KABQ-FM

For other stations that have held the call sign KABQ-FM, seeKABQ.

KABQ-FM

Corrales, New Mexico
Broadcast area	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Frequency	95.1MHz(HD Radio)
Branding	Hot 95.1
Programming
Format	Rhythmic oldies
Subchannels	HD2:Talk
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia, Inc. (iHM Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	KABQ,KBQI,KPEK,KTEG,KZRR,K251AU,K265CA
History
First air date	1995(1995)(as KSVA)
Former call signs	KSVA (1989–1999) KSYU (1999–2010) KLQT (2010–2016) KOLZ (2016–2021)
Call signmeaning	Albuquerque
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	39265
Class	C1
ERP	100,000watts
HAAT	132 meters (433 ft)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	Hot 95.1

KABQ-FM(95.1FM) is a commercialradio stationlocated inCorrales, New Mexico,United States, broadcasting to theAlbuquerquearea. It broadcasts at full power from a tower atop Nine Mile Hill west of Albuquerque, with studios located in Northeast Albuquerque and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc.(formerly Clear Channel Communications).

KABQ-FM airs arhythmic oldiesformat branded as "Hot 95.1" featuringHip hop,R&B,and some dance-pop from the 1980s-2000's. The format started on January 2, 2014, on translatorK265CA(100.9 FM), branded as "Hot 100.9". On November 3, 2014, the format moved to the then-KLQT. The station was jockless for the first year, but now features formerA Lighter Shade of Brownmember "ODM" in morning drive and local personality Janae Martinez in afternoon drive.

KABQ-FM broadcasts inHD.

History

Religious: 1995-1999

The 95.1 frequency was originallyLifeTalk Radioaffiliate KSVA (now at920 AM) when it signed on in 1995.

Adult contemporary: 1999-2002

In 1999, after Clear Channel bought the station from Trumper Communications, they would target Albuquerque as anadult contemporaryoutlet as KSYU ( "Sunny 95.1" ); the format would adapt a rhythmic lean to it, described as "warm rhythms."

Urban adult contemporary: 2002-2009

After airing an all Christmas music format throughout December in 2002, they would flip to anurban adult contemporaryformat branded as "Hot 95.1" that was patterned after sister stationKHHTinLos Angeleson January 1, 2003. Its slogan and format definition was "Old School and Today's R&B".Local morning personalities included Chaz Malibu from 2003 to 2006 and Big Benny from 2007 to 2009 (both are now atKABG). Unlike the current format, this version of "Hot" did not play hip-hop, and featured a more down-tempo format of mostly R&B hits centered around the 1970s and 1980s, and also featured current hits.

Rhythmic adult contemporary: 2009-2010

On May 1, 2009, KSYU switched directions from Urban AC to an upbeat Dance-flavoredrhythmic adult contemporarydirection, using the same musical approach as their sister stations inNew York,Philadelphia,MiamiandFt. Myers,as "The All New 95-1 - Move To The Music."

Adult contemporary: 2010-2012

Logo from 2010 to 2012

On May 4, 2010, after a year with the rhythmic AC format, KSYU changed their format to adult contemporary, branded as "Lite 95.1" and on May 5, 2010, changed calls to KLQT.The final song as "95-1" was "Last Dance"byDonna Summer,while the first song on "Lite" was "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"byStarship.KLQT went head-on withCumulus Media'sKMGAfor listeners. The station offered "commercial free Mondays", in which the station did not air commercials for 24 hours. During November and December, it aired holiday music. Despite all this, "Lite" drew very low Arbitron ratings and did not seem to have any impact on the long established KMGA.

Top 40: 2012-2014

On May 16, 2012, at Noon, KLQT changed their format tocontemporary hits,branded as "Channel 95.1".The final song on "Lite" was "End of the Road"byBoyz II Men,while the first song on "Channel" was "Starships"byNicki Minaj.This added to a crowded field of contemporary pop stations in the Albuquerque market with KLQT competing directly with Cumulus Media'sKKOB-FM(which has aired the format since late 2002), as well as American General Media'sKDLW.There are also twoRhythmic Contemporarystations in the market as well; the long runningKKSSfrom Univision and American General Media'sKAGM,and bilingual Latin CHRKKRG-FM,which flipped toclassic hip-hopin September 2015.

Personalities on "Channel" were mostly syndicated by Clear Channel to its various stations airing the CHR format. It featured Johnjay and Rich fromKZZPin Phoenix in morning drive,JoJo Wright,Billy the Kidd and Sisanie.On Air with Ryan Seacrestmoved fromKKOB-FMin May 2013 and was featured in middays. "Channel" had only one local personality in afternoons. The format had very low ratings, finishing last in a three way CHR battle, with KKOB-FM continuing to be the market leader in the format, while KDLW had undergone a transformation in April 2013 from "OMG! 106.7" to "Z106.3", and performing only slightly better than KLQT.

Rhythmic oldies: 2014-present

On November 3, 2014, at Midnight, afterstuntingwith a 24-hour loop of "Bye Bye Bye"by*NSYNC,KLQT flipped torhythmic oldiesand returned to the "Hot 95.1" moniker; the format and name moving over from100.9 FM.95.1 and 100.9 simulcasted until January 12, 2015, when K265CA debuted anurban contemporaryformat.

On March 30, 2016, KLQT changed their call letters to KOLZ.

K265CA/KLQT/KOLZ had mostly competed withKKRG-FM,which had launched shortly after the format's debut in early 2014. That station was owned byUnivision Radio,and the two stations were often head-to-head in the ratings, although in low numbers.Following American General Media's acquisition of KKRG, the station dropped the format on October 31, 2017, making KOLZ the only station in the market with this format.

On May 31, 2021, KOLZ changed their call letters to KABQ-FM; the calls were on what is nowKNFZupon that station's divestment to the Delmarva Educational Association the previous month.Concurrently, the KOLZ call letters moved to sisterKAZXinFarmington.

External links

• KABQ-FM Official Website
• Facility details for Facility ID 39265 (KABQ-FM)in theFCCLicensing and Management System
• KABQ-FMinNielsen Audio's FM station database