KTKT-FM and KFMM The first FM station to
sign on in Tucson was 99.5
KTKT-FM, in March 1954. Thomas J. Wallace, owned the station, along with
AM 1490 KTKT (now at
AM 990). KTKT-FM mostly
simulcast the AM station's programming. In 1958, KTKT-FM was slated to move to
Mount Bigelow, the tallest peak near Tucson. That move did not materialize, but it did result in a
call sign change to
KFMM (FM on the Mountain). Those call letters were used for 21 years. KTKT-FM/KFMM was sold several times in its early years: to Copper State Broadcasting Corporation in 1957 and to Lee Little in 1960. During this time, the station was powered at 30,000 watts, a third of its current power. And the tower was only 73 feet tall, keeping the station's signal only within Tucson and its close-in suburbs.
Religious KFMM and KNDE Country In 1965, KFMM was bought by the Tucson Broadcasting Company, which also owned
AM 1400 KTUC. KFMM aired a
Christian radio format. In 1979, a new company calling itself KTUC, Incorporated, acquired KTUC and KFMM. It switched the FM station's call letters to
KNDE, and became an automated country station calling itself Candy Country.
Country KIIM In 1983, after a sale, KNDE changed its call letters again, this time to
KIIM, switching to a live
country music format, and becoming the only country outlet on FM. There was one other country station, co-owned
AM 1290 KCUB, which specialized in a more personality and information country format. Rex Broadcasting received a
construction permit from the
Federal Communications Commission to boost power to 100,000
watts, coupled with a sizable increase in antenna height. KIIM proved so successful, Rex Broadcasting decided to switch its AM station to the same call letters. AM 1290 became KIIM, while FM 99.5 became
KIIM-FM. Several years later, KIIM switched back to the KCUB call sign, as a
classic country outlet. In 2001,
Citadel Broadcasting purchased both KIIM-FM and KCUB, switching the AM station to a
sports radio format, but keeping the highly rated KIIM-FM as a country outlet. Citadel was acquired by current owner,
Cumulus Media, in 2011. Cumulus has switched many of its country stations to the
Nash FM brand. While KIIM-FM carries some Nash FM shows, it still identifies itself as "Country Favorites KIIM-FM". ==Awards==