KDRI (830 AM, "The Drive") is a radio station in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black

ill ILL may refer to: * ''I Love Lucy'', a landmark American television sitcom * Illorsuit Heliport (location identifier: ILL), a heliport in Illorsuit, Greenland * Institut Laue–Langevin, an internationally financed scientific facility * Interlibrar ...

, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

. Owned by Tucson Radio, LLC, it broadcasts a soft oldies format. It is simulcast on FM translator K269FV at 101.7 MHz in

Oro Valley Oro Valley, incorporated in 1974, is a suburban town located north of Tucson, Arizona, United States, in Pima County. According to the 2020 census, the population of the town is 47,070, an increase from 29,700 in 2000. Dubbed the "Upscale T ...

. KDRI is Arizona's only

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station to the

Emergency Alert System The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national warning system in the United States designed to allow authorized officials to broadcast emergency alerts and warning messages to the public via cable, satellite, or broadcast television, and both ...

History

A construction permit was issued in 1983 for a new station on 830 AM in Tucson to Doylan Forney. Forney had won the station, proposing to provide a middle-of-the-road music format "with an emphasis on spiritually enlightening programs", in a proceeding designed to promote ownership of radio stations by ethnic minorities. He first took the calls KGLY, then very soon after took the calls KGLR' when

KGVY KGVY (1080 AM) is a commercial radio station located in Green Valley, Arizona, broadcasting to the Green Valley, Sahuarita, Tucson, Arizona area on 101.5 MHz on translator K268DC. KGVY airs an oldies music format branded as Familiar Favorit ...

in Green Valley objected. In 1986, he sold the CP to Family Life Broadcasting, which had operated religious station KFLT at 1450 AM since 1977; Family Life then sold the 1450 frequency to another owner. On July 19, 1986, KFLT moved to the new 830, on the air for the first time with 50,000 watts. 1450 then KKPW "Power 1450" on the air. KFLT would be on 830 AM for another 33 years. On August 1, 2019, KFLT was sold to Tucson Radio, LLC, owned by local businessman Fletcher McCusker, for $650,000; in 2018, Family Life Broadcasting had acquired KQTH from

Scripps Media The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...

via

Lotus Communications Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the com ...

, which flipped to

Family Life Radio Family Life Radio is a network of Christian radio stations in the United States, broadcasting Contemporary Christian music, as well as some Christian talk and teaching. Christian Talk and Teaching shows heard on Family Life Radio include: ''I ...

as the ''de facto'' replacement for 830 KFLT. After stunting with

novelty music A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and w ...

as ''The Worm'', it launched a soft oldies format with a Tucson-centric presentation and local personalities targeting "

boomers Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the Western demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the mid-20th century baby boom. The ...

in cars" as ''The Drive'', KDRI, on August 5, 2019. Veteran radio executive and personality

Bobby Rich Bobby R. Rich is a radio broadcaster, programmer and manager best known for his role as Program Director and Morning Show Host on KFMB-FM San Diego "B-100" (1975–79 and 1984–89) and KMXZ-FM Tucson, Arizona "MIX fm" (1993–2017). He began his ...

joined the station as president of Tucson Radio, program director, and morning host.

References

External links

* * {{Oldies Radio Stations in Arizona Radio stations established in 1986 DRI (AM) Oldies radio stations in the United States 1986 establishments in Arizona