KQCH

KQCH (94.1 FM; "Channel 94.1") is the Top 40 (CHR) radio station serving the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area. It is owned by SummitMedia. KQCH's studios are located on Mockingbird Drive in South Omaha, while its transmitter is located off North 72nd Avenue and Crown Point at the Omaha master antenna farm.

KQCH
CityOmaha, Nebraska
Broadcast areaOmaha-Council Bluffs
BrandingChannel 94-1
SloganOmaha's #1 Hit Music Station
Frequency94.1 MHz(HD Radio)
First air date1968
FormatTop 40 (CHR)
ERP100,000 watts
HAAT361 meters
ClassC
Facility ID50314
Transmitter coordinates41.304°N 96.028°W / 41.304; -96.028
Call sign meaningOmaha's #1 Hit Music Station
OwnerSummitMedia
(SM-KQCH, LLC)
Sister stationsKEZO-FM, KKCD, KSRZ, KXSP
Websitechannel941.com

History

KQCH's origins began on May 21, 1999, when it flipped from Adult Contemporary to Rhythmic Contemporary as "Channel 97.7". The station became a serious challenger to Top 40 Mainstream KQKQ-FM during its three years on the 97.7 frequency.

The 94.1 frequency was originally KOAD, owned by the Omaha World-Herald, and launched on 94.3 FM in 1941. This lasted until 1949, when it moved to 94.1 and went silent. In 1959, it returned to the air as KMEO, where it had a MOR format until 1968, when it became AOR KOWH-FM. By 1979, KOWH-FM switched formats to R&B as KYNN-FM under then-new owner Great Empire Broadcasting, lasting until 1982, when it flipped to country. In September 1983, it became WOW-FM and retained the country format, where it enjoyed a successful 17-year run. Journal Broadcasting would buy out Great Empire in 1999. On October 10, 2000, WOW-FM changed its call letters and re-branded to KSSO, "Kiss Country", which prompted a cease and desist letter from Clear Channel Communications – who had previously trademarked and service-marked the "Kiss" name and had recently launched a "Kiss" station in nearby Lincoln, Nebraska.[1] A couple of months later, they modified the call letters and became KMXM "Max Country" on January 2, 2001.[2]

On May 3, 2002, at Noon, Journal Broadcasting moved KQCH and its rhythmic-leaning Top 40 format from 97.7 to 94.1 and was relaunched as "Channel 94.1".[3][4] The station continued in a Rhythmic direction until 2004, when it shifted to a more mainstream (and slightly adult-leaning) direction after KQKQ flipped to Adult Top 40. KQCH currently has competition with KOPW, who ironically happens to be a Rhythmic and KQKQ's sister station. In early September 2012, KQCH received direct competition when iHeartMedia (then Clear Channel)'s KQBW flipped to Top 40.

Journal Communications and the E. W. Scripps Company announced on July 30, 2014 that the two companies would merge to create a new broadcast company under the E. W. Scripps Company name that owned the two companies' broadcast properties, including KQCH. The transaction was completed in 2015.[5] Scripps exited radio in 2018; the Omaha stations went to SummitMedia in a four-market, $47 million deal completed on November 1, 2018.[6]

References
  1. Kristi Wright, "WOW Reformats, Changes FM Name," The Omaha World-Herald, November 1, 2000.
  2. Christine Laue, "Radio station changing name in response to legal challenge," The Omaha World-Herald, December 29, 2000.
  3. Kristi Wright, "Spanish station increases reach by going to FM," The Omaha World-Herald, May 4, 2002.
  4. KQCH Moves From 97.7 to 94.1
  5. "E.W. Scripps, Journal Merging Broadcast Ops". TVNewsCheck. July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  6. "Scripps Completes Two More Pieces Of Radio Division Sale". Inside Radio. November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
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