KSLZ

2025-02-23T11:56:25Z

2603:6013:1101:1AC8:E1C0:EADA:A06E:8BB5: /* 1979–1997: Urban */

{{Short description|Contemporary hit radio station in St. Louis}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KSLZ
| logo = Z.1077 new logo.png
| logo_upright = .8
| city = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| country = US
| area = [[Greater St. Louis]]
| frequency = {{Frequency|107.7|[[MHz]]}} {{HD Radio}}
| branding = ''Z107-7''
| language = [[American English|English]]
| format = [[Contemporary hit radio]]
| subchannels = HD2: [[Pride Radio]] St. Louis ([[Top 40]]–[[Electronic dance music|EDM]])
| affiliations = [[Premiere Networks]]
| owner = [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]]
| licensee = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations = [[KATZ (AM)|KATZ]], [[KATZ-FM]], [[KLOU]], [[KSD (FM)|KSD]], [[KTLK-FM]], [[W279AQ]]
| airdate = {{Start date and age|1968|9|20}}
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|KACO (1968–1970)|KGRV (1970–1972)|KKSS (1972–1979)|KMJM (1979–1997)}}
| callsign_meaning = St. Louis
| licensing_authority = [[FCC]]
| class = C0
| facility_id = 48960
| erp = 100,000 watts
| haat = 313 meters (1,014 ft)
| coordinates = {{coord|38|34|27.9|N|90|19|31.9|W|region:US_type:landmark}}
| webcast = {{iHeartRadio|z1077-st-louis-1297/}}
| website = {{ubl|{{URL|https://z1077.iheart.com/}}|{{URL|https://prideradiostl.iheart.com/}}}} (HD2)
}}
'''KSLZ''' (107.7 [[MHz]] ''Z107-7'') is a [[Commercial radio]] station in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. It airs a [[contemporary hit radio]] format and is owned by [[iHeartMedia, Inc.]] Z107-7 carries two [[radio syndication|syndicated]] programs on weekdays, ''The Jubal Show'' from [[KBKS]] [[Seattle]] is heard in morning [[drive time]] while ''[[On Air with Ryan Seacrest]]'' is heard middays. The station's studios are on Foundry Way near [[Interstate 64 in Missouri|Interstate 64]] in St. Louis.

KSLZ is a [[list of broadcast station classes|Class C0]] station. It has an [[effective radiated power]] (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for most stations. Its [[transmitter]] is off MacKenzie Road in the Shrewsbury neighborhood of St. Louis, amid the [[radio masts and towers|towers]] for area FM and TV stations. KSLZ uses [[HD Radio]] technology, its [[digital subchannel]] carries "[[Pride Radio]]," an [[iHeartRadio]] service for [[LGBTQ]] listeners.

[[File:KSLZ HD1.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:KSLZ HD2.jpg|thumb|KSLZ broadcasting in HD including its subchannels.]]
==History==
=== 1968–1979: Early years ===
The station [[signed on]] the air on {{Start date and age|1968|9|20}}. The original [[call sign]] was KACO, and it was owned by the Apollo Broadcasting Company.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1969/B%20All%20Radio%201969%20BC%20YB.pdf ''Broadcasting Yearbook 1969''' page B-100. Retrieved June 3, 2024.]</ref> It aired an [[adult contemporary]] (AC) and [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] (MOR) format. A fire at the transmitter took the station [[off the air]] in January 1970.

Two months later, the station returned to the air, changed its call letters to KGRV, and relaunched as "Music for Groovy Adults," offering a more upbeat AC format. This lasted until 1972, when it once again changed call letters, this time to KKSS, and rebranded as "Kiss 108". By 1974, KKSS switched to [[country music]]. A year later, KKSS flipped to an [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] format, dubbed "Black in Stereo". In February 1979, KKSS altered its R&B format and adopted the moniker "Studio 108," with a hybrid [[disco music]] and R&B format, competing with WZEN (now [[KATZ-FM]]).

=== 1979–1997: CHUrban/UC===
In June 1979, the call sign was changed to KMJM and rebranded as ''"The New Majic 108 FM, Where the Music is the Majic!"''. KMJM Was catered to both African-American and Caucasian-American listeners as the St. Louis [[media market|market]]'s first "CHUrban" station (a forerunner to the [[Rhythmic Contemporary]] format). At the time, the station was owned by Keymarket Communications. KMJM was ranked among the top five stations in the St. Louis [[Arbitron]] ratings during the 1980's, as it shifted towards a mainstream [[Urban Contemporary|UC]] direction.

In May 1988, KMJM was sold to Noble Communications of [[San Diego]] for $19 million. KMJM's FM signal was one of the best in the St. Louis area, as the station emerged as the top urban station in the market. [[Jacor]] bought the station in 1997.

=== 1997–present: Top 40 ===
On October 20, 1997, at midnight, after 18 years on 107.7 FM, KMJM was moved to recently purchased sister station [[KTLK-FM|WCBW]] (104.9 FM), which aired a [[Christian music]] format.<ref>Diane Toroian, "Majic Change: Radio Station Has New Place On The Dial", ''The St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', October 22, 1997.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://fmairchecks.com/2013/10/20/kmjmwkbq-majic-108-moves-to-majic-105-st-louis-102097-eric-michaels-dj-kut/ |title=KMJM/WKBQ (Majic 108 becomes Majic 105) - St. Louis - 10/20/97 - Eric Michaels & DJ Kut |publisher=FM Airchecks |date= October 20, 2013|accessdate=May 7, 2022}}</ref> After a 12-hour [[stunting (broadcasting)|stunt]] with a looped heartbeat and announcements redirecting KMJM listeners to the new frequency and the launch of a new format on 107.7 later that day, KSLZ and its current top 40/CHR format, branded as "Z107-7", debuted. The flip was to fill a format hole left by [[WHHL|WKBQ]], who dropped the format for [[modern AC]] on January 24 of that year. The final song on "Majic" was "Good Girls" by [[Joe (singer)|Joe]], while the first song on "Z" was "[[Get Ready For This]]" by [[2 Unlimited]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://formatchange.com/chr-z1077-kslz-launches-as-kmjm-moves-to-1049/ | title=CHR KSLZ "Z107.7" launches after KMJM moves to 104.9 | date=October 20, 1997 }}</ref>

===Morning shows===
At first, KSLZ was the St. Louis affiliate for the [[Todd Schnitt|MJ Morning Show]], based at [[Tampa]] sister station [[WFLZ]], and the only affiliate for the show outside of the Eastern Time Zone. After the show ended in February 2012, KSLZ became the St. Louis affiliate for [[The Bobby Bones Show]]. After Bones relaunched his show to air on [[country music|country]] stations in February 2013, KSLZ replaced him with [[Elvis Duran and the Morning Show]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Elvis Duran Adds 10 Affiliates from Bobby Bones |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/80873/elvis-duran-adds-7-affiliates-from-bobby-bones/ |website=RadioInsight |date=February 13, 2013 |access-date=April 21, 2022}}</ref> In December 2017, KSLZ dropped Duran for local host Jordan DeSocio.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Z107.7 St. Louis Goes Local In Mornings With Jordan |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121600/z107-7-st-louis-goes-local-mornings-jordan/ |website=RadioInsight |date=December 8, 2017 |access-date=March 15, 2022}}</ref> As part of company-wide layoffs, DeSocio exited the station in November 2020, and was replaced by "The Jubal Show", based at [[Seattle]] sister station [[KBKS]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Venta |first1=Lance |title=Z107.7 St. Louis to Add The Jubal Show |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/201117/z107-7-st-louis-to-add-the-jubal-show/ |website=RadioInsight |date=November 9, 2020 |access-date=April 21, 2022}}</ref>

==HD Radio==
KSLZ made the conversion to [[HD Radio]] in 2006. 107.7-HD2 initially carried a New CHR format branded as "Z107-7 Amped." On June 22, 2016, KSLZ-HD2 switched to "[[Pride Radio]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=19|title=HD Radio Guide for St. Louis|accessdate=August 3, 2023|archive-date=November 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117104921/https://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=19|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite web
| title = Weekend & HD ZJs
| url = http://www.z1077.com/pages/otherplayas.html
| access-date = February 25, 2008
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080917110641/http://www.z1077.com/pages/otherplayas.html
| archive-date = September 17, 2008
| url-status = dead
}}

==External links==
* {{officialwebsite|https://z1077.iheart.com/}}
* {{FM station data|48960|KSLZ}}

{{St. Louis Radio}}
{{Contemporary Hit Radio Stations in Missouri}}
{{Contemporary Hit Radio Stations in Illinois}}
{{Elvis Duran and the Morning Show}}
{{IHeartMedia}}

[[Category:1968 establishments in Missouri]]
[[Category:Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States]]
[[Category:IHeartMedia radio stations]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1968]]
[[Category:Radio stations in St. Louis|SLZ]]

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KSLZ