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KFZX

KFZX (102.1 FM) is a radio station located in the Midland/Odessa, Texas market which plays a Classic hits music format. Its studios are located at the ICA Business Plaza on East Eighth Street in Odessa, just east of downtown, and its transmitter is located in far west rural Ector County, Texas.

102.1 went on air in 1983 as "K-WES the HOT 102 FM", broadcasting a Top 40/CHR format. The city of license was Monahans, Texas. The station went on air from a thousand-foot tower near Notrees, Texas.

The CP was obtained by two Houston disk jockeys Bruce Nelson Stratton and Ladd Joe Macha. They formed a company partly funded by the owners of KTRH and KLOL Houston (The Jones family d/b/a the Rusk Corporation). The project was overseen by Bill Cordell, P.E. of Houston. He supervised the construction of studios in a double-wide trailer, and of a transmitter in another large prefab. The studios were dropped into place in Monahans and hooked up and tested by Don Hackler (then KLLL chief engineer, now KCSM FM/TV) and Paul Easter (then KOYL/KUFO, now at Houston Christian Broadcasters and Fort Bend Broadcast Services).

KWES raided 1410 KRIG of much of its air staff. KWES was a great success in its early years. During the mid and late 80s recession, the format was changed to a more buyer-friendly soft AC as KMGP (Magic in the Permian). Studios began in Monahans, additional studios were built in Odessa. After 1986 the Monahans studios were discontinued (change in FCC rules). Call letters changed to KCDQ in 1990 playing mainly a classic rock format. In 1998, KCDQ (along with sister stations KMRK, KCRS (AM and FM), and KCHX were bought by Clear Channel Communications, and its call letters were changed to the present KFZX. Along with the purchase of the station came an affiliation agreement with The Bob and Tom Show and a change in format to a mix of more contemporary and alternative rock with a mix of classic fare and (for many years) going by the slogan "The Basin's Absolute Rock. 102.1 FZX" (similar to sister station KFMX. The city of license was changed to Gardendale in the early 2000s.

In December 2007, the station's format began another overhaul with its format being changed back to a classic rock format shortly after being purchased by Gap Broadcasting that August. (Its slogan basically remained the same except for a slight change from "absolute rock" to "classic rock" FZX.

On March 1, 2008, KFZX began another format change to Jack FM without much warning. With the change also drew an end to the affiliation deal with The Bob & Tom Show. On March 1, 2010, the station returned to a classic rock format.

On October 11, 2009; it was announced that Gap Broadcasting was planning to sell its entire Midland-Odessa cluster to ICA Broadcasting for $3 Million, a sale finalized in February 2010.

On March 1, 2010 KFZX dropped the JACK-FM format because of poor ratings performance and relaunched the Classic Rock format under the direction of former Program Director Steve Driscoll using the on air Brand Classic Rock 102. Since the relaunch KFZX has enjoyed ratings success.

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