WLKX-FM (95.9
MHz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one h ...
) is a
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission 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 radi ...
licensed
A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit).
A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
to
Forest Lake, Minnesota
Forest Lake is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States, located 27 miles northeast of Saint Paul. The population was 20,611 at the 2020 census. The 2021 population is 20,608.
History
Forest Lake began as a stop on the St. Paul ...
, and serving the northern suburbs of the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in stat ...
. It is owned by Lakes Broadcasting, a private corporation owned by the Peters family, who are primarily
Christian-based broadcasters. Their holdings include including
WQPM in
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...
,
KLCI in
Elk River,
KASM and
KDDG in
Albany.
The station airs a
classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades.
Repertoire
The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on inn ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when radio was compelle ...
and has an
effective radiated power
Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ...
(ERP) of 6,000
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...
s.
History
The station previously aired
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and ...
along with national and local religious leaders broadcasting a
Christian talk and teaching
Christian radio is a Christian media radio format that focus on programming with a Christian message. Many such broadcasters play contemporary Christian music, though many programs include sermons, radio dramas, as well as news and talk pro ...
format. The station briefly simulcast with its sister station south of the metro area,
KBGY.
When St. Paul-based
KNOF switched to a music-only format in 2007, many syndicated and local religious spoken word programs that had used KNOF to air their broadcasts in the Twin-Cities market moved their programming to WLKX-FM.
The WLKX call letters have been with the station for several decades, and in the past, the station has programmed
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 present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, o ...
formats.
On October 15, 2013, WLKX changed its format to a hybrid
Regional Mexican
Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mex ...
/
Tropical music
Tropical music ( es, música tropical) is a term in the Latin music industry that refers to music genres deriving from or influenced by the Spanish-speaking areas of the Caribbean. It includes the islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, The Dominican Repub ...
format, branded as "La Neta".
On October 1, 2015, WLKX-FM changed to oldies, branded as "The Big Q", simulcasting
WQPM 1300 AM Princeton, Minnesota.
The station was also heard on the HD-3 of
KLCI 106.1 in
Albertville
Albertville (; Arpitan: ''Arbèrtvile'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France.
It is best known for hosting t ...
, and
KDDG 105.5 in
Albany.
On September 13, 2018, WLKX-FM switched from oldies to
classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 198 ...
, branded as "Killer Bee Radio".
On December 21, 2019, the station began
stunting with
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or, in the case of carols or songs, may employ lyrics whose subject m ...
by
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...
musicians, and promoted that "big changes" would occur on January 1, 2020.
On January 1, 2020, the station returned to its oldies format, known once again as "The Big Q".
[
In July 2021, the station completed an upgrade from 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts. This improved coverage in the north metro. Short-spaced KQCL, also on 95.9 in Faribault completed an upgrade to 6,000 watts at the same time. In certain locations of the Twin Cities, the two stations interfere with each other.
On February 13, 2022, WLKX changed their format from oldies to a simulcast of classic country-formatted KLCI 106.1 FM Elk River, branded as "TOTAL Country BOB-FM".Bob Expands To Five Minnesota Stations]
Radioinsight - February 14, 2022
Previous logos
References and notes
External links
*
{{coord, 45.294, N, 93.073, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title
Radio stations in Minnesota
Classic country radio stations in the United States