KAZR (103.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

licensed A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...

Pella, Iowa Pella is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States, with a population of 10,464 at the time of the 2020 U.S. Census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day use ...

, and serving the

Des Moines metropolitan area The Des Moines metropolitan area, officially known as the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is located at the confluence of the Des Moines River and the Raccoon River. Des Moines serves as the capital of the U.S ...

. It is owned by the Des Moines Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications, with studios located on Locust Street in Des Moines. KAZR airs a

mainstream rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

, known as "Lazer 103.3." The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which i ...

is located off Pinion Avenue near Runnells, broadcasting at 100,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

s. KAZR broadcasts in the

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for an in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. It generally simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD Radio is used ...

format.

History

The station signed on as KPLL in 1976, with studios and transmitter located in Otley, near

. It was owned by the Meyer family with a varied format of music and religious programming. In 1980, its call letters changed to KXJX , in 1986 to KFMD, and to KDMG in 1988. KDMG, owned by Beta Broadcasting, had a "gold" format until 1989 and then followed various "classic oldies" formats until late 1990. From January 1991 to April 1992, KDMG followed an

adult album alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...

(AAA) format "Where The Music Comes First", similar to

WXRT WXRT (93.1 FM), also known as XRT and 93-XRT is an adult album alternative (AAA) radio station in Chicago, Illinois. For many years, their slogan has been "Chicago's Finest Rock". "Chicago's Home For Music Lovers" has been used as its slogan si ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

KBCO KBCO (97.3 FM) is a radio station in Denver that is licensed to Boulder, Colorado. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) format. Its studios are located alongside its sister stations in southeast Denver, while it ...

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. It became KFMG in 1992. During the era of 1990–1996, night times tended to be harder-edged, following an alternative/modern rock/new rock format in the daytime. KFMG's format consisted of

modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, and variety shows such as "The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

Hour". In the early 1970s, owner and program director Ron Sorenson had operated a station with those call letters on 94.9 FM, now

KGGO KGGO (94.9 FM) is a commercial radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. It is owned by Cumulus Media and airs a classic rock radio format. The station's studios and offices are in Urbandale, Iowa, with Cumulus Media's other Des Moines stations: KJJY, ...

. On August 1, 1996, KFMG flipped to

active rock Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock stations play a balance of new hard rock songs with valued classic rock favorites, normally with an emphasis on the harder edge o ...

as KAZR, "Lazer 103.3", after Sorenson sold the station to Saga Communications.

Lazerfest

In August 2002, KAZR created and organized a

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...

known as

Lazerfest Lazerfest was a music festival, created by the Lazer 103.3 radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. The festival featured rock artists such as Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, Falling In Reverse, Young Guns, Devour The Day, and We Are Harlot. The ...

. The inaugural festival took place in Water Works Park, but subsequently moved to the Indianola Balloon Grounds in

Indianola, Iowa Indianola is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. Indianola is home to the National Balloon ...

, in 2003. In 2012 Lazerfest moved to its new home at the Central Iowa Expo in

Boone, Iowa Boone ( ) is a city in Des Moines Township, Boone County, Iowa, Des Moines Township, and county seat of Boone County, Iowa, Boone County, Iowa, United States. It is the principal city of the Boone, Iowa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encom ...

. Lazerfest 2010 was the first Lazerfest to completely sell out, with 25,000 tickets sold.

KAZR-HD2

KAZR's HD2 sub-channel currently airs an

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

format as "Pure Oldies 104.5", which is relayed on a 250-watt

translator station A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater (two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tran ...

104.5 K283CC in Des Moines. The translator signed on in 2014, and initially carried a simulcast of sister

KPSZ KPSZ (940 AM, "Hope 940") is a commercial radio station in Des Moines, Iowa. The station's studios and offices are located on Locust Street in Des Moines along with the Des Moines Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications' other local stat ...

. In September 2015, after sister

KRNT KRNT (1350 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a sports format. Serving the Des Moines, Iowa, United States, area, the station is owned by the Des Moines Radio Group subsidiary of Saga Communications through licensee Saga Communications of Iowa ...

dropped its longtime standards format for sports talk, the format moved to the translator/KAZR-HD2 as "Legends 104.5." In August 2016, K283CC/KAZR-HD2 flipped to a conservative talk format as "Talk 104.5." In March 2017, K283CC/KAZR-HD2 flipped to the current oldies format.

KAZR-HD3

On April 1, 2021, KAZR launched a contemporary Christian format on its HD3 subchannel, branded as "Joy 102.1" (which is simulcast on translator K271CO (102.1 FM)).Saga Brings Joy To Des Moines
Radioinsight - April 4, 2021 On September 20, 2021, KAZR-HD3/K271CO dropped the Christian format, with K271CO flipping back to a simulcast of KRNT.

References

External links

KAZR WebsiteDes Moines Radio Group
* * {{coord, 41.5383, N, 93.2996, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Active rock radio stations in the United States

AZR Touat-Cheikh Sidi Mohamed Belkebir Airport is a public airport located 6 nm (11 km) southeast of Adrar, the capital of the Adrar province (''wilaya'') in Algeria. Facilities The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. ...

Pella, Iowa Radio stations established in 1976 1976 establishments in Iowa