ERP 40,000 watts Class C City of license Salt Lake City Owner Cumulus Media | HAAT 894 meters Facility ID 53497 Format Adult contemporary music Branding B98.7 | |
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Broadcast area Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo, Utah First air date June 15, 1979 (as KCPX-FM) Frequency 98.7 MHz (also on HD Radio) Area Salt Lake City, Utah, Ogden, Provo Slogan Today's Hits And Yesterday's Favorites | ||
KBEE, branded as B98.7, is a radio station in Salt Lake City, Utah which broadcasts at 98.7 MHz. The station's studios are located in South Salt Lake (behind the I-15/I-80 interchange).
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The station shares the radio rights to the Utah Jazz (National Basketball Association) with sister station KFNZ. The station is also broadcast on HD radio.
History
The station was first known as KCPX-FM beginning on June 15, 1979. On January 4, 1993, the station changed its call sign to KVRI and on finally on May 26, 1995, to KBEE-FM.
Frequency history
98.7 FM began as KCPX-FM in 1979, and aired an Album Rock format. In the 1980's, they went into a Top 40/CHR format as HitRadio 99 KCPX, and then as Power 99. The Top 40/CHR format would last until December 1992, when it flipped to Hot AC as Variety 98.7, KVRI. In May 1995, after Citadel Broadcasting bought the station, the station rebranded as "B98.7" and adopted new KBEE call letters. The station's music focus has varied slightly over the past decade, heading more alternative-rock sounding. However, in 2002, the station returned to its roots as an AC (Adult Contemporary) station as "B98.7." As of 2010, the station changed formats to adult top 40; however Mediabase and Nielsen BDS reported the station as adult contemporary still, particularly from when in 2009, KBZN acquired a more adult contemporary sound to replace smooth jazz and KOSY-FM switching to a mainstream AC sound, officially retiring the longtime soft adult contemporary format. Since July 2011, KBEE switched to the hot adult contemporary panel per Mediabase; the BDS switch is unknown. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. By February 2012, the station reverted to adult contemporary per Mediabase reports. Even after panel changes, Cumulus has always described the station as an AC. It is now also listed on the Nielsen BDS AC chart. On July 3, 2013, KBEE changed their format to adult top 40. On March 6, 2015, KBEE changed their format back to adult contemporary.
Signal
From atop Nelson Peak, 10 miles (16 km) west of West Jordan, Utah, the station has an effective radiated power of 40,000 watts, which makes the station audible throughout most of north central Utah, including all of the Wasatch Front. KBEE also broadcasts an HD signal. The station has a height above average terrain of 894 metres (2,933 ft).
History of call letters
The call letters KBEE-FM were previously assigned to a station in Modesto, California. The station began broadcasting April 3, 1948, on 103.3 MHz. It was owned by the McClatchy Broadcasting Corporation of California.