KXRX

For the AM station formerly known as KXRX, see KSJX.
KXRX
City Walla Walla, Washington
Broadcast area Tri Cities
Branding 97 Rock
Slogan The Columbia Basin's Rock Station
Frequency 97.1 MHz
First air date July 4, 1984 (as KAFR-FM)
Format Rock
ERP 100,000 watts
HAAT 405 meters
Class C0
Facility ID 16727
Transmitter coordinates 45°59′4″N 118°10′9″W / 45.98444°N 118.16917°W / 45.98444; -118.16917
Former callsigns KAFR-FM (07/04/84-08/03/89)
KNSN (08/03/89-11/18/94)
Owner Townsquare Media
(Townsquare Media Tri-Cities License, LLC)
Webcast Listen Live
Website 97rockonline.com

KXRX is the call sign of the radio station 97 Rock based in Pasco, Washington. The frequency is 97.1 MHz, and it is a Townsquare Media radio station. The call letters are based on the former KXRX/Seattle—a major rock radio station active in Seattle from 1987-1994 on 96.5 FM and now known as The X KXRX an internet only active rock station.

KXRX's relatively short tenure in the Seattle market was a momentous one, with "The X" establishing itself as one of the first major radio stations to play "grunge," a wave of popular music originating in the Pacific Northwest and soon spanning the globe. The station helped launch the careers of groups such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains, and featured a high-profile corps of deejays that included Mike West, Robin Erickson, John Maynard, and British-born Norman B. (Batley), who introduced listeners to "Seattle Blues," a Sunday night show that drew a large and devoted following.[1]

Bart Becker of Seattle Weekly wrote that Norman B. was "stirring up the Sunday night radio waves" and "breaking the sound barrier."[2] Prompted by the success of "Seattle Blues," KXRX unveiled a new weekly new music show hosted by Norman B. called, "The Xtra Hour."[3]

After seven years of "feisty, personality-oriented album rock," KXRX was sold by Shamrock Broadcasting to Alliance Broadcasting.[4]

The call letters KXRX were at one time assigned to an AM station in San Jose, California,[5] during the 1940s, 1950s and very early 1960s. It played music which would be considered MOR today, artists at the time like Frank Sinatra, Patti Page, etc. When rock music really took off in the late 1950s, KXRX later changed its format to all news, before finally going off the air.

As of October 12, 2013, KXRX features local personalities "AJ", "The Brad", and "Iceman". The station also runs syndicated shows The Bob & Tom Show, LA Lloyd, Rockline Radio, and Loudwire.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Seattle Blues," Jim Kelton, Everett Herald, November 18, 1988
  2. ↑ "Stirring Up Sunday Night Radio Waves: "Radio Rebel, Opinionated FM Deejay Norman B Breaks the Sound Barrier," Bart Becker, April 5, 1989
  3. ↑ "X-tra, X-tra, Read All About It," Seattle Weekly, February 22, 1989
  4. ↑ "KXRX Begins a Slow Fade As Top DJs Bid Farewell," Chuck Taylor, Seattle Times, May 27, 1994
  5. ↑ "KXRX San Jose On Air At 1550 kc, Fulltime" (PDF) (August 16, 1948). Broadcasting. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  6. ↑ "97 Rock: The Columbia Basin's Rock Station". 97rockonline.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.

External links

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