KHDR (96.9
FM) is a
radio station
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting 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 rad ...
that is licensed to
Lenwood, California
Lenwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Mojave Desert near Barstow, in San Bernardino County, California.
The population was 3,623 at the 2020 census, up from 3,543 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Mojave River, west of Barst ...
. KHRQ (94.9 FM) is a radio station that is licensed to
Baker, California
Baker is a census-designated place located in San Bernardino County, California, US. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 442. Baker's ZIP Code is 92309 and the community is within area codes 442 and 760.
History
Baker w ...
, United States. Both stations are owned by Heftel Broadcasting, and together they broadcast an
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...
format with the branding "Highway Rock". KHDR and KHRQ serve the
High Desert of California, specifically targeting travelers along the
Interstate 15
Interstate 15 (I-15) is a major Interstate Highway in the Western United States, running through Southern California and the Intermountain West. I-15 begins near the Mexican border in San Diego County and stretches north to Alberta, Ca ...
corridor between
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
.
History
KHDR first signed on in 2002.
In 2004, KHWZ (100.1 FM) in
Ludlow, California
Ludlow is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert on Interstate 40, located in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The older remains of the ghost town are along historic Route 66.
History
Origins
The community settl ...
broke from the
Highway Country trimulcast
In broadcasting, a trimulcast is a cluster of three radio and/or television stations and/or translators that play the same feed. Normally this is done in order to have full coverage of a certain area. Some stations use this technique to provide r ...
and switched to "The Drive". KHWZ went silent on February 25, 2011.
In early 2017, parent company KHWY, Inc. filed for
chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
, and the Highway Stations — KHDR and KHRQ, plus
The Highway Vibe (KRXV, KHWY, KHYZ) and
Highway Country (KIXW-FM, KIXF) — were put up for auction. Heftel Broadcasting won the auction with a $620,000 bid, with
Educational Media Foundation
Educational Media Foundation (formerly EMF Broadcasting, abbreviated EMF) is an American nonprofit Christian media ministry based in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville.
EMF is the parent company of K-LOVE and Air1—the world's largest contempor ...
having offered $525,000 for just KRXV and KHYZ.
In 2018, the Drive stations switched formats from
mainstream rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent a cross between classic rock, active rock and alternativ ...
to
adult hits. On December 26, 2020, the stations returned to rock.
Syndicated programming on KHDR and KHRQ included, by February 8, 2021, ''The Woody Show'' weekday mornings.
The Drive stations are affiliates of the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
radio network. One of KHDR's current syndicated shows (as of March 2024) is ''Highway Rock'', hosted by former
KNAC
KBUE (105.5 FM, "Que Buena 105.5/94.3 FM") is a commercial radio station licensed to Long Beach, California, that serves the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It is owned by Estrella Media and airs a Regional Mexican radio format. Studios an ...
DJ
Gonzo Greg
Gonzo Greg Spillane (born March 28, 1965) is an American radio personality best known for various Morning Radio broadcasts, including ''The Big Dumb Show'' and ''Gonzo in the Morning''.
Biography
Early life
Spillane is a native of Massachu ...
. Similar to KNAC, it broadcasts musical genres ranging from
classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
to
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
and
heavy metal music
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a Music genre, genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal band ...
.
On February 12, 2025, KHDR and KHRQ rebranded as "Highway Rock" and began simulcasting on
KHYZ
KHYZ (99.7 FM) is a radio station, licensed to Mountain Pass, California. It broadcasts a dance radio format branded as ''Vibe 99.7''. The station is owned by Richard Heftel's Heftel Broadcasting Company, with studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.
H ...
's HD3 subchannel. The station's frequency was also changed from 96.9/94.9 to 99.7.
Highway Drive Rebrands Focus to Las Vegas HD Subchannel
Radioinsight - February 12, 2025
Repeater
See also
* Highway Country
* The Highway Vibe
* Vibe 99.7
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Victor Valley Radio
HDR
Mass media in San Bernardino County, California
2002 establishments in California
Radio stations established in 2002
Mainstream rock radio stations in the United States