KCTR-FM

KCTR-FM (102.9 FM, "Cat Country 103") is a commercial radio station in Billings, Montana. KCTR airs a country music format.[2] Licensed to Billings, Montana, United States, the station serves the Billings area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media Billings License, LLC.[3]

KCTR-FM
CityBillings, Montana
Broadcast areaBillings Metropolitan Area
BrandingCat Country
Slogan#1 for Today's Country
Frequency102.9 MHz
First air dateAugust 1979 (as KOOK-FM)[1]
FormatCountry
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT152 meters (499 ft)
ClassC1
Facility ID16773
Transmitter coordinates45°45′59″N 108°27′19″W
Former call signsKOOK-FM (1979–1984)
KBIT (1984–1985)
KOOK-FM (1985–1988)
OwnerTownsquare Media
(Townsquare Media Billings License, LLC)
WebsiteWebsite

History

102.9 FM began broadcasting in August 1979 as KOOK-FM, sister station to KOOK (970 AM). The new outlet used Schulke Radio Productions's automated beautiful music format with just eight commercial units an hour.[1]

KOOK-AM-FM was acquired by "Major" Dan Miller, a 25-year employee of the stations, and the Mesa Broadcasting Company of Chicago in 1983.[4] Citing low support, KOOK-FM flipped to country as KBIT on January 16, 1984.[5] The station returned to KOOK-FM on November 4, 1985, as part of a format and call sign trade between the AM and FM stations that moved country to AM and the former contemporary hit radio format on KOOK to FM.[6] The move failed to generate increased interest in the stations, and Miller left the management group and KOOK.[7]

After the FM station improved in listenership over the course of 1987, KOOK-KBIT was sold again in 1988, to Citadel Associates of Phoenix.[8] Citadel wasted little time changing the format on KOOK-FM back to country; KOOK and KBIT began simulcasting as KCTR-AM-FM, retiring the KOOK call letters from Billings radio after having been used since 1951.[9]

In October 2007, a deal was reached for KCTR-FM to be acquired by GAP Broadcasting II LLC (Samuel Weller, president) from Clear Channel Communications as part of a 57 station deal with a total reported sale price of $74.78 million.[10] What eventually became GapWest Broadcasting was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010.[11]

References
  1. "Business openings". Billings Gazette. August 26, 1979. p. 3-H. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  2. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Spring 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
  3. "KCTR-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
  4. "Miller, Chicago group buy KOOK". Billings Gazette. July 9, 1983. p. 14-A. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  5. "Too much western music". Billings Gazette. February 5, 1984. p. 9-D. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  6. Holley, Paul J. (November 1, 1985). "Radio stations trade places". Billings Gazette. p. 1C. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. Holley, Paul J. (August 7, 1986). "KGHL gains listeners, keeps top Billings rating". Billings Gazette. p. 9-A. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  8. Holley, Paul J. (January 13, 1988). "KOOK, KBIT under new ownership". Billings Gazette. p. 2-D. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  9. Holley, Paul J. (March 1, 1988). "KOOK, KBIT change call letters, format". Billings Gazette. p. 9-A. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  10. "Deals". Broadcasting & Cable. 2006-06-19.
  11. "Townsquare Media completes roll-up of GAP". Radio Business Report. August 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 21, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2010.


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