KQQL
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KQQL

KQQL (107.9 FM, "KOOL 108") is a commercial radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul radio market and is licensed to suburban Anoka. It plays classic hits and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Utica Avenue South in St. Louis Park.

KQQL's has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 95,000 watts (100,000 with beam tilt). The transmitter is off St. Francis Boulevard NW in Nowthen, Minnesota. It broadcasts digital radio using iBiquity's HD Radio format, with the HD2 subchannel airing the African-American-oriented Black Information Network service. The HD3 subchannel carries a sports radio service known as "KFAN Plus". FM translator W227BF (93.3 FM) is fed by the HD2 subchannel, while K244FE (96.7 FM) is fed by the HD3 subchannel.

KQQL broadcasts a classic hits radio format known as "Kool 108". KQQL mainly plays music from the 1980s and 1990s, with a few songs from the 1970s and 2000s that are heard daily. KQQL uses the slogan "Minnesota's Best Variety of the 80s and 90s". KQQL switches to all Christmas music from early November to December 26, using the slogan "Minnesota's Christmas Station".

On August 1, 1968, the station signed on as KTWN, the sister station of KANO in Anoka (1470 AM, now KMNQ in Brooklyn Park). At first, KTWN’s effective radiated power was 57,000 watts on a 320-foot tower.

In the 1970s, KTWN cycled through several formats. For a time, it played beautiful music, then had a short stint as a classical music station, beginning September 1, 1974. Then, it tried a full-service Middle of the Road (MOR) format, focusing on the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. From 1978 to 1983, KTWN carried a jazz format. At the time, the station was operated by Jack Moore, who had previously run WAYL, the market's leading beautiful music station.

The station was sold to Colorado-based Sunbelt Communications, with the new owners immediately switching the station's format to a soft adult contemporary and oldies hybrid on September 24, 1983. The call sign became KGBB ("B108").

Later, the station became "Magic 108" with the call letters KMGW (later KMGK). The station's signal limitations were a hindrance, with competition from full-market stations such as WLTE and KSTP-FM.

In the mid-1980s, KMGK got permission from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to become a full-powered station, increasing power to 100,000 watts on a tower more than 1,000 feet in height above average terrain (HAAT), making the station's signal equal to other major Twin Cities FM stations. In 1988, KMGK was acquired by Trumper Communications.

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