Rich Eychaner
Encyclopedia
Rich Eychaner is an Iowa
businessperson, politician and LGBT
rights activist. He has founded and operated a variety of businesses in Iowa since 1975. In 1984 he was Iowa's first openly gay candidate for federal office when he sought the 4th District
Republican
nomination for the United States House of Representatives
.
in 1981. He was a Vice President for the Cubs' AAA affiliate and was largely responsible for re-naming the Iowa Cubs
from the Iowa Oaks, and also changing the team's uniforms to match the Chicago Cubs
.
as an alternative rock
station and also owned a local movie rental chain. The station, known as "107 dot 5 KKDM" or just "The Dot", was successful and had a large following among young adults at the time. After Eychaner sold the station to Clear Channel
in 1999, the company swapped the formats of KCCQ
and KKDM, resulting in KKDM becoming "Kiss 107" and KCCQ becoming "Channel Q".
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
businessperson, politician and LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights activist. He has founded and operated a variety of businesses in Iowa since 1975. In 1984 he was Iowa's first openly gay candidate for federal office when he sought the 4th District
Iowa's 4th congressional district
Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers most of the north-central part of the state....
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Iowa Cubs
Eychaner invested in the Iowa-based minor league affiliate of the CubsCubs
Cubs may refer to:*Chicago Cubs, a baseball team of the National League of Major League Baseball**Iowa Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League**Daytona Cubs, a minor league baseball team of the Florida State League...
in 1981. He was a Vice President for the Cubs' AAA affiliate and was largely responsible for re-naming the Iowa Cubs
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
from the Iowa Oaks, and also changing the team's uniforms to match the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
Movies To Go
Following Eychaner's 1984 candidacy, he launched a chain of video stores called Movies To Go in the Des Moines area. When he sold the chain in 1995 he was operating 13 video stores and other related operations.KKDM
In 1995, Eychaner signed on KKDMKKDM
KKDM is a contemporary hit radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:KKDM was established by local businessman Rich Eychaner as Midwest Radio, Inc...
as an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
station and also owned a local movie rental chain. The station, known as "107 dot 5 KKDM" or just "The Dot", was successful and had a large following among young adults at the time. After Eychaner sold the station to 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...
in 1999, the company swapped the formats of KCCQ
KCCQ
KCCQ is a commercial radio station located in Ames, Iowa, broadcasting to the Des Moines, Iowa area on 105.1 FM. KCCQ airs an Alternative rock music format branded as "New Rock 105.1"...
and KKDM, resulting in KKDM becoming "Kiss 107" and KCCQ becoming "Channel Q".