KXXR

Infobox Radio station
name = KXXR


city = Minneapolis, Minnesota
area = Minneapolis-St. Paul
branding = 93X
slogan = "93X Rocks"
airdate = 1960s
frequency = 93.7 MHz HD Radio
93.7-2 FM KXXR-HD2 Comedy (HD Radio)
format = Commercial; Active rock
power =
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 315 meters
class = C
facility_id = 35506
callsign_meaning = 93X Rocks
former_callsigns = WAYL (1960s-1980s), KLXK (1980s-1990), KRXX (1990-1994), KEGE (1994-1997)
owner = Citadel Broadcasting
licensee = Radio License Holding III, LLC
webcast = [http://www.93x.com/Article.asp?id=160974 Listen Live!]
website = [http://www.93x.com/ www.93x.com]
affiliations =
sister_stations = KQRS-FM, WGVX/WGVY/WGVZ

KXXR (93X, 93.7 FM) is an active rock radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by Citadel Broadcasting, which also owns KQRS-FM and the three station trimulcast known as "Love 105". Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota.

History

Through much of its early history, the station was known as WAYL, airing a beautiful music format. When the format fell out of favor nationwide during the 1980s, the frequency enjoyed success with several rock music formats.

WAYL

WAYL signed on the air during the 1960s and originally broadcast on 96.1 FM. Later in the decade, WAYL was operating with a beautiful music format at 93.7, later adding an AM sister station when the owners purchased WYOO (980 AM) in 1976.

WAYL-FM becomes KLXK, then 93X

In 1987, WAYL became classic hits KLXK, with the beautiful music format moving to 980 AM. KLXK was clearly influenced by another young station, WKLH in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which had recently adopted a similar format. KLXK enjoyed modest success, but rival KQRS-FM had retooled their format to include a large amount of classic rock product, and also had the top-rated morning show in the market.

KLXK eventually decided to attack KQRS from another front. In 1991, 93.7 flipped to hard rock with the call sign KRXX ("93X"). Their co-owned AM station had earlier flipped to a similar hard rock format as KMZZ, initially airing the syndicated Z-Rock network for a time before briefly switching to a locally-based automated heavy metal format ("Mega Rock 980") and finally simulcasting 93X by 1993. 1993 saw such talent as "The O-brothers" the first of the edgy morning shows that 93X is known for today, featuring Gary and Mike. They would often play their own recordings such as "The Vibrator Polka," "The Ballad of the Father of a Boy Named Sue," and "Bad With My Bone," and was routinely endorsed by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

KQRS buys KRXX, flips it to "The Edge"

Cap Cities/ABC, the owner of rival KQRS-FM, took control of 93X pending purchase (but not KMZZ, which was sold separately later) from Entercom on February 4, 1994. The selling price was $20 million, then a record for highest amount ever paid for a radio station in the market. Two days later, 93X began playing "It's The End of The World" by R.E.M. and repeated it over and over throughout the weekend. Confused listeners flocked in droves to the KRXX studios in Eagan, Minnesota that Saturday to see what was going on. Some listeners thought the DJ's were being held hostage and reportedly, more than 50 calls regarding KRXX were logged to 911. Finally, on Sunday at 8pm, 93.7 began simulcasting KQRS' weekly alternative rock show, "Over the Edge", leading the way for "93.7, The Edge", which billed itself as "Minnesota's New Music Alternative" The new KEGE-FM call letters were soon registered for the new station. The move to create The Edge was due to the growing popularity of modern rock format nationwide, and to thwart Cargill Communications' pending plans to roll out the format on the new Rev 105. The Edge came on the air almost two years after KJJO switched to country music, and it did what KJ104 couldn't - it became a massive ratings success. At one point, KEGE had the highest overall Arbitron market ratings of any modern rock station in the country.

A station-sponsored annual concert known as the EdgeFest (later 93XFest) debuted soon after, and took place annually in Somerset, Wisconsin. It was so popular that even rival Rev 105 gave away tickets for it (though not mentioning the "Edgefest" name). When KEGE went back to being 93X and the "Edge" name was retired in the Twin Cities, the festival briefly continued as "Edgefest" and was later renamed 93XFest. The annual festival in Somerset continued until 2004, when "93X Riverfest" replaced it.

The return of 93X

Following the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that relaxed ownership restrictions, ABC purchased KEGE's rival, "Rev 105" in March 1997 and immediately began broadcasting hard rock on that station as "X105". Later that year, the two stations did a format swap of sorts, and 93.7 returned to being known as 93X, with new call letters KXXR, with The Edge's format moving over to the 105 frequencies and renamed as "Zone 105".

93X continues to this day, and has enjoyed great ratings success as it helps protect sister station KQRS against budding rivals. This arrangement is often referred to in Twin Cities radio circles as the "Wall of Rock."

External links

* [http://www.93x.com/ 93X]
* [http://www.radiotapes.com radiotapes.com] Featuring Minneapolis/St. Paul radio airchecks dating back to 1941 including beautiful music WAYL-FM and an aircheck of the late Tawn Mastrey, an announcer formerly on 93X.
* [http://www.TwinCitiesRadioAirchecks.com TwinCitiesRadioAirchecks.com] A site for airchecks of WAYL, KXXR's predecessor , and many Twin Cities stations from the 60'sand 70's.

*FMQ|KXXR
*FML|KXXR
*FMARB|KXXR