KGGO

KGGO
City Des Moines, Iowa
Broadcast area Des Moines metropolitan area
Branding 95 KGGO
Slogan Des Moines Best Classic Rock
Frequency 94.9 MHz
First air date May 31, 1964 (as KFMG)
Format Classic rock
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 325 meters
Class C0
Facility ID 12965
Callsign meaning Go (previous format, see History)
Former callsigns KFMG (1964-1975)
Owner Cumulus Media
(Radio License Holding CBC, LLC)
Sister stations KBGG, KHKI, KJJY, KWQW
Webcast Listen Live
Website kggo.com

KGGO is a classic rock radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. It is located at 94.9 on the FM band. The station's studios are in Urbandale, Iowa, with Cumulus Media's other Des Moines stations: KJJY, KHKI, KWQW, and KBGG. (Before 2001, KGGO's studios were located in Berwick, a small town north of Des Moines.)

History

The first radio station to occupy the 94.9 FM frequency in Des Moines was KNDR (New Directions Radio), which signed on in 1961, under the ownership of the Hopkins family, with studios in the Brown Hotel but left the air a year later due to financial problems.

On May 31, 1964, KFMG debuted on that frequency with a "fine arts" format with its studios in the Brown Hotel in downtown Des Moines. The transmitter and antenna were located atop the 11th floor of the hotel. The station was owned by Bill and Ruth Plymat who sold it in 1969 to the Woodland Corporation. The station started broadcasting in FM stereo in December 1969 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra concert. KFMG broadcast monaurally during most of the years of its classical format. Longtime KFMG announcer Ron Sorenson hosted a late night program of alternative rock music called the "Roc Show" during the Plymat era and convinced the new owners to go with that format on a full-time basis. On March 1, 1970, KFMG became a free-form music station that played a wide variety of music, including alternative rock. The first song at 6 a.m. that day was "Color My World," by Chicago with announcer John Krantz signing on. KFMG had some setbacks that year with the impending demolition of the Brown Hotel causing the owners to seek a new studio and location for their antenna and transmitter. Their new location atop the Teachout Building did not give KFMG the coverage that it previously had from atop the Brown Hotel. In 1971, the station was sold to the Stoner Corporation and became a sister station to KSO 1460 AM. When Stoner took over, KFMG's format was changed to top 40 music during the day which Sorenson protested. As a result, he signed off the station during his morning shift in protest and Stoner management soon found out that KFMG had a small but loyal listenership. Stoner then ran a full page ad in the "Des Moines Register" to appease disgruntled KFMG listeners and did return to a free-form alternative rock format for several years. KFMG became KGGO in 1975,[1] and KGGO played Top 40 music for its first few years as "Go-95" before shifting to an album-oriented rock format on July 19, 1978.[2] In the spring of 1984, KGGO became the first FM station in the Des Moines area to finish in first place in the local Arbitron ratings.[3] KGGO remained the Des Moines area's highest-rated radio station throughout most of the late 1980s and 1990s.[4]

KGGO's rock music format was simulcast on 1460 AM from 1989 to 1994 after the former KSO radio ended its country music format. The AM frequency adopted the KGGO call letters during that time period. The simulcast ended in 1994, when 1460's call letters became KDMI.[5] By the end of the 1990s, KGGO had transitioned into a classic rock station.

KGGO's ownership has changed several times in recent years. Stoner owned KGGO until the mid-1990s, AMFM, Inc., owned the station in the late 1990s. In 2000, AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications, but since Clear Channel already owned several stations in the Des Moines market, KGGO and sister station KHKI were sold to Barnstable Broadcasting. (Clear Channel kept KDMI, which later became KXNO.)[6] In May 2001, Barnstable sold its Des Moines cluster of stations to Wilks Broadcasting;[7] two years later, Wilks sold the stations to Citadel Broadcasting.[8] Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.[9]

On September 22, 2005, Citadel Broadcasting purchased the naming rights to the former Buccaneer Arena in Urbandale. The home of the Des Moines Buccaneers was then renamed 95KGGO Arena.[10] In 2008, the name reverted to Buccaneer Arena.

Personalities and programming

KGGO is the home of the former "Lou, Round Guy, & Heather" morning show featuring Lou Sipolt, Steve Pilchen ("the Round Guy"), and Heather Burnside. (2011 marks Lou Sipolt's 26th year at this Heritage Radio Station) It aired weekday mornings from 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM and regularly featured stand-up comedy acts from the local Funny Bone comedy club as guests. In 2001 the trio released a CD, Kiss This CD!!!, which was sold to raise money for local charities. The CD featured bits from the morning show as well as interviews with Sammy Hagar, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and John G. Brennan of the Jerky Boys; in-studio performances by Shannon Curfman and Kenny Wayne Shepherd; and comedy bits from Roy D. Mercer, Red Peters, and Heywood Banks.

In November 2011, Brian James was laid off from the station and the following week, on December 1, the Round Guy of the "Lou, Round Guy & Heather" morning show was as well.

On December 27, 2011, another change was announced. Starting January 2, 2012, Lou and Heather will do a morning talk show on 98.3 WOW-FM. The syndicated Bob & Tom show are replacing Lou & Heather on KGGO from 5 AM to 9 AM. Lou & Heather's last morning show on KGGO was December 30, 2011.[11]

Current on-air personalities include Jeff "Clutch" Witzke, Joey The Ratt, Doug Bailey, and Shawn T. On Sunday evenings they air "The Rockin' 80s", from 9:00pm – 11:00pm, which plays most of the rock music from the 1980s and also Racing Rocks w/Riki Rachtman, Saturdays from 9:00pm to 11:00pm.

Steve Pilchen, "The Round Guy", represented the state of Iowa in the third season of the NBC television program The Biggest Loser.[12]

Lou Sipolt, Jr can be seen Sunday Mornings at 10am (In EVERY TIME ZONE) on FOX SPORTS NET as one of the HOSTS of the Great American Stockcar Series TV Program. Lou races Locally in the Dirt Truck Racing Association.

Longtime radio hosts Lou and Heather signed off on their final show on 98.3 WOW-FM Friday February 10, 2012.

Other personalites

Programming schedule

Sunday

12:00 AM – 6:00 AM Nikki

6:00 AM – 8:00 AM House of Blues

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM The Roadhouse

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Shawn T

4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Joey the Ratt

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM The Rockin' 80s

11:00 PM – 12:00 AM Joey the Ratt

Monday - Friday

12:00 AM – 5:00 AM Classic Rock That Rocks

5:00 AM – 9:00 AM Bob & Tom

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM Michelle Mitchell

2:00 PM – 7:00 PM Clutch

7:00 PM – 12:00 AM Joey the Ratt

Saturday

12:00 AM – 5:00 AM Nikki

5:00 AM – 10:00 AM Bob & Tom

10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Classic Rock That Rocks*

4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Joey the Ratt

9:00 PM – 11:00 PM Racing Rocks

11:00 PM – 12:00 AM Joey the Ratt [13]

References

  1. ↑ DesMoinesBroadcasting.com. "KFMG History". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  2. ↑ Healey, Jim (1978-07-20). "KGGO turns it over; quits top-40 format for albums". The Des Moines Register. p. 7S.
  3. ↑ Rhein, Dave (1984-08-05). "KGGO rocks to top of radio ratings". The Des Moines Register. p. 3-TV.
  4. ↑ Stein, Jeff (2004). Making Waves: The People and Places of Iowa Broadcasting. Cedar Rapids, Iowa: WDG Communications. p. 113. ISBN 0-9718323-1-5.
  5. ↑ DesMoinesBroadcasting.com. "Des Moines Station Timeline". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  6. ↑ NorthPine.com. "Broadcasting News-March 2000". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  7. ↑ NorthPine.com. "Broadcasting News-May 2001". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  8. ↑ NorthPine.com. "Broadcasting News-May 2003". Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  9. ↑ "Cumulus now owns Citadel Broadcasting". Atlanta Business Journal. September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  10. ↑ Des Moines Buccaneers (press release). "Citadel Broadcasting Co. and the Des Moines Buccaneers Score a Deal". Archived from the original on 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2007-03-11.
  11. ↑ http://www.kggo.com/Article.asp?id=2361777&spid=21862
  12. ↑ Crawford, Erin (2006-09-20). "Round Guy no longer fits his nickname". The Des Moines Register. p. 1E.
  13. ↑ http://www.kggo.com/programschedule.asp

Coordinates: 41°37′55″N 93°27′25″W / 41.632°N 93.457°W / 41.632; -93.457

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