KSTP-FM The 102.1 FM frequency was originally home to
KSTP-FM, which launched in 1947. The station was the FM counterpart of
Hubbard Broadcasting's
AM 1500 KSTP. However, few people owned FM radios in those days, and management was doubtful the station could become profitable. Hubbard shut down the original KSTP-FM in 1952, and the license was cancelled. The current KSTP-FM was re-established in 1965 on its present-day 94.5 MHz frequency.
WMIN-FM The owners of
WMIN (1400 AM) relaunched the station on October 1, 1967. It originally had the
WMIN-FM call sign and it
simulcast the AM station. It became
KEEY ("Key") in 1968, ending the simulcast. The FM station programmed
Drake-Chenault's
automated "Hit Parade '68", an
adult contemporary format with no
disc jockeys. Drake's promotional materials indicated it was targeted to the 18-49 age group, for "those people who may not like Top 40 as a steady diet, and those who are not particularly fond of some of the outdated
MOR stations".
K102 In 1971, KEEY-FM switched to
beautiful music, along with its AM
sister station of the same name. The FM station was later co-owned with another AM station,
WDGY. KEEY-FM played quarter hour sweeps of mostly instrumental
cover versions of popular songs, along with some
Broadway and
Hollywood show tunes. KEEY-FM and WDGY switched to the current country music format in late 1982 as "K102." KEEY-FM quickly became a dominant force in the market. In 2000, the station was acquired by AMFM, Inc., a forerunner of today's
iHeartMedia, Inc. Awards K102 was named "Major Market Station of the Year" by the
Country Music Association in 2005 while being programmed by Gregg Swedberg. In 2010, K102 was the Academy Of Country Music's "Major Market Station of the Year." In 2012, The K102 Wake-up Crew with Donna and Muss won the CMA award in the "Major Market Personalities" category. The station and its personalities have been nominated many times for CMA and ACM awards. In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets
Country music Radio & Records magazine station of the year award. Other nominees included
WUSN Chicago,
KYGO-FM Denver,
WYCD Detroit,
WXTU Philadelphia, and
KSON-FM San Diego. ==HD Radio==