KDWZ (102.5 FM, "102.5 KDWZ ") is a Top 40 (CHR) radio station located in Duluth, Minnesota (licensed to Superior, Wisconsin). KDWZ is owned by Midwest Communications, which also owns WDSM, WGEE, KDAL, KDAL-FM and KTCO in Duluth. All the Duluth stations share the same studio location at 715 East Central Entrance, up the hill from downtown.

History [link]

The station was Top 40/CHR as "102.5 KZIO" (call sign now used by 104.3/94.1) until November 1996 when it switched to modern/alternative rock as "102.5 The Bear" with the KRBR-FM call sign. The Bear transitioned to active rock in 1998, and broadened its playlist by 2002. By 2006, "The Bear" moniker was dropped as the station branded as "102.5 KRBR" and added a significant amount of Classic Rock to its playlist to become a mainstream rock station. On March 3, 2008, KRBR changed its call sign to KHQG, and began branding itself as "102.5 The Hog" while remaining with a mainstream rock format. In March 2009, KHQG shifted from mainstream rock to "Classic Rock 102.5." In the classic rock arena, 102.5 more solidly targeted the market's heritage classic rock station, KQDS-FM 94.9. The previous format had fallen between KQ and its active rock sister, 94X.

On August 30, 2010, KHQG changed its call sign to KDWZ; also switching formats to Top 40 (CHR) on that same date. The station's logo fonts and call letters were inspired by KDWB-FM/Minneapolis-St. Paul. This marked the station's return to the format after 14 years and in turn filled a void for a full fledged Top 40 station (107.7 KBMX "Mix 108" airs a Hot AC/Top 40 hybrid format) that was left open by WWAX in 2008.^[1] WWAX flips to Hot AC as "NU 92" (pronounced as "New 92") shortly after on September 2, 2010 to attack Mix 108 on the other side.

The KDWZ call sign was used with Top 40 stations in Des Moines, Iowa (was known on-air as "Z93", now oldies formatted KIOA) and Grand Forks, North Dakota (now country formatted KYCK) in the 1980s.

References [link]

External links [link]

• KDWZ official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KDWZ
• Radio-Locator information on KDWZ
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KDWZ

Coordinates: 46°47′20″N 92°07′08″W / 46.789°N 92.119°W / 46.789; -92.119