KMRY

KMRY (1450 AM, "Classic KMRY") is a radio station licensed to serve Cedar Rapids, Iowa, owned by Jim Ecker, through licensee Ecker Broadcasting Co.

For the airport in Monterey, California, assigned ICAO code KMRY, see Monterey Regional Airport.
KMRY
Broadcast areaCedar Rapids, Iowa
Frequency1450 kHz
BrandingClassic KMRY
Programming
FormatClassic hits
AffiliationsCBS Radio Network
Ownership
Owner
  • Jim Ecker
  • (Ecker Broadcasting Co.)
History
First air date
AM signal – August 14, 1948 (as KWCR)[1]
FM signal – July 1, 2011
Former call signs
KWCR (1949-1952)
KPIG (1952-1962)[1]
KLWW (1962-1980)
KCDR (1980-1988)[2]
Call sign meaning
K-MemoRY (former branding)
Technical information
Facility ID17697 (KMRY), 145166 (K226BO)
ClassC (KMRY), D (K226BO)
Power1,000 watts (unlimited)
ERP250 watts (K226BO)
Transmitter coordinates
42°00′25″N 91°42′29″W (KMRY)
42°01′57″N 91°40′24″W (K226BO)
Translator(s)93.1 K226BO (Cedar Rapids)
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitekmryradio.com

The station was assigned the KMRY call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on November 21, 1988.[2]

Awards

In September 2002, the station (as KLWW, its 1960s incarnation) was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.[1][3]

In November 2002, then-station owner and long-time morning host Rick Sellers was honored with the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival Peter Teahen Award.[4]

Programming

The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The bulk of its music programming, the "Greatest Hits of All Time," consists of Top 40 hits from the mid-1960s to the mid-1990s.

The station employs four main LIVE on-air personalities; Morning Show Host (Ricky Bartlett), Afternoon Host (Holly 'Stevie' Penuel), Afternoon Drive (Chris Jensen) and Sports Host host (Jim Ecker).

Music broadcasts at other hours, including the evenings  weekdays, are automated.

Additionally, the station is the home for Xavier High School athletic.

The station carries CBS Radio news at the top of every hour.

On Sunday mornings, the station airs Sunday Morning Church Services from First Lutheran Church In Cedar Rapids (8:30 – 9:00 am) Followed be a block of Polka music (9:05 am – noon).

HD radio

In 2004, KMRY became the first AM radio station in Iowa to implement HD Radio broadcasting.[1][5] On January 4, 2004, the first consumer sale of a commercial HD radio, a Kenwood model KTC-HR 100 converter, was made at Ultimate Electronics in Cedar Rapids as a publicity stunt before the national debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later that week.[6] As of September 2012, the station was no longer broadcasting in HD.

FM radio

On July 1, 2011 KMRY began simulcasting its AM programming on FM, broadcasting a 250 watt signal on 93.1 MHz from translator K226BO in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (originally located in Anamosa, Iowa).

On-air personalities

Ricky Bartlett Morning Show Host | Monday-Friday 6am-12pm (http://kmryradio.com/ricky-bartlett/)

Holly 'Stevie' Penuel Mid-Morning Host | Monday-Friday 1pm-4pm (https://kmryradio.com/holly-penuel)

Jim Ecker - Owner/Sports (https://kmryradio.com/jim-ecker)

Frank Balvanz Jukebox Rewind LIVE | Saturday 7pm-9pm (https://kmryradio.com/frank-balvanz)

Dave Franklin Sunday Morning Polka Host (https://kmryradio.com/frank-balvanz)

Scot Hughes Play-by-Play (https://kmryradio.com/scot-hughes)

References
  1. "Station History". KMRY station website. Archived from the original on 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  2. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  3. "KLWW/KMRY 1450 AM". Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  4. Hogan, Dick (2002-11-20). "Freedom Festival honors C.R. broadcaster". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City).
  5. Davidson, Paul (2005-08-23). "Digital radio emerges into the future". USA Today. KMRY-AM, an adult standards music station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, added digital two years ago, hoping the fuller, clearer sound attracts new listeners. "It's going to save (AM) stations like us," says KMRY owner Rick Sellers. "I'm not going to double my audience, but by God, I can be (the city's No. 4 station), up from No. 7."
  6. Ford, George C. (2004-01-05). "C.R. station pioneers digital radio". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids-Iowa City).
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