KPLZ branding history

[bobdavcav]

Hi all,
Does anyone know the history of brands KPLZ used before Star? I know they were using K-Plus for a while that's where the calls come from, but I was listening to an aircheck of the Rick Dease Weekly Top 40 and he called a listener from this area and she said she was listening on Z101.5. About 7 years later, there's an ID on tophour that simply identifies the station as Tripple the Music 101.5 KPLZ.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

the fm/kvi
K-PLUS (as mostly disco)
K-PLUS (as adult AC..the Music Magazine)
HOT HITS ... K-PLUS/FM (hot hits imaging & jingle package)
Z-101.5 (as KPLZ)
STAR 101.5 (as 70-80-90)
STAR 101.5 (as variations of adult AC & CHR/AC)

 

[Bongwater]

As "The Music Magazine", they didn't use the K-Plus moniker. Just KPLZ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM0VB8r4Zk0

 

[Lightingnut]

From what I recall it was "KVI-FM 101 plus", "K-plus 101.5", Z101.5", "101.5 KPLZ", then "Star 101.5". (I quit listening to 101.5 Mhz in '98 when they became way to female centric.)

 

[bobdavcav]

I think you're right, there was a point where they went back to KPLZ for a bit before Star, with the slogan "triple the music."

 

[Lightingnut]

I think you're right, there was a point where they went back to KPLZ for a bit before Star, with the slogan "triple the music."

The "triple the music" slogan was only used from the summer of '92 'til sometime in late winter '93. During this time, KPLZ tried to counter KUBE's rap format by playing pop music from the last five years or so. By January '93, KPLZ threw in the towel and began to play rap and hip-hop as well. When Fisher bought them in January '94, they dropped CHR, and went to "the Best Mix of the 70's 80's and 90's' as STAR 101.5. I happened to be listening when they made the change. It happened on a Friday afternoon about 1PM in late January '94. I still remember Tom Hutler (sp?) saying "101.5 KPLZ" and then silence, for about 15 seconds or so. Then he came back saying "Star 101.5 KPLZ" and then more silence for about 20 to 30 seconds, before coming back on with "The new STAR 101.5, the Best Mix of the 70's, 80's and 90's". The first song they played if my memory is right was Toto's Hold the Line from the late 70's. When Star first started out of the gate, I would listen to it almost every waking hour, simply because they were playing so many "Oh Wow" songs. To bad there's no station like that today.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

The first song they played if my memory is right was Toto's Hold the Line

was "Waiting for a Star to Fall"

 

[TexasTom]

the fm/kvi
K-PLUS (as mostly disco)
K-PLUS (as adult AC..the Music Magazine)

I can attach some approximate dates to these.

They became "The FM KVI" in middle of 1976, with a sort of adult leaning Top 40 format ("Pop Rock" was the term they used, as I recall, I guess to distinguish themselves from the AOR format at KISW and KZOK). They kept that name for about two years, switching to "K-Plus 101" at the height of the disco era, sometime in 1978. By that time, their format was very heavy of disco, although it was still nominally Top 40. By the end of 1979, disco had burned out and taken "K-Plus 101" with them, and they evolved into the AC format.

 

[Bongwater]

KPLZ Sticker, circa 1991-94