As you might remember, 92.1 and 97.1 were paired up in the 90’s. That was when 92.1 was classic KRTS “K-Arts;” 97.1 was KRTK. I believe that changed around the end of '96/beginning of '97 when 97.1 was sold and became KKTL “K-Talk.” After acquiring Nationwide, Jacor bought KKTL 97.1 and combined it with KTBZ, then on 107.5. 97.1 was sold to Cox with 93Q, the intellectual property of KLDE, and the 107.5 signal when Clear Channel, which had bought Jacor, acquired AMFM.
The first tests I heard of KRTK 97.1 were in December of 1992, running Classical music and recorded KRTS announcers, but not a simulcast. The simulcast of 92.1 began shortly afterwards, lasting until May of 1995 when both stations went dark due to financial problems (KRTS would return three months later with a streamlined Classical format, more voicetracking, and heavier audio processing. Many claim going dark was a ruse by station owner Michael Stude to force approval of a signal upgrade from C2 to C1, which he eventually got.)
KRTK returned a couple of months later in the summer of 1995 with music stunting which lasted a few weeks. After that was the launch of KEYH-FM, simulcasting the Ranchera format of the AM. That lasted only about six months. What followed was KOND "K-Onda" which had more of a Spanish language Pop format, and was also short lived. IIRC K-Onda was similar to the "Orbita" format that was on 100.7 a few years later (anyone remember that?) Next up late in 1996 was "Nortena 97.1", also short lived (no call change.)
In 1997 the KRTK calls returned and the Talk format, featuring Roger Gray, was launched as "97 Talk" with Imus in the Morning, local talk during the day, and syndicated Talk at night. The call was later changed to KKTL. At some point during the Talk format days the 97.1 signal noticeably improved, I believe due to a signal upgrade to a taller tower. I actually enjoyed listening to 97 Talk, as the level of conversation was more calm and intelligent in contrast to the increasing bile and vitriol on other Talk stations.
The talk format ended 18-24 months later (memory fuzzy on that) and the simulcast with 107.5 began, first as a sibling to KTBZ, then to KLDE after the format swap between 94.5 and 107.5.
In late 2000 Cox was the owner, launching "Hot 97.1", a format totally unsuited to the rimshot signal. It lasted two years. Country Legends 97.1 debuted in January 2003, and has been on the air ever since.
