KBEA-FM
Encyclopedia
KBEA-FM is a radio station licensed to Muscatine, Iowa
, whose format is Top 40. The station broadcasts at a power of 100 kW.
KBEA is owned by Cumulus Media
, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa
(along with the co-located KQCS
, WXLP
, KBOB-FM
and KJOC
).
(860 AM). The studios for both stations were located on the outskirts of Muscatine.
Early in its history, KWPC-FM—like most FM stations of the 1950s and 1960s—played beautiful, easy listening
music. In the late 1960s, the station's call letters changed to KFMH, but easy listening music continued on the frequency for several more years.
in Davenport) came in as program director (he later became a part-owner); the station began playing alternative rock, which had gained widespread popularity on the west coast. KFMH ("99 Plus" and "The Real FM" was how it was commonly known) soon gained a devoted, fiercely loyal audience, as the station played lesser-known and local artists in a variety of genres—rock, jazz, blues, etc. Plus, KFMH's disc jockeys Andy Hammer, Kerry Peace, Lisa Catalona, Beth McBride, Chris Carson, Borderline Bob, and later Sean Tracy, Phil and Tom Maicke, Dirty Judy, John Obvious, and Captain Steve played album cuts from popular artists. The station was known for pushing the envelope at times, but it also would change programming at a moment's notice (such as when word spread about the shooting death of John Lennon
in 1980).
In 1981 John Flambo became the new owner and immediately removed the one and a half hour farm report morning show and replaced it with Andy Hammer and a format matching the rest of the day. The Plus then made greater efforts to separate themselves from the rest of the radio dial with Kerry Peace hosting “Off the Beat n’ Track” presenting alternative and Punk rock not heard anywhere else.
The 80’s ended with many changes to the station, Kerry Peace left to become a record rep for blues label Alligator. On March, 1990 KFMH began transmitting from a 1,000 foot tower in Wilton, Iowa with 100,000 watts.
In 1993, KFMH moved to Davenport, where continued its alternative format for a year. It signed off at 3 p.m. March 1, 1994 with the song "Your Move...I've Seen All Good People" by Yes
, the song it signed on with on June 4, 1973. The night it signed off about 500 showed up outside the station to protest, but the station was locked up.
Mercury Broadcasting's WKBF inquired about moving the format to its frequency at 1270 AM, but the staff had scattered and the proposal never materialized.
-market's WLLR-FM
). These changes outraged many loyal KFMH listeners, who feared there would no longer be a radio outlet for "alternative" music (in lieu of stations programmed by consultants); speculation that the format would move to an AM frequency in the Quad Cities never materialized. More than a decade after KFMH's demise, some fans still sorely miss the station's eclectic blend of music and programming. Steve Bridges eventually moved to Iowa City
where he purchased KCJJ
, a 10,000 watt station with a talk-music hybrid that reaches much of eastern Iowa; like KFMH, "The Mighty 1630" does at times push the envelope.
KBOB, meanwhile, debuted to promising ratings. Part of what set the new station apart was inclusion of songs WLLR had since removed from its playlist (radio spots pointed this out). However, KBOB—which later was sold to Cumulus Media
-- soon languished behind the powerhouse stations in the Quad Cities market, especially WLLR, despite having the advantage of broadcasting at 100 kW; until March 1998, WLLR broadcast on a frequency whose power was 50 kW.
"), Steve Fuller in the afternoon drive-time, Brandon Marshall in the evening and Rachel overnights.
The station quickly gained a following, cutting into the ratings of the Quad-Cities market's dominant Top 40 station, "All-Hit 98.9" (WHTS-FM
). In early 2006, WHTS was sold to the Educational Media Foundation, and along with new call letters, that station's format was changed to contemporary Christian, leaving "B100" as the lone Top 40 station in the Quad-Cities market. In early 2007, KBEA began using the slogan "All The Hits!"
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
, whose format is Top 40. The station broadcasts at a power of 100 kW.
KBEA is owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
(along with the co-located KQCS
KQCS
KQCS is a radio station licensed to Bettendorf, Iowa, whose format is adult contemporary. The station's frequency is 93.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 6 kW...
, WXLP
WXLP
WXLP is a Quad Cities area commercial Classic Hits radio station, licensed to Moline, Illinois. The station is owned by Cumulus Media, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa ....
, KBOB-FM
KBOB-FM
KBOB-FM is a commercial radio station located in DeWitt, Iowa, broadcasting to the Quad Cities, Iowa area on 104.9 FM. KBOB-FM airs an active rock music format branded as "Rock 104.9".-WGEN-FM:...
and KJOC
KJOC
KJOC is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, and has an oldies format. The station's frequency is 1170 kHz, and broadcasts at a power of 1 kW...
).
KWPC-FM (1949-late 1960s) and KFMH-FM (late 1960s-1973)
The Muscatine allocation for 99.7 MHz dates to February 1949, when the station signed on as KWPC-FM, a sister station to KWPCKWPC
KWPC is a commercial radio station serving the Muscatine, Iowa area. The station broadcasts an Oldies format and also provides regular news, weather and sports coverage...
(860 AM). The studios for both stations were located on the outskirts of Muscatine.
Early in its history, KWPC-FM—like most FM stations of the 1950s and 1960s—played beautiful, easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music. In the late 1960s, the station's call letters changed to KFMH, but easy listening music continued on the frequency for several more years.
KFMH-FM (1973-1994)
In June 1973, KFMH underwent a major format change, Captain Steve Bridges (who had worked at KSTTKJOC
KJOC is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, and has an oldies format. The station's frequency is 1170 kHz, and broadcasts at a power of 1 kW...
in Davenport) came in as program director (he later became a part-owner); the station began playing alternative rock, which had gained widespread popularity on the west coast. KFMH ("99 Plus" and "The Real FM" was how it was commonly known) soon gained a devoted, fiercely loyal audience, as the station played lesser-known and local artists in a variety of genres—rock, jazz, blues, etc. Plus, KFMH's disc jockeys Andy Hammer, Kerry Peace, Lisa Catalona, Beth McBride, Chris Carson, Borderline Bob, and later Sean Tracy, Phil and Tom Maicke, Dirty Judy, John Obvious, and Captain Steve played album cuts from popular artists. The station was known for pushing the envelope at times, but it also would change programming at a moment's notice (such as when word spread about the shooting death of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
in 1980).
In 1981 John Flambo became the new owner and immediately removed the one and a half hour farm report morning show and replaced it with Andy Hammer and a format matching the rest of the day. The Plus then made greater efforts to separate themselves from the rest of the radio dial with Kerry Peace hosting “Off the Beat n’ Track” presenting alternative and Punk rock not heard anywhere else.
The 80’s ended with many changes to the station, Kerry Peace left to become a record rep for blues label Alligator. On March, 1990 KFMH began transmitting from a 1,000 foot tower in Wilton, Iowa with 100,000 watts.
In 1993, KFMH moved to Davenport, where continued its alternative format for a year. It signed off at 3 p.m. March 1, 1994 with the song "Your Move...I've Seen All Good People" by Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, the song it signed on with on June 4, 1973. The night it signed off about 500 showed up outside the station to protest, but the station was locked up.
Mercury Broadcasting's WKBF inquired about moving the format to its frequency at 1270 AM, but the staff had scattered and the proposal never materialized.
KBOB-FM (1994-2000)
In March 1994, the 99.7 MHz frequency was sold to New York-based Connoisseur Communications, which changed the call letters to KBOB and its format to country (as a competitor to the Quad CitiesQuad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
-market's WLLR-FM
WLLR-FM
WLLR-FM is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, whose format is modern country music. The station's frequency is 103.7 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 100 kW....
). These changes outraged many loyal KFMH listeners, who feared there would no longer be a radio outlet for "alternative" music (in lieu of stations programmed by consultants); speculation that the format would move to an AM frequency in the Quad Cities never materialized. More than a decade after KFMH's demise, some fans still sorely miss the station's eclectic blend of music and programming. Steve Bridges eventually moved to Iowa City
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
where he purchased KCJJ
KCJJ
KCJJ is a radio station licensed to serve Iowa City, Iowa, USA. The station is owned by Steve Bridges' River City Radio. The station was assigned the KCJJ call sign by the Federal Communications Commission in 1982.-Programming:...
, a 10,000 watt station with a talk-music hybrid that reaches much of eastern Iowa; like KFMH, "The Mighty 1630" does at times push the envelope.
KBOB, meanwhile, debuted to promising ratings. Part of what set the new station apart was inclusion of songs WLLR had since removed from its playlist (radio spots pointed this out). However, KBOB—which later was sold to Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
-- soon languished behind the powerhouse stations in the Quad Cities market, especially WLLR, despite having the advantage of broadcasting at 100 kW; until March 1998, WLLR broadcast on a frequency whose power was 50 kW.
KBEA-FM "B100" (2000-current)
In March 2000, KBOB switched to 104.9 MHz, usurping that frequency's light rock format. 99.7 MHz then adopted its current Top 40 format and "B100" slogan; Robb Rose was the first program director. The station's first line-up included Rose and Julia Bradley in the morning, Jeff James (currently of B100's sister station, "Star 93.5KQCS
KQCS is a radio station licensed to Bettendorf, Iowa, whose format is adult contemporary. The station's frequency is 93.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 6 kW...
"), Steve Fuller in the afternoon drive-time, Brandon Marshall in the evening and Rachel overnights.
The station quickly gained a following, cutting into the ratings of the Quad-Cities market's dominant Top 40 station, "All-Hit 98.9" (WHTS-FM
WLKU
WLKU is a radio station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, with a Christian contemporary format. The station's frequency is 98.9 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 39 kW.WLKU is owned by the Educational Media Foundation.-Early history:...
). In early 2006, WHTS was sold to the Educational Media Foundation, and along with new call letters, that station's format was changed to contemporary Christian, leaving "B100" as the lone Top 40 station in the Quad-Cities market. In early 2007, KBEA began using the slogan "All The Hits!"