KMVK

KMVK (107.5 MHz, "La Grande 107.5"), is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The station is owned and operated by Entercom. KMVK broadcasts in Spanish and airs a radio format featuring Regional Mexican music. The station's studios are located along North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas and the transmitter site is in Cedar Hill.[1]

KMVK
CityFort Worth, Texas
Broadcast areaDallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Frequency107.5 MHz (HD Radio)
BrandingLa Grande 107.5
Programming
Language(s)Spanish
FormatRegional Mexican
SubchannelsHD2: Tejano ("Fierro")
HD3: Latin pop ("Dale!")
AffiliationsKXTX-TV (Spanish news partnership)
Ownership
OwnerEntercom
(Entercom License, LLC)
KJKK, KLUV, KRLD, KRLD-FM, KVIL
History
First air date
February 18, 1965 (as KNOK)
Former call signs
KNOK (1965–1985)
KDLZ (1985–1988)
KMEZ (1988–1991)
KCDU (1991–1992)
KOAI (1992–2006)
Call sign meaning
"MOViN" (previous format)
Technical information
Facility ID23440
ClassC1
ERP17,000 watts
HAAT574.2 meters (1,884 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
32°35′02″N 96°57′48″W
Repeater(s)KLOL 101.1 HD2 (Greater Houston)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitelagrande1075.com

While most FM stations in the Metroplex operate at or near 100,000 watts, KMVK runs at 17,000 watts, so it has a smaller coverage area. The station broadcasts in HD. Its HD-2 signal carries a Tejano music format known as "Fierro." Latin pop music is heard on its HD-3 signal, known as "Dale! 107.5 HD3."

History

KNOK/KDLZ

On February 18, 1965, 107.5 signed on the air as KNOK-FM, an R&B and Soul music station.[2] It simulcast its sister station KNOK AM 970 (now KHVN), with both stations owned by the Chatham Corporation. The station was later sold to Black Enterprise magazine founder Earl G. Graves Sr. under the company name EGG Dallas Broadcasting Inc. (EGG are Graves' initials). KNOK-FM originally broadcast with 100,000 watts but from a tower only 450 feet in height above average terrain. (Today KMVK broadcasts from a tower at 1884 feet HAAT but it reduced its power over the years to 17,000 watts.) In 1985, the station became KDLZ while retaining its R&B format. The coverage area was increased and the studios were moved to Cedar Hill after the original studios in Fort Worth were destroyed by fire.[3]

EZ 107.5/The Oasis

Smooth Jazz 107.5 The Oasis ident used from 1992 to 2003.

In December 1988, Gilmore Broadcasting purchased KDLZ. On December 23, Gilmore picked up the easy listening format and KMEZ call letters from 100.3 (now KJKK) to 107.5.[4] The station was then sold to Granum Communications in 1991. On July 4 of that year, Granum flipped the station and format to KCDU ("CD 107.5") with a short-lived classic rock format.[5] A Smooth Jazz format began on November 2, 1992, moving over from 106.1 (now KHKS). The Smooth Jazz station took the call letters KOAI as "The Oasis." (The KMEZ call letters are now assigned to a New Orleans station, which airs an Urban Adult Contemporary format).[6] In 1996, KOAI was one of three radio stations that fell victim to the radio tower collapse in Cedar Hill on October 12 of that year. KOAI, as well as sister stations KRBV (now KJKK) and KYNG (now KRLD-FM), scrambled to get their stations back on the air through an auxiliary tower. "The Oasis"' ratings seemed to escape unscathed in the Fall ratings book that year, but the fate was not as good at the other 2 stations.[7]

MOViN/Mega era

Movin 107.5 logo used 2006–2009.

"107.5 The Oasis" remained on air until October 2, 2006, at 5 p.m., when KOAI flipped to Rhythmic Adult Contemporary as "Movin' 107.5." [8] The Oasis then moved to 107.5 HD-2 (and today is on an HD channel of KVIL). The station's logo and branding was identical to MOViN radio station KVMX (now KXJM) in Portland, Oregon (then owned by CBS Radio, but is now owned by iHeartMedia). The initial format change to "Movin'" caused a lot of criticism by listeners of "The Oasis", many of them demanded that the smooth jazz format be reinstated on the traditional signal.

On February 17, 2009, at Noon, after playing "Vogue" by Madonna, the station flipped to a Spanish Hot adult contemporary format as "Mega 107.5."[9] In 2010, "Mega 107.5" shifted to a Spanish rhythmic contemporary playlist (similar to its MOViN predecessor) with a few English-language hits in between.[10] It was competing head-on with KESS-FM (La Kalle 107.9) for over 2 years, until that station's owner, Univision Radio, switched it to a simulcast of KDXX, leaving KMVK the only Latin Pop-formatted station in the Metroplex for a short time. In late June 2012, it gained another competitor from Univision Radio with KDXX.

By mid-summer 2012, the Metroplex had three Spanish-language CHR stations and three English-language CHR outlets, with one of those English-language stations targeted towards Latino listeners. The former "La Kalle 107.9" from Univision Radio changed KESS (now KFZO) to "Radio H2O" in late June 2012. KTCY Baila 101.7 (previously owned by Liberman, now owned by EMF) was one of its short-term competitors until February 8, 2013, when the station's format was changed.

On March 8, 2012, the station's website displayed a message stating "Todo va a cambiar!" (Translation: Everything will change!), hinting at a possible format flip in the near future. However the next morning, it was nothing more than a Daylight saving time announcement.[11]

On May 21, 2012, CBS hinted at a possible format flip on either KMVK or KRLD-FM to "AMP Radio", much like its Los Angeles CHR/Top 40 sister station KAMP-FM. The parent company registered 3 web domains (as AMPRadioDFW.com, AMPRadio1053.com, and 1075AMPRadio.com).[12] This format change instead happened four years later in 2016, when sister KVIL evolved to Top 40, which flipped to Alternative the following year.

107.5 today

On July 26, 2013, KMVK did flip formats, though to a Regional Mexican format as "La Grande 107.5",[13] making it the 3rd format flip since 2006. The Latin Pop format is now heard on an HD Radio subchannel on 107.5.

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom.[14] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th.[15][16]

Months after, Entercom struck a new content deal with NBCUniversal-owned-and-operated stations KXAS-TV (NBC) and KXTX-TV (Telemundo). The latter will partner with this station to bring enhanced Spanish-language news, weather and entertainment information to its listeners, in addition to the current Regional Mexican music format.[17]

Mega 107.5 ident used 2009–2010.

KMVK HD channels

In early 2006, 107.5 HD2 began as a Traditional Jazz format to complement "The Oasis" before the station's format was relocated to this secondary HD Radio channel.

Former "Smooth Jazz 107.5 The Oasis" logo used between 2003–2006. Used on its HD-2 signal from 2006 to 2015.

On November 11, 2015, 107.5 HD2 began airing a Tejano format under the name "Fierro".[18]

In early February 2016, KMVK launched its HD-3 subchannel, originally named as "Mega 107.5 HD3" using the slogan "Numero Uno En Exitos" (English translation: "Number One in Hits"), broadcasting a Latin Pop format that previously aired on KMVK's main frequency from 2010 to 2013. As of 2018, the channel was renamed "Dale!" (Spanish for "Go ahead") while keeping the current Latin Pop format.

References

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