KZPK
Radio station in Paynesville–St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KZPK (98.9 FM) is a radio station in St. Cloud, Minnesota airing a country music format. The station is owned by Leighton Broadcasting. KZPK broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 47,000 watts from a tower located west of St. Cloud.[2] The station shares this tower facility with its sister station, KCLD-FM, which operates from the top of the structure at 980 feet. While KZPK’s signal is transmitted from a lower height of 152 meters (approx. 500 feet) and a lower wattage compared to KCLD's 100,000-watt signal, it still provides substantial coverage throughout the St. Cloud metropolitan area.
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| Broadcast area | |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.9 MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | Wild Country 99 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Subchannels |
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| Ownership | |
| Owner | Leighton Broadcasting |
| KCLD-FM, KCML, KNSI, K277BS | |
| History | |
First air date | 1995 |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 57562 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 24,000 watts |
| HAAT | 220 meters (720 ft) |
| Translator | HD3: 103.3 K277BS (St. Cloud) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast |
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| Website | www.wildcountry99.com www.zrock1033.com (HD3) |
History
KZPK officially began broadcasting in 1995.[3] The station was established by Leighton Broadcasting (then known as Leighton Enterprises, Inc.), led by broadcasting pioneer Alver "Al" Leighton.[4] The launch was historically significant for the St. Cloud market as it represented the first legal duopoly in the region, allowed by changing federal regulations that permitted a single company to own multiple stations in the same market.[5]
In its early years, the station operated under the branding "Wild 98.9" before evolving into its current "Wild Country 99" identity in May 2004.[6]
HD Radio
During the summer of 2017, KZPK started broadcasting in HD Radio, carrying the main signal on HD1, a simulcast of KNSI 1450 AM on HD2 which is news/talk, and a classic rock format on HD3 branded as "Z-Rock 103.3".[7][8]
the station's HD-3 channel is available over traditional radio on 103.3 FM via translator K277BS, licensed to St. Cloud. In 2021, KZPK HD3 quietly rebranded as "Real Rock Z103" with no change in format.
