KBTK (97.1 FM, "97.1 The Big Talker") is a

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 radi ...

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 ...

to Kachina Village, Arizona. Owned by Stone Canyon Media Group, it broadcasts a

conservative talk Conservative talk radio is a talk radio format in the United States and other countries devoted to expressing conservative viewpoints of issues, as opposed to progressive talk radio. The definition of conservative talk is generally broad enough ...

format serving Flagstaff, Arizona.

History

KBTK signed on as KFLX which started as a construction permit granted to Ted Tucker and his Desert West Air Ranchers Corporation for a new station on 105.1 kHz in

Winslow Winslow may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Winslow, Buckinghamshire, England, a market town and civil parish * Winslow Rural District, Buckinghamshire, a rural district from 1894 to 1974 United States and Canada * Rural Municipality of Winslo ...

with the call letters KTDX. Tucker was able to shoehorn KTDX into the more populous Flagstaff market (city of license: Kachina Village) and changed the call letters to KFLX. The construction permit changed hands to D.B. Broadcasting in 1994, then to Red Rock Communications a year later. Red Rock signed the station on with 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 ...

format named "The Eagle". Toward the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, KFLX morphed into an adult alternative/

Modern AC Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet sto ...

hybrid similar to that of Phoenix's

KZON KZON (103.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Gilbert, Arizona, and broadcasting to the Phoenix metropolitan area. KZON airs a Rhythmic Hot AC radio format branded as "Hot 97.5/103.9" (simulcasting with KMVA 97.5 FM Dewey-Humbol ...

. Red Rock continued to own the station until it and sisters KWMX-FM and KSED-FM were sold in 2007 to Grenax Broadcasting II, LLC who also owned WCFX in

Mount Pleasant, MI Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in Central Michigan, the city is the county seat of Isabella County. The population was 21,688 as of the 2020 United States census. It is surrounded by Union Township but is politic ...

. Grenax completely transformed the station into a pure Hot AC station as "105.1 The Canyon". The station known as 105.1 The Canyon became Hot Adult Contemporary. In July 2010, KFLX flipped to

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

as ''97.1 The Big Talker'', primarily featuring

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

personalities such as Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity. The Mitch and Joe Show also debuted when the station changed formats, which features local broadcast veterans Joe Harting and Mitch Strohman. Jason Lewis, Phil Hendrie and America's Morning News were also part of the original weekday line up. Since its launch, a few changes in the weekday line up have occurred.

Mark Levin Mark Reed Levin (; born September 21, 1957) is an American lawyer, author, and radio personality. He is the host of syndicated radio show '' The Mark Levin Show'', as well as '' Life, Liberty & Levin'' on Fox News. Levin worked in the admin ...

replaced Jason Lewis, and Roy Masters replaced Phil Hendrie. In August 2013, Mitch Strohman announced he was leaving the Mitch and Joe Show to put more emphasis on his job as 'The Voice of the Lumberjacks' calling sports for Northern Arizona University's athletics program. The Joe Harting Show began following Strohman's departure, with Harting hosting the local talk program solo, Harting left KBTK in 2015 to focus on his full-time job at NAU. On October 19, 2016, KBTK moved from 105.1 to 97.1, due to conflicts with

KHOV KHOV-FM is a radio station on 105.1 MHz in Wickenburg, Arizona, serving the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is owned by Univision Communications and carries a simulcast of KQMR. History KHOV-FM began in 1983 with the callsign KHBC, broadcasting a ...

/ Wickensburg after its move to the frequency. On September 24, 2018, Grenax Broadcasting II, LLC announced the sale of KBTK and its sister stations to Stone Canyon Media Group; the purchase was completed in December.

References

External links

* * {{News/Talk Radio Stations in Arizona BTK Radio stations established in 1994 1994 establishments in Arizona