Retro Dial: Albuquerque, April 1993

[TR1968]

from Albuquerque Journal via Newspapers.com

AM Dial
610 KZSS (album rock)
730 KDAZ (contemporary Christian)
770 KKOB (AC)
810 KSWV (bilingual)
860 KARS (country/Spanish)
920 KQEO (news/talk)
1000 KKIM (Christian talk)
1050 KMBA (business talk/news)
1150 KDEF (sports)
1190 KXKS (Spanish)
1240 KALY (Spanish Top 40/bilingual)
1260 KVSF (eclectic music)
1310 KIVA (nostalgia/big band)
1350 KABQ (Spanish)
1400 KTRC (big band/nostalgia)
1450 KRZY (country)
1520 KAMX (AC)
1580 KZKL (Top 40 oldies)

FM Dial
88.3 KLYT (Christian hits)
89.1 KANW (urban; American Public Radio)
89.9 KUNM (NPR)
90.7 KSFR (fine arts/public)
91.5 KFLQ (Christian inspirational)
92.3 KRST (country)
93.3 KKOB (pop/AC)
94.1 KZRR (album rock)
95.5 KHYN (contemporary country)
95.9 KIOT (eclectic music)
96.3 KHFM (classical; also on 96.7 Santa Fe)
97.3 KKSS (CHR/urban)
97.7 KARS (country)
98.5 KRBL (Top 40)
99.5 KMGA (light rock)
100.3 KKJY (easy listening)
101.7 KZKL (Top 40 oldies; also on 95.9)
103.3 KASY (country)
104.1 KLSK (classic rock; also on 100.9)
105.1 KZRQ (rock)
105.5 KBAC (adult progressive rock)
105.9 KOLT (country; also on 106.3)
106.7 KBOM (oldies)
107.1 KUCU (country)
107.9 KAMX (AC)

 

[AbqAnonymous]

Out of curiosity I looked up the data from that time here: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1993-Spring.pdf scroll down to page 12.

So, with six FM country stations KRST topped the market with double digits. Today they only get about a quarter of what they had 30 years ago. Today's battle with KRST and KBQI is closer to what KOLT and KASY were. KARS, KNYN and KUCU don't appear to have done much. But it certainly is not as big a format it once was. Of course, 98.1 The Bull plays the music of that time but only averages in the 2s. Maybe Albuquerque has just gotten more "urban" in the last 3 decades or something.

770 KKOB is listed as "full service" but when did it become a news/talk format full time? A few of the AMs had become redundant with simulcasts of FM stations. There were also no Spanish-language FMs, so KXKS and KALY got pretty decent numbers.

I suppose KANW was still playing urban music at that time, I'm not exactly sure when they switched to "New Mexico Music" but it was probably around the mid-90s.

So, with teens it was KKSS and KZRQ while in 18-34 KRST, KZRR, KKSS, KKOB-FM, KZRQ and KLSK were the top choices. 25-54 it was KRST, KZRR, KKOB-FM. KKOB AM, and KLSK and then 35+ had KKOB AM, KRST, KHFM. KKJY, and KIVA. So KRST also did well across nearly all of the age groups. Big Band, Easy Listening, soft rock, and "Top 40 Oldies" have of course aged out of any marketable demographic.

KBAC and KIOT were both using translators (which there were fewer of back then). I think 102.5 signed on later that year. The source station I think was out of Espanola. KBAC had ok numbers for the format and translator usage (I'm not sure what the power level was for 105.5). K240BL 95.9 was once at just 40 watts. It's mentioned that KHFM was on 96.7 in Santa Fe so maybe a translator once existed there but not anymore. 106.3 also had a translator before the Los Lunas station launched in 1995 but I think it was airing 105.1 and not 105.9.

Today KRST, KKOB, KZRR, KKSS, KMGA, and KHFM are the ones still using the same branding with the same or similar format as 30 years ago.

 

[Scott from NM]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't move to Albuquerque until the 2010's but, of course, had an interest in the history of the local radio dial when I did arrive. Wikipedia and Google filled in some info but it is far more concise to just see a straight up listing from a certain date in time.

 

[AbqAnonymous]

860 KARS (country/Spanish)

I guess some things come back around (partially)