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KVDU

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KVDU
Broadcast area
Frequency104.1MHz
Branding104.1 The Vibe
Programming
FormatUrban adult contemporary
AffiliationsPremiere Networks
Ownership
Owner
KRVE,WFMF,WJBO,WYNK-FM
History
First air date
November 15, 1968;55 years ago(1968-11-15)
Former call signs
  • KHOM-FM (1968–1998)
  • KUMX (1998–2001)
  • KFXN-FM (2001–2002)
  • KSTE-FM (2002–2005)
  • KHEV (2005–2006)
  • KYRK (2006–2010)
  • KOBW (2010–2011)
Call signmeaning
Sounds like "voodoo"(former branding)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID34528
ClassC3
ERP17,500watts
HAAT119 meters (390 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
30°22′26″N91°05′44″W/ 30.37389°N 91.09556°W/30.37389; -91.09556
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Website1041thespot.iheart.com

KVDU(104.1FM,"104.1 The Vibe" ) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toGonzales, Louisiana.It airs anurban adult contemporaryradio format.Owned byiHeartMedia, Inc.,the station serves theBaton Rouge metropolitan area,with itsradio studiosand offices located east of downtown Baton Rouge near theI-10/I-12interchange.

KVDU's transmitter is on Mancuso Lane in Baton Rouge.

History

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MOR and Oldies

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The stationsigned onthe air on November 15, 1968. The station's originalcall signwas KHOM, with the call letters reflecting its original city of license,Houma.[2]It broadcast from a 350-foottower,only targeting the Houma area.

In 1989, it moved its antenna atop the 2,000-foot tower inVacherie,also used by WCKW-FM (nowWZRH). The move allowed the station's signal to reach into the New Orleans and Baton Rouge markets. The more–powerful signal could also be heard inLafayette, Louisiana,and even some counties inMississippi.The station remained licensed to Houma, but dropped itsmiddle of the road(MOR) format foroldies.

Top 40

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In late 1994, afterWEZBended itsTop 40format in favor ofHot talk,KHOM's then-owner, Raymond A. Saadi, decided to flip KHOM to Top 40 as "Mix 104.1." The station kept the heritage KHOM call letters before changing to KUMX in 1998. In February 1997, the station was acquired bySan Antonio-basedClear Channel Communications,a forerunner to today's iHeartMedia, for $8.75 million.[3]Clear Channel also acquired other FM stations in the New Orleans market, includingurban contemporaryWQUE-FM,urban adult contemporaryWYLD-FM,country musicWNOE-FM,andalternative rockKKND (now owned by Cumulus). Under Clear Channel ownership, KUMX ran a small playlist, stressing repeated airing of the biggest current hits.

The move to Top 40 paid off in the ratings, and in the spring of 1996, WEZB switched back to its original Top 40 format and recaptured most of its old audience. On June 29, 2001, at 6 a.m., "Mix"signed offwith "When It's Over"bySugar Ray,and beganstuntingby playing only construction sound effects.[4]

Classic Rock, Adult Top 40 and Urban Gospel

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At 5 p.m. on June 29, the station flipped to aclassic rockformat as "104-1 The Fox," under the new KFXN-FM call sign. The new format launched with an "AllBeatlesWeekend ", beginning with"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

On July 26, 2002, the station returned to Top 40 music as theadult-leaning"104.1 KISS-FM," under new call sign KSTE-FM. However, "KISS-FM" did not catch on in the ratings.[5]By November 2003, the format shifted toRhythmic Top 40,then flipped tourban gospelin July 2005 as "Hallelujah 104.1", under new call letters KHEV.

After 16 months in the gospel format, Clear Channel decided to replace it withactive rockon November 13, 2006. In the process, it inherited "The Rock of New Orleans" slogan from sister stationWRNO-FM,which dropped its heritage rock/classic rock format forall-talkon the same day as KHEV's flip. On November 20, 2006, Clear Channel replaced the KHEV call sign with new call letters KYRK.

The Brew, Voodoo and The Spot

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On July 1, 2010, at 3 p.m., KYRK changed its format back to classic rock, this time branded as104.1 The Brew.The station's former active rock format was moved to itsHD2signal at that time.[6]On July 19, 2010, KYRK changed call letters to KOBW to go with the "Brew" branding. "The Brew" was positioned as "Classic Rock for a New Generation", which played mostly late 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s classic rock tracks.

"Voodoo 104" logo (2011–2017)

Nearly a year later, on June 30, 2011, the station flipped to iHeartMedia's "GenXRadio "format asVoodoo 104,carrying aclassic hitsformat focusing primarily on music from the 1990s. The station would change its call letters to KVDU to match the new branding. By the beginning of 2012, KVDU had dropped the "GenX" format and segued to arhythmic adult contemporaryformat, and later segued tohot adult contemporary.[7][8]

Logo as "The Spot" prior to Baton Rouge relocation, 2017-2024

On August 22, 2017, at 5 p.m., KVDU flipped to a rock-leaningadult hitsformat, branded as104.1 The Spot.[9]

Tower collapse, relocation to Baton Rouge

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During the impact ofHurricane Idain August 2021, KVDU's tower, shared withCumulus Media-ownedWZRH,was destroyed. High winds knocked out the station's terrestrial broadcast, although the station continued by streaming on theiHeartRadioapp. Eventually, the station was able to find a temporary transmitter in downtown New Orleans.[10]

A permanent new transmitter location was not found until March of the following year, when iHeart announced to the FCC its intention to change the city of license toGonzales.This also had the effect of moving the station's signal closer to Baton Rouge.[11]The shorter tower and relocation ended KVDU's ability to effectively cover the New Orleansradio market.The new signal would ultimately swap positions in the New Orleans market withWFFX,which concurrently moved fromHattiesburg, Mississippito New Orleans.[12]

The moves took effect on October 14, 2024, with KVDU adopting anurban adult contemporaryformat as104.1 The Vibeat that time. The station now serves as a market run-through for several urban contemporary shows broadcast byPremiere Networks,most notably the syndicated shows ofSteve HarveyandKeith Sweat.[13]Three days later, after a stunt period, WFFX would revive theVoodoobranding and hot AC format previously used by KVDU.[14]

References

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  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for KVDU".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^"Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-88"(PDF).
  3. ^Broadcasting Yearbook 1999 page D-191
  4. ^""Mix 104.1" KUMX flips from CHR to Classic Hits KFXN "The Fox"".June 29, 2001.
  5. ^http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2002/RR-2002-08-02.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  6. ^""The Rock Of New Orleans" Is Now 104.1 The Brew - RadioInsight ".
  7. ^Venta, Lance (October 17, 2024)."Voodoo Returns To New Orleans".RadioInsight.RetrievedOctober 17,2024.
  8. ^"VooDoo Hits New Orleans".RadioInsight.June 30, 2011.RetrievedOctober 21,2024.
  9. ^"104.1 Marks The Spot In New Orleans".RadioInsight.August 22, 2017.RetrievedOctober 21,2024.
  10. ^"WZRH/KVDU Tower Destroyed By Hurricane Ida".RadioInsight.August 31, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 1,2021.
  11. ^"FCC Report 3/27: KVDU Proposes Move Away From New Orleans - RadioInsight".
  12. ^"WFFX Completes Move From Hattiesburg To New Orleans With Halloween Stunt".RadioInsight.October 14, 2024.RetrievedOctober 14,2024.
  13. ^A New Vibe Debuts in Baton Rouge Following KVDU Move from New Orleans
  14. ^Venta, Lance (October 17, 2024)."Voodoo Returns To New Orleans".RadioInsight.RetrievedOctober 17,2024.
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