KDIZ
Encyclopedia
KDIZ is a radio station
serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by The Walt Disney Company
, and airs the Radio Disney
radio network
.
for many years. The station was launched in May 1948 by former management and advertisers of WDGY
, who had become disenchanted with the owners of that station over the discontinuance of religious programming. Family Broadcasting basically started the station as a new home for the spurned WDGY programming. KEYD got a sister TV station in 1955, KEYD-TV 9 (now KMSP-TV
), and the two stations were co-owned by Family Broadcasting until mid-1956
. The original KEYD radio studios were located in downtown Minneapolis on 9th Street off of Hennepin Avenue practically next to the Orpheum Theater (see photo link below). According to the 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook, both the AM and TV stations were co-located in the Foshay Tower by the end of 1955.
The call sign
was changed to KEVE in June 1956 and the studios moved to the station's transmitter and antenna site at 917 Lilac Drive in Golden Valley. During that time, the station played country music
. KEVE-FM (92.5 FM) signed on September 1, 1962 and by October 1963 it was given the call letters KADM to match its AM sister as the pair became known as "Adam and Eve in the Valley"; the city of license for the two stations is the suburb of Golden Valley. A gradual shift from country music to a mix of classical music
, show tunes and adult standards
began in 1960 and was completed on both stations by March 1963. On December 1, 1964, the call letters for both stations became KQRS for "Quality Radio Stations".
In 1967, the stations began experimenting with freeform rock
music from midnight to 5 AM every night via the "Night Watch" program, playing R&B
, jazz
and psychedelic rock
. The foray proved successful and by the end of 1968 it became the full-time format.
The two KQs were a simulcast until 1982, when the AM briefly switched to an oldies
format as KGLD before returning to the simulcast. FCC files show that the KGLD calls became effective November 22, 1982 with the KQRS calls returning on March 28, 1984.
The station again broke away from the simulcast in late 1996, this time permanently, when it became one of the four initial affiliates of the new Radio Disney with a children's format that competed with WWTC
, then the flagship station of "Radio Aahs
," which had its own children's format. FCC files show a call letter change to KDIZ effective November 15, 1996.
Disney had previously been collaborating with Radio Aahs, which was based in Minneapolis and had launched its children's format in 1990. Radio Aahs had grown to approximately 30 affiliate stations around the country. Disney withdrew from the Aahs contract and began competing against Aahs with Radio Disney. Children's Broadcasting Corp. sued Disney and was awarded $9.5 million in 2002. Disney appealed and after the court upheld the judgement, it was paid in 2005; with accumulated interest, the total was $12.4 million
On November 12, 2005 the station made world news when a riot erupted at its "Jingle Jam Concert" featuring B5, forcing the venue, Brookdale Mall, to be closed. Members of the group were stripped of shirts, shoes and earrings.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, and airs the Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
radio network
Radio network
There are two types of radio networks currently in use around the world: the one-to-many broadcast type commonly used for public information and mass media entertainment; and the two-way type used more commonly for public safety and public services such as police, fire, taxicabs, and delivery...
.
History
The original call letters were KEYD and the station played country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
for many years. The station was launched in May 1948 by former management and advertisers of WDGY
KFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
, who had become disenchanted with the owners of that station over the discontinuance of religious programming. Family Broadcasting basically started the station as a new home for the spurned WDGY programming. KEYD got a sister TV station in 1955, KEYD-TV 9 (now KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV
KMSP-TV, channel 9, is the Fox-owned-and-operated television station serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota designated market area, owned in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate WFTC...
), and the two stations were co-owned by Family Broadcasting until mid-1956
1956 in radio
The year 1956 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*February 13 - NBC and Westinghouse Broadcasting consummate a station ownership trade which saw NBC attaining owned-and-operated AM and TV stations in Philadelphia , and Westinghouse receiving NBC's AM, FM...
. The original KEYD radio studios were located in downtown Minneapolis on 9th Street off of Hennepin Avenue practically next to the Orpheum Theater (see photo link below). According to the 1955 Broadcasting Yearbook, both the AM and TV stations were co-located in the Foshay Tower by the end of 1955.
The call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
was changed to KEVE in June 1956 and the studios moved to the station's transmitter and antenna site at 917 Lilac Drive in Golden Valley. During that time, the station played country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. KEVE-FM (92.5 FM) signed on September 1, 1962 and by October 1963 it was given the call letters KADM to match its AM sister as the pair became known as "Adam and Eve in the Valley"; the city of license for the two stations is the suburb of Golden Valley. A gradual shift from country music to a mix of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, show tunes and adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
began in 1960 and was completed on both stations by March 1963. On December 1, 1964, the call letters for both stations became KQRS for "Quality Radio Stations".
In 1967, the stations began experimenting with freeform rock
Freeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
music from midnight to 5 AM every night via the "Night Watch" program, playing R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
. The foray proved successful and by the end of 1968 it became the full-time format.
The two KQs were a simulcast until 1982, when the AM briefly switched to an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format as KGLD before returning to the simulcast. FCC files show that the KGLD calls became effective November 22, 1982 with the KQRS calls returning on March 28, 1984.
The station again broke away from the simulcast in late 1996, this time permanently, when it became one of the four initial affiliates of the new Radio Disney with a children's format that competed with WWTC
WWTC
WWTC is a long-standing radio station serving the Twin Cities region. Despite its up-and-down history, the station spawned two of the area's major television stations and had some very innovative and unusual periods in its history...
, then the flagship station of "Radio Aahs
Radio AAHS
Radio AAHS was a radio network managed by the Children's Broadcasting Corporation. Its flagship station was WWTC-AM 1280 in Minneapolis, which broadcast from the former First Federal Bank building at Highway 100 and Excelsior Boulevard in St. Louis Park. At its height in 1996, Radio AAHS had 29...
," which had its own children's format. FCC files show a call letter change to KDIZ effective November 15, 1996.
Disney had previously been collaborating with Radio Aahs, which was based in Minneapolis and had launched its children's format in 1990. Radio Aahs had grown to approximately 30 affiliate stations around the country. Disney withdrew from the Aahs contract and began competing against Aahs with Radio Disney. Children's Broadcasting Corp. sued Disney and was awarded $9.5 million in 2002. Disney appealed and after the court upheld the judgement, it was paid in 2005; with accumulated interest, the total was $12.4 million
On November 12, 2005 the station made world news when a riot erupted at its "Jingle Jam Concert" featuring B5, forcing the venue, Brookdale Mall, to be closed. Members of the group were stripped of shirts, shoes and earrings.
External links
- Radio Disney AM 1440 section of RadioDisney.com
- Radio DisneyRadio DisneyRadio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
- KEYD-AM exterior photo, 1953, from The Minnesota Historical Society
- TwinCitiesRadioAirchecks.com Recordings of KDIZ predecessor, KQRS, and other Twin Cities radio stations
- KEYD 1949 promotional station profile