KSZR (97.5
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 ...
serving
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, United States. It is licensed to broadcast from
Oro Valley, Arizona
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 Tech ...
, (a northern suburb of Tucson), but its reception is generally above average in most areas of Tucson. It is owned by
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is a broadcasting company of the United States and is the second largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States ahead of Audacy and behind iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdi ...
. Its studios are located north of downtown Tucson, and the transmitter is in
Marana, Arizona
Marana () is a List of municipalities in Arizona, town that mostly lies in Pima County, Arizona, Pima County with a small portion in Pinal County, Arizona, Pinal County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is located northwest of Tucson, Arizona, ...
.
History
Rock (1991–1994)
Its first days on the air as KRKN were as a satellite based
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
station.
Country (1994–1996)
In 1994, KRKN's call letters were changed to KCDI. As KCDI, the station was known as "CD Country" and played satellite delivered country music.
Rhythmic Top 40 (1996–1998)
In 1996, KCDI became KSJM, and was known as "Power 97.5". Power played a mix of hip hop, Spanish, and Top 40 music, (today's
Rhythmic Top 40
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and previously named Rhythmic Songs, Rhythmic Top 40 and CHR/Rhythmic) is an airplay chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine.
The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on ...
) and received high ratings, which competed with
KOHT
KOHT (98.3 FM) is an urban-leaning rhythmic contemporary station serving Tucson, Arizona, and is licensed to Marana, (a northwestern suburb of Tucson). It has been owned by since July 30, 2001 and broadcasts with an ERP of 6 kW. The sta ...
. Power was the first station in Tucson to play Rhythmic Top 40 over the FM airwaves.
After about two years,
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company founded and developed by Larry Wilson. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the count ...
purchased the station from locally owned Slone Broadcasting.
Smooth jazz (1998–2001)
In 1998, Citadel turned Power 97.5 to a
smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...
station. It was known as 97-5 The Oasis. The call letters became KOAZ.
Country (2001–2002)
Due to low ratings and a lack of interest, the smooth jazz format was scrapped for a
Country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
format known as "Cat Country" in 2001. This seemed to be a response to
Clear Channel Communications
iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...
' addition of a country station to Tucson, 92.9 Coyote Country (KOYT)(Today's
KHUD
KHUD (92.9 FM broadcasting, FM) is a country music, country radio station in Tucson, Arizona. It is owned by . The radio studios and offices are located north of downtown Tucson along Oracle Road. On weekdays, KHUD carries two radio syndicati ...
). Clear Channel's plans in creating Coyote Country were to take away enough listeners from long-dominant
KIIM-FM 99.5 (who coincidentally enough is also owned by Citadel), who has consistently been number one in the Tucson
Arbitron
Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings. Both Cat Country and Coyote Country failed.
Hot adult contemporary (2002–2004)
The station then changed to "Star 97.5" in 2002, a mix of
pop
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Pop music, a musical genre
Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop! (British group), a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Album ...
,
modern rock
Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music.
...
, and
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
. The call letters became KSZR, and this format went on the longest. Ratings still failed to make a considerable difference, and Star 97.5 failed.
Adult hits (2004–2012)
In November 2004, Citadel Broadcasting Corporation changed Star to
Bob FM
BOB FM is the on-air brand of a number of FM radio stations in the United States and formerly in Canada. The BOB FM format mostly concentrates on album rock, alternative rock and pop hits from the 1980s and 1990s, especially those popular duri ...
, an
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
/
variety hits format. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
Top 40 (2012–2015)
On February 3, 2012, at Noon, KSZR flipped to CHR as "i97.5". The final song on Bob FM was ''
Bye Bye Bye
"Bye Bye Bye" is a song by American boy band NSYNC from their second studio album, '' No Strings Attached''. It was released on January 17, 2000, as the lead single from the album. The song was written and produced by Kristian Lundin and Jake Sc ...
'' by NSYNC, while the first song on "i97-5" was ''
Party Rock Anthem
"Party Rock Anthem" is a song by American electronic dance music duo LMFAO. The song features British singer Lauren Bennett and American producer GoonRock. It was released as the first single from their second and final studio album '' Sorry fo ...
'' by LMFAO.
Classic hip hop (2015–present)
On May 22, 2015, at Noon, KSZR flipped to classic hip hop as "97.5 The Vibe". The final song on "i97-5" was "
Worth It" by
Fifth Harmony
Fifth Harmony, often shortened to 5H, is an American girl group based in Miami, composed of Ally Brooke, Normani, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and formerly Camila Cabello until her departure from the group in December 2016. The group signed a ...
, while the first song on "97.5 The Vibe" was "
Hip Hop Hooray
"Hip Hop Hooray" is a song by American hip hop group, Naughty by Nature, released in December 1992 by Tommy Boy Records as the first single from their third album, '' 19 Naughty III'' (1993). The song spent one week at number one on the US ''Bil ...
" by
Naughty By Nature.
KSZR Becomes 97.5 The Vibe
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{Cumulus Media
SZR
Cumulus Media radio stations
Radio stations established in 1991
Classic hip-hop radio stations in the United States
1991 establishments in Arizona