KGGO

Infobox Radio Station
name = KGGO


city = Des Moines, Iowa
area = Des Moines metropolitan area
slogan = Classic Rock That Rocks
airdate = May 31, 1964 (as KFMG)
frequency = 94.9 (MHz)
format = Classic rock
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 325 meters
class = C
facility_id = 12965
owner = Citadel Broadcasting
webcast = [http://www.kggo.com/article.asp?id=542375 Listen Live]
website = [http://www.kggo.com/ www.kggo.com]
sister_stations = KBGG, KHKI, KJJY, KWQW

KGGO is a classic rock radio station based in Des Moines, Iowa. It is located at 94.9 on the FM band. The station's studios are in Urbandale, Iowa, with Citadel Broadcasting's other Des Moines stations: KJJY, KHKI, KWQW, and KBGG. (Before 2001, KGGO's studios were located in Berwick, a small town north of Des Moines.)

History

The first radio station to occupy the 94.9 FM frequency in Des Moines was KNDR (New Directions Radio), which signed on in 1961 but left the air a year later due to financial problems. On May 31, 1964, KFMG debuted on that frequency with a "fine arts" format. In 1970 KFMG became a free-form station that played a wide variety of music, including alternative rock. KFMG became KGGO in 1975 [cite web|author=DesMoinesBroadcasting.com|title=KFMG History|url=http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/kggo/kfmg-main.html|accessdate=2007-03-11] , and KGGO played Top 40 music for its first few years as "Go-95" before shifting to an album-oriented rock format on July 19, 1978. [cite news|first=Jim|last=Healey|title=KGGO turns it over; quits top-40 format for albums|work=The Des Moines Register|date=1978-07-20|page=7S] In the spring of 1984, KGGO became the first FM station in the Des Moines area to finish in first place in the local Arbitron ratings. [cite news|first=Dave|last=Rhein|title=KGGO rocks to top of radio ratings|work=The Des Moines Register|date=1984-08-05|page=3-TV] KGGO remained the Des Moines area's highest-rated radio station throughout most of the late 1980s and 1990s. [cite book|first=Jeff|last=Stein|title=Making Waves: The People and Places of Iowa Broadcasting|location=Cedar Rapids, Iowa|publisher=WDG Communications|year=2004|pages=113|id=ISBN 0-9718323-1-5]

KGGO's rock music format was simulcast on 1460 AM from 1989 to 1994 after the former KSO radio ended its country music format. The AM frequency adopted the KGGO call letters during that time period. The simulcast ended in 1994, when 1460's call letters became KDMI. [cite web|author=DesMoinesBroadcasting.com|title=Des Moines Station Timeline|url=http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/timeline-frameset.html|accessdate=2007-03-11] By the end of the 1990s, KGGO had transitioned into a classic rock station.

KGGO's ownership has changed several times in recent years. AMFM, Inc., owned KGGO in the late 1990s. In 2000, AMFM merged with Clear Channel Communications, but since Clear Channel already owned several stations in the Des Moines market, KGGO and sister station KHKI were sold to Barnstable Broadcasting. (Clear Channel kept KDMI, which later became KXNO.) [cite web|author=NorthPine.com|title=Broadcasting News-March 2000|url=http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news032k.html|accessdate=2007-03-11] In May 2001, Barnstable sold its Des Moines cluster of stations to Wilks Broadcasting [cite web|author=NorthPine.com|title=Broadcasting News-May 2001|url=http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0501.html|accessdate=2007-03-11] ; two years later, Wilks sold the stations to Citadel Broadcasting. [cite web|author=NorthPine.com|title=Broadcasting News-May 2003|url=http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0503.html|accessdate=2007-03-11]

On September 22, 2005, Citadel Broadcasting purchased the naming rights to the former Buccaneer Arena in Urbandale. The home of the Des Moines Buccaneers was then renamed 95KGGO Arena. [cite web|author=Des Moines Buccaneers (press release)|title=Citadel Broadcasting Co. and the Des Moines Buccaneers Score a Deal|url=http://www.bucshockey.com/05_06/0506press_releases/09_22_05.html|accessdate=2007-03-11] . In 2008, the name reverted back to Buccaneer Arena.

Personalities and programming

KGGO is the home of the "Lou, Round Guy, & Heather" morning show featuring Lou Sipolt, Steve Pilchen ("the Round Guy"), and Heather Burnside. It airs weekday mornings from 5:30 AM to 9:30 AM and regularly features stand-up comedy acts from the local Funny Bone comedy club as guests. In 2001 the trio released a CD, "Kiss This CD!!!", which was sold to raise money for local charities. The CD featured bits from the morning show as well as interviews with Sammy Hagar, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and John G. Brennan of the Jerky Boys; in-studio performances by Shannon Curfman and Kenny Wayne Shepherd; and comedy bits from Roy D. Mercer, Red Peters, and Heywood Banks.

Other current on-air personalities include Jeff "Clutch" Witzke, Brian James, Joey The Ratt, and Doug Bailey. On Sunday mornings they air "The Roadhouse," a show dedicated to blues music hosted by Andre Mosqueda.

Steve Pilchen, "The Round Guy", represented the state of Iowa in the third season of the NBC television program "The Biggest Loser". [cite news|first=Erin|last=Crawford|title=Round Guy no longer fits his nickname|work=The Des Moines Register|date=2006-09-20|page=1E]

References

External links

* [http://www.kggo.com/ KGGO website]
*FMQ|KGGO
*FML|KGGO
*FMARB|KGGO
* [http://www.desmoinesbroadcasting.com/kggo/kggo-main.html Des Moines Broadcasting History: KGGO]