Class C Frequency 98.7 MHz Format Sports radio Area Phoenix Call sign meaning K Most Valuable Player | HAAT 545 meters (1,788 ft) Facility ID 52514 City of license Phoenix | |
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KMVP-FM (98.7 FM) is the callsign for a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona branded as "Arizona Sports 98.7 FM". It airs programming from ESPN Radio, in addition to Arizona Sports-acquired broadcast rights for local teams. Arizona Sports is owned by Bonneville International Corporation. Its studios are located in Phoenix near Piestewa Peak and its transmitter is in South Mountain Park.
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Arizona Sports is the flagship station of the National Basketball Association's Phoenix Suns, the National Football League's Arizona Cardinals, the Arizona State University Sun Devils' football games, the National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes and Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona Sports owns all of the major sports team rights in the Phoenix market.
Early years
98.7 FM signed on in July 1960 as KTAR-FM, co-owned with KTAR and KTAR-TV (now KPNX). In the mid-1970s, the station became KBBC broadcasting easy listening music programming. KBBC became one of the nation's pioneers in a format that became known as "Soft Rock" under the programming direction of J.D. Freeman who moved over from KNIX-FM afternoon drive.
KKLT (98.7 K-Lite)
In 1982, the format evolved into a soft adult contemporary music format branded as "K-Lite" along with a change of call letters to KKLT. The staff included program director Marc McCoy and sales manager Ken Hoag.
KPKX (98.7 The Peak)
On May 28, 2004, the format was changed to adult hits (along with a change of call letters to KPKX on May 9, 2005). KPKX became one of the first stations in the US to flip to the format, and the first not to do it as "Jack FM", "Bob FM", or with "FM" in its name. The first song on "The Peak" was "A Change Would Do You Good" by Sheryl Crow. Since then, various format tweaks molded the station into a true variety frequency.
KMVP-FM (Arizona Sports 98.7)
At 10 AM on January 6, 2014, after playing All The Small Things by Blink-182, followed by a brief goodbye message from the content manager Steve Douglas, KPKX flipped to a simulcast of sports talk-formatted 620 AM. On January 9, 2014, KPKX changed its callsign to KMVP-FM. On July 10, Bonneville announced Arizona Sports will move exclusively to 98.7 FM effective September 15; KTAR would then assume a full-time ESPN Radio simulcast.