Update 8/19: After stunting all weekend with hour-long blocks of microformats including All-Christmas, Polka, TV Themes, All Weird Al, Dead Artists, and Movie Soundtracks, KQWB debuted its new format at 5pm this afternoon. Launching as Adult CHR “Big 98.7” as we first predicted two months ago, the station is positioning itself as “Today’s Hit Music Without The Rap”.
The station will feature the Jesse & Amanda With Pike morning show from 5-9am. That show had been heard on Country “Froggy 99.9” KVOX-FM prior to the station swaps between Midwest and Ingstad. Cori Jensen will follow from 9am-2pm, Scotty Matthews from 2-7pm, and Alek from 7pm-12am.
Listen to the launch of Big 98.7 at FormatChange.com.
98.7 and 105.1 have traded callsigns as well with 98.7 holding the KLTA calls and KQWB joining the Rock format on 105.1.
Update 8/16: Rock “Q98” completed its move to 105.1 at 12am this morning. Listen to the launch of “Q105.1” on FormatChange.com.
Update 8/8: Rock “Q98” KQWB will announce on Friday morning that its format will move enmasse to what is now Hot AC “FM 105.1” KLTA on Friday, August 16. The move will clear the way for the new format to launch on 98.7 on August 19.
While both stations operate with 100kW Class C1 signals, 105.1 operates further away from Fargo with a tower 25 miles south of the city.
Update 8/3: The Fargo-Moorhead Forum reports that Ingstad’s group will launch a new format on Monday, August 19 at 5:00pm. While not disclosing where or what the new station will be located, 98.7 KQWB has been running sweepers saying “Something BIG is coming“.
The Forum also reports that the company has hired former “Y94” WDAY-FM morning co-host Megan Zayic for the new station.
Update 8/1: As the swap of KVOX-FM and KBVB prepares to close next week, KVOX-FM morning hosts Jesse, Amanda, and Pike have departed the station. As pointed out in our report linked above, Radio Fargo-Moorhead cannot place the trio on “Bob 95“, but that doesn’t appear to be keeping the company from keeping the group in its employ.
A banner on the program’s Facebook page emphasizes “BIG Changes Coming”. As reported below, Big987.com was registered for Radio Fargo-Moorhead’s 98.7 KQWB.
Update 6/20: Additional domain registrations were made for another one of Ingstad’s new Fargo stations.
AllClassics105.com, Amp1051.com, LitRock1051.com, and Now105.net were registered by John Austin for Hot AC “FM 105.1” KLTA.
Original Report 6/14: Now that the dust has begun to settle from the multiple cluster sales in Fargo, the next step will be creating a new competitive landscape.
James Ingstad’s Radio Fargo-Moorhead is preparing to make the first change, one that may give his former CHR “Y94” 93.7 WDAY-FM a head-on competitor. A domain registration was made on Wednesday for Big987.com, which would replace Active Rock “Q98” KQWB-FM. The registration was made by John Austin, the current morning host of sister Country “Bob 95” KBVB (the one station staying under Ingstad’s management) and former OM of the now Midwest cluster. The P.O. Box in the address used for the domain registration can be traced to Ingstad as well.
WDAY-FM was second in the Fargo market in the most recently released ratings, the Fall 2012 book, with a 10.0 share trailing only now Midwest sister News/Talk 790 KFGO. KQWB was seventh in the market with a 4.8 share. The currently blank Twitter account that was also created this week for “Big 98.7” has the station following personas such as Skrillex, Drake, Rhianna, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, and Jennifer Lopez.
