KEGK
Encyclopedia
KEGK is an oldies
/classic hits
radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead
area, licensed
to Wahpeton, North Dakota
, and primarily plays rock
and pop music
from the 1970s and 1980s. The station is owned by Scott Hennen's SMAHH Communications.
with a CHR
/AC hybrid format. It continued in this format until the late 1990s, when the format was changed to oldies. In 2003, Triad Broadcasting
signed a local marketing agreement
with Guderian Broadcasting to operate KGWB. The station moved to studios in Fargo, and its frequency was moved to 106.9. The power was upgraded to 41,000 watts to bring a signal to Fargo-Moorhead
, and the call sign was changed to KEGK with the "Eagle 106.9" moniker. KEGK continues to maintain a control room
and sales office in Wahpeton (located at the KBMW
studios) to meet FCC
requirements. In 2007, KEGK began to include music from the 1980s along with the 1960s and 1970s. The station began airing Christmas music
on November 9, 2007 along with KMXW, Who has soon after, stopped playing Christmas music and switched to a format that directly competes with "The Eagle". In 2008, the station started playing all-Christmas on November 1.
On March 18, 2008, the FCC ordered Triad to terminate its JSA to operate KEGK within 90 days. The order was a result of a 2004 rule change that counts JSA's towards ownership cap limits. The FCC had previously granted Triad a waiver to continue the JSA because Clear Channel
was grandfathered at one extra station when the 2004 rule change occurred. However, that situation ended when Clear Channel sold its Fargo group and one station was divested, leading the FCC to decide that Triad's waiver was no longer needed.
On April 17, 2008, it was announced that Scott Hennen's of Fargo bought KEGK. It became the sister station of 50,000 watt AM 1100 WZFG
. Both are located at the new SMAHH headquarters, at 64 Broadway in downtown Fargo.
On Monday, May 5, Hennen's former WDAY colleague Paul Bougie (who Hennen hired when he left the station) began as host of morning show on 106.9 (with returning morning show co-host Shelley Knight). The show also simulcasts on WZFG
from 5 AM to 8 AM. Knight's former co-host, Jim Daniels is now at 107.9 The Fox
.
In the September 8, 2010 edition of the Fargo Forum, it was announced that Scott Hennen was removed as President and CEO of Great Plains Integrated Marketing, by the Board of Directors, effective 9/8/2010. Other local outlets reported that "effective immediately, he will no longer be an employee, and therefore no longer running day to day operations".
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....
/classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
area, licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to Wahpeton, North Dakota
Wahpeton, North Dakota
The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
, and primarily plays rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
from the 1970s and 1980s. The station is owned by Scott Hennen's SMAHH Communications.
History
KGWB 107.1 FM signed on as a 3,000 watt Class A radio station serving Wahpeton, North DakotaWahpeton, North Dakota
The first European explorer in the area was Jonathan Carver in 1767. He explored and mapped the Northwest at the request of Major Robert Rogers, commander of Fort Michilimackinac, the British fort at Mackinaw City, Michigan, which protected the passage between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
with a CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
/AC hybrid format. It continued in this format until the late 1990s, when the format was changed to oldies. In 2003, Triad Broadcasting
Triad Broadcasting
Triad Broadcasting Company, LLC is a large owner of radio stations in small and medium markets in the United States with over 40 radio stations. Based in Monterey, California, the company is one of the largest radio station owners after Clear Channel Communications, CBS Radio, Cox Radio, and...
signed a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
with Guderian Broadcasting to operate KGWB. The station moved to studios in Fargo, and its frequency was moved to 106.9. The power was upgraded to 41,000 watts to bring a signal to Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead
Fargo-Moorhead is a common name given to the metropolitan area comprising Fargo, North Dakota, Moorhead, Minnesota, and the surrounding communities. These two cities lie on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, on opposite banks of the Red River of the North...
, and the call sign was changed to KEGK with the "Eagle 106.9" moniker. KEGK continues to maintain a control room
Control room
A control room is a room serving as an operations centre where a facility or service can be monitored and controlled. Examples include:*in television production, the master control is the technical hub of a broadcast operation common among most over-the-air television stations, television networks...
and sales office in Wahpeton (located at the KBMW
KBMW
KBMW is a radio station broadcasting a country format. Licensed to Breckenridge, Minnesota, it serves the Wahpeton-Breckenridge area. The station is located in downtown Wahpeton and is currently owned by Triad Broadcasting, which owns several radio stations in nearby Fargo, North Dakota.-External...
studios) to meet FCC
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
requirements. In 2007, KEGK began to include music from the 1980s along with the 1960s and 1970s. The station began airing Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
on November 9, 2007 along with KMXW, Who has soon after, stopped playing Christmas music and switched to a format that directly competes with "The Eagle". In 2008, the station started playing all-Christmas on November 1.
On March 18, 2008, the FCC ordered Triad to terminate its JSA to operate KEGK within 90 days. The order was a result of a 2004 rule change that counts JSA's towards ownership cap limits. The FCC had previously granted Triad a waiver to continue the JSA because Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
was grandfathered at one extra station when the 2004 rule change occurred. However, that situation ended when Clear Channel sold its Fargo group and one station was divested, leading the FCC to decide that Triad's waiver was no longer needed.
On April 17, 2008, it was announced that Scott Hennen's of Fargo bought KEGK. It became the sister station of 50,000 watt AM 1100 WZFG
WZFG
WZFG is a 50,000 watt radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead market, licensed to Dilworth, Minnesota. Its two-tower transmitter site is near Sabin, Minnesota. The station is owned by Great Plains Integrated Marketing.-History:...
. Both are located at the new SMAHH headquarters, at 64 Broadway in downtown Fargo.
On Monday, May 5, Hennen's former WDAY colleague Paul Bougie (who Hennen hired when he left the station) began as host of morning show on 106.9 (with returning morning show co-host Shelley Knight). The show also simulcasts on WZFG
WZFG
WZFG is a 50,000 watt radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead market, licensed to Dilworth, Minnesota. Its two-tower transmitter site is near Sabin, Minnesota. The station is owned by Great Plains Integrated Marketing.-History:...
from 5 AM to 8 AM. Knight's former co-host, Jim Daniels is now at 107.9 The Fox
KPFX
KPFX is a radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota, owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting...
.
In the September 8, 2010 edition of the Fargo Forum, it was announced that Scott Hennen was removed as President and CEO of Great Plains Integrated Marketing, by the Board of Directors, effective 9/8/2010. Other local outlets reported that "effective immediately, he will no longer be an employee, and therefore no longer running day to day operations".
Former DJs
- Emily West
- Shelly Knight
- Tim Murphy
- Nicole McCartney
- Jim Daniels (Now at KPFXKPFXKPFX is a radio station located in Fargo, North Dakota, owned by Go Radio Broadcasting, a division of Triad Broadcasting...
) - Diane Karol
- Kris Kraft
- Pete Serria
- Sandi Beach
- Wanda Majik
- Tom Kent