KWWK

KWWK
Broadcast area
Rochester, Minnesota
Frequency96.5 MHz
BrandingQuick Country 96.5
Programming
FormatCountry
Affiliations
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
1967 (1967)
Former call signs
KOLM-FM (1967–1973)
Call sign meaning
"Quick"
Technical information
Licensing authority
FCC
50289
ClassC2
ERP43,000 watts
HAAT161 m (528 ft)
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitequickcountry.com

KWWK (96.5 FM, "Quick Country 96.5") is a radio station located in Rochester, Minnesota, with a country music format. It is under ownership of Townsquare Media.

History

KWWK began as KOLM-FM, a Rochester FM station owned by Olmsted County Broadcasting Company. The FCC Broadcast Bureau granted the license for the new FM station on August 23, 1967. Early station material shows the FM outlet operating on 96.7 MHz. A 1974 letter from KOLM's chief engineer referred to "FM-Station KWWK" as commonly owned with KOLM by Olmsted County Broadcasting, and the same letter stated that the operation had changed from an easy-listening format to country-western in 1968.

The KWWK call letters date to late 1973. In October 1973, Broadcasting reported that KOLM-FM had applied to change its call sign to KWWK(FM). The new call sign was reported as granted in the magazine's December 31, 1973 issue.

KOLM and KWWK continued to be operated together by Olmsted County Broadcasting. In 1974, FCC renewal notices listed KOLM-AM and KWWK-FM together. In 1975, the FCC approved a construction-permit modification for KWWK to change its antenna and transmitting equipment, with 3 kW ERP, an antenna height of 295 feet, and remote control from 114 1/2 South Broadway in Rochester. KWWK was authorized for program operating authority with changed facilities on September 11, 1975.

The station remained under local ownership for many years. A 1977 Broadcasting item identified Howard G. Bill as owner of KOLM(AM)-KWWK(FM), and a 1982 item again described Bill as owner of the Rochester stations. A 1984 Country Radio Seminar directory listed KWWK-FM as a country station at 96.7 MHz, operating with 3 kW and broadcasting 24 hours a day from 114 1/2 South Broadway.

KWWK made its major modern facility move in the early 1990s. In 1990, Broadcasting reported that KWWK, then listed at 96.7 MHz, had applied for a construction permit to increase to 35.2 kW horizontal and vertical ERP and move its transmitter to a site 3.7 kilometers east of Byron, Minnesota, near U.S. Highway 14. FCCInfo records show the station's present 96.5 MHz license-to-cover, file BLH-19921005KG, was accepted on October 5, 1992, and granted on May 17, 1993. The facility is licensed on channel 243C2 at 96.5 MHz, with 43 kW ERP and a HAAT of 161 meters.

In 2003, Cumulus Media agreed to buy 15 stations in the Rochester, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, markets. The deal included KOLM(AM), KWWK(FM), and KLCX(FM), which Radio World reported Cumulus was acquiring from Olmsted County Broadcasting and Howard and Lucille Bill. Cumulus reported to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it completed its Rochester acquisitions, including KWWK-FM, in late March 2004.

KWWK later became part of Townsquare Media. On August 30, 2013, Townsquare announced that it would acquire assets including 53 Cumulus radio stations in 12 markets, including Rochester, Minnesota. Townsquare later reported in SEC filings that the Cumulus transaction closed on November 14, 2013. Townsquare currently lists KWWK as "KWWK 96.5-FM Rochester's #1 For New Country", and FCCInfo lists the station's licensee as Townsquare License, LLC.

In 2025, NorthPine reported that the Curt & Samm in the Morning show from Townsquare's "Quick Country 96.5" KWWK in Rochester was being syndicated to seven other Townsquare country stations nationwide.

References

  1. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KWWK". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 4, 1967. p. 82. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  3. ↑ "KOLM Radio letter to Ernest J. Wesolowski" (PDF). National Radio Club. April 16, 1974. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  4. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 22, 1973. p. 48. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  5. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. December 31, 1973. p. 72. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 6, 1974. p. 56. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  7. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 7, 1975. p. 49. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  8. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 6, 1975. p. 82. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  9. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 3, 1977. p. 68. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  10. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 12, 1982. p. 77. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  11. ↑ Country Radio Seminar 15th Annual Program Book (PDF). Country Radio Seminar. 1984. p. 93. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  12. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 27, 1990. p. 70. Retrieved June 2, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  13. 1 2 "FCCInfo Results: KWWK(FM)". FCCInfo.com. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Cumulus Enters Two Markets With 15-Station Buy". Radio World. December 1, 2003. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Cumulus Media Inc. Form 10-Q". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 2004. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Townsquare Media Acquiring Assets from Cumulus and Peak". Townsquare Media. August 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Townsquare Media, Inc. Form 10-K". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Brands - Local Radio Stations & Clusters". Townsquare Media. Retrieved June 2, 2026.
  19. ↑ Ellis, Jon (October 31, 2025). "Weekly Log: Green Bay, Omaha Hosts Retire; Rochester Show Syndicated". NorthPine: Upper Midwest Broadcasting. Retrieved June 2, 2026.

44°01′59″N 92°36′11″W / 44.033°N 92.603°W / 44.033; -92.603