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KYCR (1440
kHz 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 uni ...
) is an AM radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by
Salem Media Group Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wh ...
, and is carrying a business radio format. KYCR's studios are located in
Eagan Eagan may refer to: People * Charles Eagan (1921-2010), Canadian scientist * Daisy Eagan (born 1979), American actress * Dennis Eagan (1926–2012), British field hockey player * Eddie Eagan (1897–1967), American sportsman * Edmund Eagan, Canadia ...
, while its transmitter is located in Golden Valley.


History

The original call letters were KEYD and the station played
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
for many years. The station was launched in May 1948 by former management and advertisers of
WDGY WDGY (740 Hertz, kHz) is a commercial radio, commercial AM radio, AM radio station city of license, licensed to Hudson, Wisconsin, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul media market, radio market. It is owned by WRPX, inc. and airs a Classic ...
, who had become disenchanted with the owners of that station over the discontinuance of religious programming. Family Broadcasting basically started the station as a new home for the spurned WDGY programming. KEYD got a sister TV station in 1955, KEYD-TV (now
KMSP-TV KMSP-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving the Twin Cities area. It is owned and operated by the Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside WFTC (channel 9.2 ...
), and the two stations were co-owned by Family Broadcasting until mid-1956. The original KEYD radio studios were located in downtown
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
on 9th Street off of Hennepin Avenue adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre. According to the 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook, both the AM and TV stations were co-located in the Foshay Tower. The
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was changed to KEVE in June 1956, and the studios moved to the station's transmitter and antenna site at 917 Lilac Drive in Golden Valley. During that time, the station played
country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
. KEVE-FM (92.5 FM) signed on September 1, 1962, and by October 1963, it was given the call letters KADM to match its AM sister as the pair became known as "Adam and Eve in the Valley"; the city of license for the two stations is the suburb of Golden Valley. A gradual shift from country music to a mix of
classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
, show tunes and
adult standards Adult standards (also sometimes known as the nostalgia or Big Band format) is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations. Adult standards started in the 1950s and is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly tho ...
began in 1960, and was completed on both stations by March 1963. On December 1, 1964, the call letters for both stations became KQRS for "Quality Radio Stations". In 1967, the stations began experimenting with freeform rock music from midnight to 5 am every night via the "Night Watch" program, playing R&B,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
. The foray proved successful, and by the end of 1968, it became the full-time format. The two KQs were a simulcast until 1982, when the AM briefly switched to an
oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music. Since 2 ...
format as KGLD before returning to the simulcast. The KGLD calls became effective November 22, 1982, with the KQRS calls returning on March 28, 1984. In 1985, ABC Radio Network, then a division of the original ABC, Inc. bought the station and its FM counterpart with it from Hudson Communications Corporation, a radio broadcasting company owned by Washington D.C. lawyer Joe McKenna, which owned the station from 1956 to 1985. Along with its FM sister, the acquisition was ABC's first foray into Minnesota broadcasting. The station again broke away from the simulcast on November 18, 1996, at 4 am, this time permanently, when it became one of the first four affiliates of the new
Radio Disney Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California. The network broadcast music programming ...
with a
children's A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''child ...
/
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
format that competed with
WWTC WWTC (1280 AM broadcasting, AM, "The Patriot") is a commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Twin Cities region. It is owned by Salem Media Group and broadcasts a conse ...
, then the flagship station of "
Radio AAHS Radio AAHS was an American radio network owned and operated by the Children's Broadcasting Corporation. The flagship station of the format was WWTC (1280 AM) in Minneapolis, from where network programming originated at the former First Federal ...
", which had its own children's format. The station's call letters changed to KDIZ on November 15. Disney had been collaborating with Radio AAHS, which was based in Minneapolis and had launched its children's format in 1990. Radio Aahs had grown to approximately 30 affiliate stations around the country. Disney withdrew from the Aahs contract and began competing against Aahs with Radio Disney. Children's Broadcasting Corp. sued Disney and was awarded $9.5 million in 2002. Disney appealed, and after the court upheld the judgement, it was paid in 2005; with accumulated interest, the total was $12.4 million. On November 12, 2005, the station made world news when a riot erupted at its "Jingle Jam Concert" featuring B5, forcing the venue, Brookdale Mall, to be closed. Members of the group were stripped of shirts, shoes and earrings. On August 13, 2014, Disney put KDIZ and 22 other Radio Disney stations up for sale, in order to focus more on digital distribution of the Radio Disney network. KDIZ held the distinction of being not only the longest-tenured Radio Disney station in its history, but also one of ABC's longest-tenured non-mainstream radio stations in its history. It was also the last-remaining Disney/ABC broadcast property in Minnesota, having had sold the others in 2007, with ABC Radio going to
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 ...
(
KXXR KXXR (93.7 FM) is an active rock/mainstream rock radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media, which also owns KQRS-FM. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. Its studi ...
, acquired in 1993, Love 105, acquired in 1997, and KQRS-FM, acquired in 1985). On September 15, 2015, it was announced that
Salem Media Group Salem Media Group, Inc. (formerly Salem Communications Corporation) is an American radio broadcaster, internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher based in Irving, Texas, targeting audiences interested in Christian values and wh ...
acquired the last five Radio Disney owned-and-operated stations for sale (including KDIZ) for $2.225 million. KDIZ was acquired through Common Ground Broadcasting, Inc., for $375.000. Salem put a business news/talk format (which moved from 1570 AM) on the station in December, after a brief period of silence beginning on December 11, 2015. The format features
Dave Ramsey David Lawrence Ramsey III (born September 3, 1960) is an American radio personality who offers financial advice. He is the founder and CEO of Ramsey Solutions and a co-host of '' The Ramsey Show'', a nationally syndicated radio program. He ...
and other business-talk oriented shows. The sale of KDIZ was completed on December 15. The station changed its callsign to KYCR on December 24.Call Sign History
Federal Communications Commission With the sale to Salem, the company shut off the station's HD Radio transmission. On January 29, 2021, KYCR rebranded as "The Biz AM 1440".


References


External links


KEYD-AM exterior photo, 1953, from The Minnesota Historical SocietyKEYD 1949 promotional station profile

University of Minnesota 1970 thesis on the history of WDGY at radiotapes.com, page 67


* ttps://www.davidgleason.com/Broadcasting_Yearbook_Summary_Page.htm Broadcasting Yearbooks 1949-1965br>Station's call sign changes at FCC database

Radio Aahs receives $12 million payment from ABC, Disney
{{News/Talk Radio Stations in Minnesota News and talk radio stations in the United States Radio stations in Minnesota Radio stations established in 1948 1948 establishments in Minnesota Salem Media Group radio stations Business talk radio stations Business mass media in the United States Hennepin County, Minnesota