KIOT (102.5 FM, "Coyote 102.5") is an American

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 ...

licensed to

Los Lunas, New Mexico Los Lunas is a village in Valencia County, New Mexico, Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the village has a population of 17,242. It is the county seat of Valencia County. Los Lunas is pa ...

, and serving the

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

and Santa Fe radio markets broadcasting a

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 ...

format with music from the late 1960s through the early 2000s. The station is owned by American General Media. Its studios are located in Northeast Albuquerque (a mile north of Central Avenue) and the transmitter tower is located atop

Sandia Crest Sandia Crest, also known locally as Sandia Peak or simply as the Crest, is a mountain ridge that, at , is the highpoint of the Sandia–Manzano Mountains, and is located in the Sandia Mountains of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United State ...

east of the city.

History

KIOT first launched in 1991 with an eclectic Triple-A format called "The Coyote". The callsign and format originated in late 1990 on 102.3 in Espanola after the station was purchased by KLSK founder Bill Sims and programmer Jack Kolkmeyer. The name "coyote" and KIOT callsign was selected to associate it as: "The coyote embodies the wild, free spirit that is the very soul and music of the world." KIOT used translators in Albuquerque before 102.5 signed on in 1994. The KIOT callsign moved to the Los Lunas station on August 5, 1994. In 1995 it was purchased by

Simmons Media Group Redrock Media is a media company with headquarters in St. George, Utah, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a feder ...

from Wizard Broadcasting for 1.6 million dollars. On September 1, 1995 the station switched to a classic rock format branded as " Arrow 102.5" but kept the KIOT callsign. In Fall 2002 it was sold to Hispanic Broadcasting (which later became Univision Radio in 2003) and renamed "Coyote" matching the callsign the original owners had given it but continued the classic rock format focused mostly on the 1960s and 1970s. By the late-2000s the station had added some rock tracks from the 1990s and early-2000s with a lot more 1980s rock putting it in more direct competition with KZRR "94 Rock". In 2010, the station gave former KZRR morning co-host Erica Viking her own morning show that later also featured "Big Benny" (now at

KABG KABG (98.5 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Alamos, New Mexico, and serving the Santa Fe and Albuquerque radio markets. It is owned by American General Media and airs a classic hits radio format, playing Top 40 hits mostly ...

) until 2013 now co-hosted by "The Hoff". In previous years the station just featured a "music in the morning" approach. The station hosts some local live events including the annual "Rockalypse" featuring classic rock cover bands which began in 2013. On June 14, 2017, American General Media announced that it would acquire KIOT and sister stations

KKSS KKSS (97.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and broadcasting to the Santa Fe and Albuquerque metropolitan area. KKSS airs an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary radio format branded as "Kiss 97.3". Owned ...

and

KKRG-FM KKRG-FM (105.1 Hertz, MHz) is a radio station licensed to Santa Fe, New Mexico, covering the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque area and northern New Mexico. It is currently owned by American General Media. It airs a hot adult contemporary f ...

from Univision, making them part of a cluster with

KLVO KLVO (97.7 MHz) is an FM radio station serving Central New Mexico. It is licensed to Belen, New Mexico, and is owned by American General Media. Its studios are located in Northeast Albuquerque, and its transmitter is located west of Los L ...

and

KARS Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.� ...

/K275AO. The sale price for the Univision cluster was $5 million, down from $22.5 million paid in 2002. The sale was approved on August 23, 2017, and consummated on September 1, 2017. The radio station was briefly referenced in the season four

premiere A premiere, also spelled première, (from , ) is the debut (first public presentation) of a work, i.e. play, film, dance, musical composition, or even a performer in that work. History Raymond F. Betts attributes the introduction of the ...

episode of

Breaking Bad ''Breaking Bad'' is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan for AMC (TV channel), AMC. Set and filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the series follows Walter White (Breaking Bad), Walter White (Bryan Cran ...

During one scene in a vehicle, a traffic report is given and the announcer says "on The Coyote". The show is set and filmed in Albuquerque.

References

External links

{{Classic Rock Radio Stations in New Mexico IOT Classic rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1993 1993 establishments in New Mexico