KOEZ (FM)

KOEZ (104.1 MHz, ”104.1 EZ FM") is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary music format.[1] Licensed to Ames, Iowa, United States, the station serves the Des Moines metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications.[2] The station's studios are located on Locust Street in Des Moines, while its transmitter is located near Woodward.

KOEZ
CityAmes, Iowa
Broadcast areaDes Moines metropolitan area
Branding104.1 EZ FM
SloganSoft & Refreshing
Frequency104.1 MHz (HD Radio)
First air date1967 (as KLFM)
FormatSoft adult contemporary
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT308 meters (1,010 ft)
ClassC0
Facility ID7823
Transmitter coordinates41°54′9″N 93°54′15″W
Former call signsKLFM (1967-1981)
KEZT (1981-1997)
KLTI-FM (1997-2014)
KMYR (2014-2019)
OwnerSaga Communications of Iowa
(Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC)
Sister stationsKAZR, KPSZ, KIOA, KRNT, KSTZ
WebcastListen Live
Website1041ezfm.com

History

The station originally signed on the air on June 2, 1967 as KLFM.[3] It was owned by Paul D. Lunde and was branded as "KLFM Stereo - Ames; Central Iowa's first 24-hour FM station." It aired a beautiful music format with ABC FM Radio Network news at 15 minutes after the hour.

In 1981, it became KEZT with a soft adult contemporary format. With the switch to KEZT, there were no more beautiful music/easy listening stations in central Iowa.

In 1997, the station was purchased by Saga Communications, was rebranded as "Lite 104.1 KLTI," and the studios were moved to their current location at 1416 Locust Street in Des Moines.

On March 3, 2014, the station rebranded as "More 104", and moved away from Soft AC to a more upbeat adult contemporary format. The call sign was changed to KMYR.[4] After the Christmas season in 2017, KMYR adjusted back to soft AC and rebranded slightly to "More 104.1."

On September 30, 2019, KMYR changed call letters to KOEZ.[5] On October 18, after stunting through the 17th with all-Elton John music (as an eventually-postponed June 2020 concert during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour, to be held at Wells Fargo Arena, had been announced that day), the station rebranded as “104.1 EZ FM”.[6]

Current on-air staff

As of November 2019, Kate Garner hosts the midday shift on KOEZ. The station has no other on-air personalities and is entirely automated outside of Garner. Station promos and liners are voiced by either Garner or Mariah Lewis of sister station KIOA.

Christmas music

Each holiday season since 1998, KOEZ drops its regular music format and plays continuous Christmas music through Christmas Day. The station traditionally flips to Christmas music prior to Thanksgiving. Currently, KOEZ is the only commercial-licensed non-religious station in the Des Moines market to devote its entire playlist to the holiday format.

Other stations in the Des Moines market attempted to compete with KOEZ in playing the Christmas format. KPTL (now KXNO-FM) in 2013 and KMXD (now KDRB) in 2004, both owned by Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) flipped to all-Christmas music for a single year but did not continue in subsequent years.

Logos
  • Former logo of KLTI "Lite 104.1"
  • Former logo of KMYR "More 104.1"

References
  1. "Station Information Profile". Arbitron. Winter 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  2. "KOEZ Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
  3. Broadcasting Yearbook 1969 page B-62
  4. "Lite 104.1 Des Moines Shows Off More" from Radio Insight (March 3, 2014)
  5. "Call Sign History". licensing.fcc.gov. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
  6. More Is EZ In Des Moines
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