from New Mexico State Road 460 at the state line between Texas and New Mexico at Anthony in El Paso County to Interstate 10 at McNa ...

). KPRR broadcasts from a

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the ...

in the Franklin Mountains. Its signal covers parts of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

and the Mexican state of Chihuahua, including Ciudad Juárez. KPRR's studios are located along Mesa Drive in West Central El Paso. KPRR is one of two contemporary hit stations in the El Paso-Juárez

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

, with 104.3

XHTO-FM XHTO-FM (104.3 MHz "104.3 HITfm") is an English-language Top 40 (CHR) radio station. The city of license is Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and it serves Mexico-U.S. border communities, including the El Paso metropolitan area. The station is ow ...

as the other. KPRR broadcasts in the HD Radio format. Its HD2 signal carries a Rhythmic Oldies/

Classic Hip Hop Classic hip hop is a music radio format focusing primarily on hip hop music from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early to mid-2000s. Although stations with such a format date back as far as 2004, the format was first popularized in October 2014, after ...

known as "Hot 93.5." It is also heard on 99 watt FM translator K228FH at 93.5 MHz.

History

The station signed on as KIZZ-FM on December 5, 1969. It was owned by Sunland Broadcasting Company and was the FM counterpart to AM 1150 KIZZ (now

KHRO KHRO (1150 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in El Paso, Texas. This station is owned by Entravision Communications. Its studio facilities are located on North Mesa Street/Highway 20 in northwest El Paso. The transmitter is located east ...

). KIZZ-FM was powered at 27,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James ...

s, a third of its current output. In 1972, the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assign ...

was changed to KLOZ. It called itself "K102," and offered a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

format. Mesa Radio bought it in 1975, followed by Jalapeno Broadcasting Company in 1979. In 1986, the station was acquired by Continental Broadcasting. In September of that year, it switched its call letters to become KPRR with a format patterned after popular

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

rhythmic station

KPWR KPWR (105.9 FM) – branded as ''Power 106'' – is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area. KPWR is owned and operated by Meruelo Group and airs a Rhythmic Hot AC format. KPWR's stu ...

. The move proved successful, with "Power 102" often leading the El Paso

in the ratings.

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

-based Clear Channel Communications acquired KPRR in 1996.Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1998 page D-426
/ref> Clear Channel later became iHeartMedia, the current owner.

References

External links

KPRR official website
* * PRR Rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1986 1986 establishments in Texas IHeartMedia radio stations {{Texas-radio-station-stub