KECH-FM
Encyclopedia
KECH-FM is a radio station
broadcasting a classic rock
format. Licensed to Sun Valley, Idaho
, USA, the station serves the Twin Falls (Sun Valley) area. The station is currently owned by Chaparral Broadcasting, Inc.
When funding ultimately fell short for the non profit, it sold the license (construction permit) to a local, for-profit business, Ketchum Radio, Inc. -- a partnership, headed by local residents, Chris Haugh, and staff members including Larry Mott and Gary Stivers. Ms. Haugh and the employees ultimately put the station on the air in 1988. The call letters were chosen as a result of a contest, where listeners were asked to pick the call sign for the station. One listener chose KECH (short for the neighboring town of Ketchum). The listener won a prize, and the company applied for the call sign change. In 1994, Ketchum Radio sold the station to another local operator, Scott Parker's Alpine Broadcasting, Ltd., who owned/operated the station for ten years as its flagship (first) station. Alpine, also based in Ketchum, went on to grow to a ten station group, then sold most of its stations to the current owner, Chaparral Broadcasting, Inc.. "KECH-95", (as it is known locally) continues to be the leading station in the Wood River Valley (Blaine County, ID) with local personalities and its service to community affairs.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. Licensed to Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
, USA, the station serves the Twin Falls (Sun Valley) area. The station is currently owned by Chaparral Broadcasting, Inc.
History
The station was originally assigned the KWRU call sign by the FCC on 1988-02-16 and was to be a not for profit community radio station. Soon afterwards, on 1988-10-05, the station changed its call sign to the current KECH.When funding ultimately fell short for the non profit, it sold the license (construction permit) to a local, for-profit business, Ketchum Radio, Inc. -- a partnership, headed by local residents, Chris Haugh, and staff members including Larry Mott and Gary Stivers. Ms. Haugh and the employees ultimately put the station on the air in 1988. The call letters were chosen as a result of a contest, where listeners were asked to pick the call sign for the station. One listener chose KECH (short for the neighboring town of Ketchum). The listener won a prize, and the company applied for the call sign change. In 1994, Ketchum Radio sold the station to another local operator, Scott Parker's Alpine Broadcasting, Ltd., who owned/operated the station for ten years as its flagship (first) station. Alpine, also based in Ketchum, went on to grow to a ten station group, then sold most of its stations to the current owner, Chaparral Broadcasting, Inc.. "KECH-95", (as it is known locally) continues to be the leading station in the Wood River Valley (Blaine County, ID) with local personalities and its service to community affairs.