KRTK (93.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a commercial FM

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 Hermann, Missouri, and broadcasting to the western suburbs of Greater St. Louis. It is owned by Louis Ecklekamp with the license held by East Central Broadcasting. KRTK and sister station KXEN

1010 AM The following radio broadcasting, radio stations broadcast on AM broadcasting, AM frequency 1010 kHz: 1010 AM is a Canadian clear-channel frequency. CFRB Toronto and CBR (AM), CBR Calgary, Alberta, Calgary are both list of broadcast station ...

simulcast a conservative talk radio format.

Programming

KRTK and KXEN air conservative talk hosts around the clock. Some of the shows are nationally syndicated. From Westwood One, they run '' The Mark Levin Show''. From the Salem Radio Network, they carry '' The Charlie Kirk Show''. Most hours begin with an update from Townhall News.

History

KNSX and KQQX

The station began in Steelville, Missouri. It signed on the air in 1985 as KNSX on 96.7 MHz, with a power of 3,000 watts. In 1996, the station completed an upgrade to a Class C2 facility, giving it a signal covering a wide area of Eastern and Central Missouri. It was owned by Randy Wachter. In 2007, KNSX changed its call letters to KQQX. In 2011, KQQX received authorization from 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 change the station's city of license from Steelville to Hermann and move the tower closer to the St. Louis Metropolitan area. This was coupled with an upgrade in power to 50,000 watts. KNSX was one of the first FM stations that was digitally automated with no live DJs. The station also was a pioneer under Randy Wachter's ownership with webcasting a live feed online via Real Audio, of which KNSX was among the top 10 most-listened-to webstreams in 1997–1998.

KLUQ

The FCC reported on August 14, 2017, that the station had changed its call sign to WLUQ, although all evidence of this change was removed from the FCC's records on September 5, 2017. However, the station did change its call sign to KLUQ on September 8, 2017. KLUQ was in

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver – a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights" – especia ...

after being repossessed from Twenty One Sound Communications, which was wholly owned by Randy Wachter, who founded the station. KLUQ was running on a special temporary authority (STA) at a power of 1,000 watts from a tower near Warrenton, Missouri, and was simulcasting

Americana music Americana (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of Music of the United States, American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States of America, with particul ...

programming from KWUL-FM 101.7 in Elsberry, Missouri.

K-WOLF and KRTK

In 2016, KLUQ brought back Americana music as "K-WOLF", also carried on KVMO and KWUL. From 2017 to January 2019, it aired a format of hard-edged Christian rock music. From 1996 to 2016, the station aired a successful

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

format under the KNSX and later KQQX call letters as "93X". On July 14, 2021, KLUQ changed its call sign to KRTK. It began carrying conservative talk shows as "RealTalk 93.3" along with sister station KVMO. KWUL-AM-FM continued to broadcast Americana music as "K-WOLF". With the expansion of "Real Talk" to other frequencies, in November 2021, the group of stations were called "The Real Talk Radio Network."

References

External links

{{coord, 38.1045, N, 91.0418, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title RTK (FM) News and talk radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1985 1985 establishments in Missouri Conservative talk radio Talk radio stations in the United States