KGFK (1590 AM, "Rock 95") is a radio station broadcasting a

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

format.

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 ...

East Grand Forks, Minnesota East Grand Forks (also known as EGF) is a city in Polk County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,176 at the 2020 Census, making it the largest community in Polk County. It is located in the Red River Valley region along the easte ...

, it serves the Grand Forks, North Dakota metropolitan area. The station also broadcasts on

translators Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

K239BG (95.7 FM, "Rock 95") in

Grand Forks Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the state of North Dakota (after Fargo and Bismarck) and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2020 census, the city's population was 59,166. Grand Forks, along with its twin city o ...

and K248DH (97.5 FM, "Rock 95") in East Grand Forks. It first began broadcasting in 1959 under the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assign ...

KRAD and used the call sign KCNN for several years. The station is currently owned by

Leighton Broadcasting Leighton Broadcasting is a radio broadcasting company based in St. Cloud, Minnesota that owns several radio stations in St. Cloud as well as in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and Grand Forks, North Dakota. Stations owned {, class="wikitable" , - !Ca ...

, and competes with iHeartMedia's active rock 107.5

KJKJ KJKJ (107.5 FM, "KJ108") is an American commercial Mainstream Rock radio station serving Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States. It first began broadcasting in 1985. The station is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and the station's broad ...

"KJ108" and

classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980 ...

KQHT "96.1 The Fox".

History

KCNN days

KGFK/1590 previously aired a

news/talk 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 featur ...

format as KCNN, and starting focusing on nationally syndicated talk shows after being bought by

in 2003 to differentiate with co-owned KNOX.

Rooster and Fox Sports

On September 27, 2007, KCNN continued KNOX-FM/94.7's

classic country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...

as "The Rooster", as KNOX-FM/94.7 flipped to

. Because of popularity,

Rush Limbaugh Rush Hudson Limbaugh III ( ; January 12, 1951 – February 17, 2021) was an American conservative political commentator who was the host of '' The Rush Limbaugh Show'', which first aired in 1984 and was nationally syndicated on AM and FM r ...

was still syndicated on weekdays at normal time. On August 14, 2009, KCNN flipped to a

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

format featuring programming from Fox Sports Radio, and competed with FAN Network affiliate KKXL-AM/1440.

Rock to "The Forks"

On November 5, 2010, KCNN changed their format to

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 ...

, branded as "Rock 107.9" (frequency in branding is for FM translator K300BG 107.9 FM Grand Forks, ND), primarily competing with active rock formatted

"KJ108" just down the dial at 107.5 FM. K300BG signed on the air just days before the format flip. Before K300BG's sign on, Fargo-based

station

KPFX KPFX (107.9 FM, "107.9 The Fox") is a classic rock radio station licensed to serve Kindred, North Dakota, serving the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. The radio station is owned by Jim Ingstad's Radio FM Media, and is the flagship radio statio ...

"107.9 The Fox" could sometimes be heard in Grand Forks. On February 21, 2011, KCNN changed their call letters to KGFK. On October 11, 2011,

translator Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

K239BG 95.7 FM signed on to resolve 107.9's signal issues. 95.7 originally began as an unbuilt translator in Grafton that was purchased by Leighton Broadcasting and moved to Grand Forks (107.9 was also an unbuilt translator purchased by Leighton). 95.7's transmitter is located near the junction of

U.S. Highway 81 U.S. Route 81 or U.S. Highway 81 (US 81) is a major north–south U.S. highway that extends for in the central United States and is one of the original United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the American Association of Stat ...

(North Washington Street) and U.S. Highway 2 (Gateway Drive) near downtown Grand Forks. 107.9's transmitter is located off 32nd Ave South west of the

I-29 Interstate 29 (I-29) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern United States. I-29 runs from Kansas City, Missouri, at a junction with I-35 and I-70, to the Canada–US border near Pembina, North Dakota, where it connects with Manitoba ...

interchange. On October 27, 2011, KGFK changed its branding to "Rock 95.7" as the signal is much stronger than 107.9 After 95.7 signed on, the station began

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of simultaneous broadcast) is the broadcasting of programmes/programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simulta ...

ing "Zac Daniel in the Morning" from sister station

KZGF KZGF (94.7 FM, "Z94.7") is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format serving Grand Forks, North Dakota. It first began broadcasting in the 1967 under the call sign KYTN and used the call sign KNOX-FM for several years until 2011. The ...

"Z94.7" during weekday morning hours. On January 5, 2011, KGFK began stunting with replays of "Zac Daniel in the Morning". On January 9, 2011, the station flipped to an adult hits format playing pop and rock hits from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s to the present. On January 11, 2012, 107.9 FM broke up with 95.7 FM and 1590 AM as it switched to become a

of KNOX-AM/1310. On March 12, 2018, KGFK changed their format to

, still branded as "The Forks". On September 17, 2018, KGFK rebranded as "Rock 95".KGFK Returns to Rock 95 Branding
Radioinsight – September 17, 2018 In May 2021, second FM translator K248DH 97.5 FM in East Grand Forks–

signed on for better rural coverage from the KZLT/

transmitter tower, including coverage of Crookston, while K239BG 95.7 FM continues to cover the immediate

– East Grand Forks area. KGFK also broadcasts Minnesota Twins baseball and local high school sports. KGFK successfully competes with iHeartMedia's

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physica ...

active rock

/107.5 "KJ108" and

KQHT "96.1 The Fox" for the lucrative upper demographics in Grand Forks and continues to do so.

Translators

KGFK broadcasts on the following FM translators:

References

External links

Rock 95 official websiteLeighton Broadcasting
* * * {{Coord, 47, 52, 41, N, 97, 00, 24, W, type:landmark_region:US_source:FCC, display=title Classic rock radio stations in the United States GFK (AM) Radio stations in Minnesota Radio stations established in 1979 1979 establishments in Minnesota