KBYZ
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| City | Bismarck, North Dakota |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Bismarck-Mandan |
| Branding | 96.5 The Fox |
| Slogan | Bismarck-Mandan's Classic Rock Station |
| Frequency | 96.5 MHz |
| First air date | 1984 |
| Format | Commercial; Classic rock |
| ERP | 100,000 watts |
| HAAT | 293.6 meters |
| Class | C1 |
| Facility ID | 43221 |
| Callsign meaning | B YZ (substitute for "is") marck |
| Former callsigns | KYSX (1983-1984) |
| Owner |
Townsquare Media (Townsquare Media Bismarck License, LLC) |
| Sister stations | KACL, KKCT, KLXX, KUSB |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website |
www |
KBYZ (96.5 FM), known as "96.5 The Fox", is a radio station located in Bismarck, North Dakota, owned by Townsquare Media. The station airs a classic rock format.
Townsquare Media also owns KLXX 1270 (Talk), KKCT 97.5 (CHR), KACL 98.7 (Classic Hits), and KUSB 103.3 (Country) in the Bismarck-Mandan area. All the studios are at 4303 Memorial Highway in Mandan, along with the AM transmitter and tower. All the FM transmitters are at a site in Saint Anthony, North Dakota, on 57th Road.
The station originally debuted in 1984 as "Z-96" with a format of adult contemporary music. The station changed formats in the early 90s to the classic rock format where they adopted their current moniker of "The Fox", and began evolving into the fringe alongside the mainstream rock format with the addition of newer rock in 2006. When Townsquare Media purchased the station from Cumulus Media in 2012, the station evolved into a full-fledged mainstream rock format (while continuing to be billed as a classic rock station) to compete with active rock formatted KSSS, which also began as a classic rock station.
In 2013, the station rebranded itself as "The New Evolution of Classic rock" and began playing more 80's and 90's-based rock. The station also got rid of The Bob and Tom Show, opting for Grand Rapids-based Free Beer and Hot Wings, to anchor the station's morning show.