ERP 52,000 watts Class C Frequency 104.3 MHz Format Country music Area Boise metropolitan area Slogan Idaho's Fresh New Country | HAAT 786 meters Facility ID 63916 City of license Boise Owner Townsquare Media Branding Wow Country 104-3 | |
 | ||
Broadcast area Boise metropolitan area First air date July 15, 1979 (as KIDQ) | ||
KAWO (104.3 FM, "Wow Country 104.3") is a commercial radio station located in Boise, Idaho. KAWO airs a country music format branded as "Wow Country 104.3". Until 2007, the station was called "My Country 104.3" and its call letters were KTMY.
History
The station operated with the call letters KLTB as "Kool Oldies 104.3" until January 2006 when then-owner Clear Channel Communications flipped it from oldies to a country format. The new format brought new call letters, KTMY, and new positioning as "My Country 104.3". The station's ratings continued to decline, however, and in March 2007 the station was sold to Peak Broadcasting which controlled the station via an LMA until the FCC gave final approval for the sale.
In late May 2007 KTMY shed its "My Country" imaging to become "WOW Country 104.3". While this involved a change to the on-air talent lineup, imaging, nickname, jingle package, and call letters the station maintained a country music format. One notable programming feature of the station became 104-minute music sets, a nod to the station's broadcast frequency, which was abandoned upon Lisa Adams taking over the Programming duties.
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would purchase Peak Broadcasting's stations, including KAWO. The deal is part of Cumulus Media's acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare will swap Peak's Fresno, California stations to Cumulus for its stations in Dubuque, Iowa and Poughkeepsie, New York, and Peak, Townsquare, and Dial Global are all controlled by Oaktree Capital Management. The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013.