KWQW

KWQW (98.3 FM, "The Vibe") is a classic hip hop radio station licensed to Boone, Iowa and serving the Des Moines area. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. KWQW's studios are in Urbandale, along with Cumulus' other stations: KGGO, KJJY, KHKI, and KBGG. Its transmitter is located near Big Creek Lake southwest of Sheldahl.

KWQW
CityBoone, Iowa
Broadcast areaDes Moines, Iowa
Branding98.3 The Vibe
SloganClassic Hip-Hop
Frequency98.3 MHz
First air date1975 (as KWBG-FM)
FormatClassic Hip Hop
ERP41,000 watts
HAAT165 meters (541 ft)
ClassC2
Facility ID30116
Transmitter coordinates41°49′51.0″N 93°43′54.0″W
Call sign meaningWoW (previous branding)
Former call signsKWBG-FM (1975–1991)
KIAB (1991–1993)
KRUU (1993–1996)
KRKQ (1996–2003)
KBGG-FM (2003–2004)
AffiliationsCumulus Media Networks
OwnerCumulus Media
(Radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
Sister stationsKBGG, KGGO, KHKI, KJJY
WebcastOn website, click play button
Website983vibe.com

History

The station began as KWBG-FM in 1975, a local Boone, Iowa radio station.[1] In 1991, the station started to target the Des Moines, Iowa area with a country music format with call letters KIAB "K98" from 1991 to 1993. The station then became KRUU known as "The Rooster" from 1993–1996, also with a country music format before becoming KRKQ in 1996.

As KRKQ the station took on the nickname of "98 Rock," featuring a classic rock format that competed with longtime ratings leader KGGO as well as the Bob & Tom Show. In 2000 the station's format was tweaked to classic hits as "Magic 98.3" after owner Barnstable Communications acquired KGGO. A short time later, the format was changed to adult contemporary as "98.3 the River."

Barnstable sold all of its Des Moines stations to Wilks Broadcasting in 2001; the stations were sold to Citadel Broadcasting in 2003. On November 11 of that year, Citadel changed KRKQ's format to talk radio as "WOW-FM, the Capital's Big Talker." The Bob & Tom Show was the only program that carried over to the new format. The station's call letters were changed to KBGG-FM shortly afterwards. On December 28, 2004, the call letters became KWQW.

Citadel merged with Cumulus Media in September 2011.[2]

In April 2014, KWQW rebranded as "98.3 The Torch"[3] but continued with a Conservative Talk format. Most of KWQW's programming was syndicated. The Bob & Tom Show aired on the station from October 31, 1996 to December 30, 2011, when it was moved to 95 KGGO. In 2005, Paul Harvey became part of the station's lineup after WHO dropped the show.

The Torch primarily carried Cumulus Media Networks' in-house offerings, including Dennis Miller, The Savage Nation, The Mark Levin Show, John Batchelor, and Red Eye Radio, all in their live time slots. (The station did not carry Imus in the Morning or Herman Cain.) A local morning show, The Morning Drive, aired (as its name indicated) in morning drive time, and the station also carried the last two hours of the Glenn Beck Program live (WHO, whose sister company Premiere Networks owns Beck's rights, does not carry Beck). The station served as an affiliate for the Kansas City Chiefs.

On October 5, 2015 at Noon, KWQW flipped to classic hip hop as "98.3 The Vibe". The first song on The Vibe was "2 Legit 2 Quit" by MC Hammer. [4][5]

References
  1. "Des Moines Station Timeline". DesMoinesBroadcasting.com.
  2. "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  3. Cumulus to Torch Des Moines
  4. 98.3 The Vibe Debuts in Des Moines
  5. KWQW Becomes 98.3 The Vibe
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