KRPR (89.9 FM) is a non-commercial

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 by the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

(FCC) to serve the community of

Rochester, Minnesota Rochester is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. It is located along rolling bluffs on the Zumbro River's south fork in Southeast Minnesota. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a popul ...

. It is the only locally owned and programmed station in the city. The studios are located at 2630 (Suite 500) South Broadway in Rochester, Minnesota. The station broadcasts from a transmitter site East of the city and plays an expansive variety of

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 ...

. Being a non-commercial station, KRPR presents brief underwriting messages produced by station personalities rather than commercials. KRPR is a member of

AMPERS AMPERS (Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations) is an association of 17 independent community radio stations in Minnesota. Each station is locally managed and programmed by and for the local community it serves. AMPERS is the ...

, The Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations.

News segments

World news headlines are provided and updated by Feature Story News. Local and regional news reports are provided by KIMT-TV.

Sound quality

KRPR uses a minimal amount of dynamic range compression combined with audiophile quality signal processing as well as no data compression to achieve its full fidelity sound.

History

KRPR began broadcasting in 1975 under the ownership of Rochester Community and Technical College where it was located. In the 1980s the station broadcast a New Wave (now often referred to as 1980s music),

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

and

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 ...

format. Live listener call in request shows often featured local Minnesota bands such as

The Suburbs ''The Suburbs'' is the third studio album by Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire, released on August 3, 2010. Coinciding with its announcement, the band released a limited edition 12-inch single containing the title track and "Month of May".

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continuous members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notability as a hardc ...

, The Phones, Chameleon,

Slave Raider Slave Raider was an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 that was known for its over-the-top antics, heavy make-up and glam song lyrics. In the Twin Cities, Slave Raider had a sizeable following that were known as "The Raid". They opened ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

, The Time, and The Replacements. The airways of the station were staffed students and teachers of the college during this time. Bright orange and black KRPR bumper stickers and T-shirts were a common sight throughout Southern Minnesota during this era of the radio station as fans displayed their support. In the late 1990s the station (now broadcasting a classic rock and

album oriented rock Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock. US radi ...

format) was sold to Rochester Public Radio, the current operator and licensee. The station currently thrives in a market that supports several Classic Rock stations, due to its lack of lengthy ads and wide variety of deep tracks offered over the airwaves. An interactive website is also available for listeners to view tracks that have aired and submit song requests.

External links

* {{coord, 44.041, N, 92.340, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Radio stations in Minnesota