KQLA

KQLA "Q Country 103.5" is a radio station licensed to Ogden, Kansas. It broadcasts to the Junction City-Manhattan-Fort Riley area broadcasting on 103.5 MHz with an ERP of 41,000 watts. The station is owned by Eagle Communications, which also owns stations KJCK and KJCK-FM, as well as 25 radio stations throughout Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

History

KQLA went on the air on the evening of February 14, 1986, with a Top 40 format, and competed against (now sister station) KJCK-FM and KMKF. (The station actually began airing construction sounds on February 12, while also conducting initial transmitter tests and generating curiosity in the community about its unannounced future format). It was owned by Kaw Valley Broadcasting Company. KQLA originally began broadcasting on 103.9 MHz at 3,000 Watts and was branded "Q-104" (an approximation of the original frequency). The station was licensed to Ogden, Kansas, a small community situated between Manhattan and Junction City near Fort Riley. In 1991, KQLA switched frequencies with KNZA, a station in Hiawatha located on 103.5. It switched to a Hot AC format when the station was sold to Platinum Broadcasting (97.5's owners) on August 1, 1997. It featured the "Young AC" programming from ABC Radio, which was satellite-fed. This lasted until 2005 when the owners cut the satellite feed and focused on local DJs and moved towards an adult contemporary format. The same satellite-fed format, known as "Today's Best Hits", could also be heard on Concordia, Kansas, based station, KCKS "94.9 Kiss FM" (which can be reached in the Junction City area), until 2010, when that station went towards a local presentation, changed call letters to KNCK and was renamed "NCK 94-9".