KQLK is a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

formatted

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

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 to

DeRidder, Louisiana DeRidder is a city in, and the parish seat of, Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, United States. A small portion of the city extends into Vernon Parish, Louisiana, Vernon Parish. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 ce ...

, serving

Southwest Louisiana Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) is a five-parish area intersecting the Acadiana and Central Louisiana regions in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is composed of the following parishes (counties): Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis. ...

. KQLK is owned and operated by

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 ...

. Its studios are located on Broad Street in downtown Lake Charles and its transmitter is north of

Ragley, Louisiana Ragley is an unincorporated community in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, United States. The community is located at the junction of U.S. routes 171 and 190, north of Lake Charles. Ragley has a post office with ZIP code 70657. History Ragley bega ...

History

In September 1991, what was originally KQLK 97.9 was located at 101.7 MHz and with the callsign KEAZ featuring a country music format. It served primarily the De Ridder,

Fort Polk Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, about 10 miles (15 km) east of Leesville and 30 miles (50 km) north of DeRidder in Beauregard Parish. It was named to honor Leonidas Polk, the first ...

and

Leesville, Louisiana Leesville is a city in, and the parish seat of, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,612 at the 2010 United States Census. It is part of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area and is additionally served by th ...

market and was owned by DeRidder FM Broadcasting, Inc. The signal was very fringe and almost inaccessible to the Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana market. In 2000, Pittman Broadcasting, LLC. bought the station and later flipped the station to an FM simulcast of KAOK-AM, a news and talk station in nearby Lake Charles; this time with a new frequency change from 101.7 to 97.9 and a relocated transmitter from Vernon to

Beauregard Parish Beauregard Parish (french: Paroisse de Beauregard) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 35,654. The parish seat is DeRidder. The parish was formed on January 1, 1913. Beauregard Parish ...

. In 2003, the station switched back to country music as "Country 98", and switched its call sign to the current KQLK. The end result was moderate to below average ratings. In late 2004, the station was bought by

and would change to Hot 97-9; featuring a CHR format with a predominantly hip hop slant. On August 15, 2014, the station switched to country for the third time as one of the first affiliates of Cumulus' Nash Icon network. As of 2017, the station serves the Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana market but is still licensed to its hometown of De Ridder.

References

External links

97-9 Nash Icon Online
* {{Cumulus Media 1991 establishments in Louisiana Country radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1991 QLK Cumulus Media radio stations