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KRYP

Coordinates: 45°29′20″N 122°41′40″W / 45.48889°N 122.69444°W / 45.48889; -122.69444
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KRYP
Broadcast areaPortland metropolitan area
Frequency93.1 MHz
BrandingEl Rey (The King)
Programming
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
Owner
KDZR, KFIS, KPAM, KPDQ, KPDQ-FM
History
First air date
May 10, 1981 (as KAST-FM at 92.9 in Astoria)
January 2006 (as KTRO-FM at 93.1)
Former call signs
Astoria:
KAST-FM (1981–1983)
KBKN (1983–1984)
KAST-FM (1984–2006)
Gladstone:
KTRO-FM (2006–2007)
Former frequencies
92.9 MHz (1981–2006, in Astoria, Oregon)
Call sign meaning
El ReY Portland
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID82062
ClassC3
ERP1,600 watts
HAAT387 meters (1,270 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
45°29′20″N 122°41′40″W / 45.48889°N 122.69444°W / 45.48889; -122.69444
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen Live
Website931elrey.com

KRYP (93.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Gladstone, Oregon, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. It is owned by the Salem Media Group and airs a Spanish language Regional Mexican format, a mix of genres including Banda, Ranchera, Mariachi, and Norteño music.[2] The studios are on SE Lake Road, off the Milwaukie Expressway (Oregon Route 224) in Portland.

KRYP is a Class C3 FM station, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,600 watts. Its transmitter is atop Portland's West Hills.

History

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KAST-FM

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KRYP is a "move-in" station. It signed on the air on May 10, 1981; 43 years ago (May 10, 1981).[3] Its original call sign was KAST-FM and it broadcast on 92.9 MHz in Astoria, Oregon, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Portland. It was the FM sister station of KAST 1370 AM, one of Oregon's oldest radio stations. KAST-FM ran 25,000 watts, with too little power and too far away to be heard by the larger Portland audience.

In the early 2000s, the decision was made to ask the FCC to allow the station to move. If it could relocate to the Portland metropolitan area, that would be a lucrative change.

KTRO

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KTRO came into existence through a complicated deal that involved five owners of radio stations in Oregon and featured both signal downgrades and frequency migrations.[4] It started in 2005 when Salem Communications bought the FM signal from New Northwest Broadcasters, which had operated it as KAST-FM on 92.9 in Astoria. To make room on the Portland dial, KPDQ-FM, also owned by Salem, moved from 93.7 to 93.9 and downgraded its broadcast station class from C to C1.[4] McKenzie River Broadcasting's KKNU, licensed to Springfield, moved from 93.1 to 93.3. Bay Cities Building's KDCQ, licensed to Coos Bay, moved from 93.5 to 92.9. Meanwhile, Oregon Eagle's KTIL-FM, licensed to Tillamook, moved from 94.1 to 94.3. New Northwest's own 94.3 licensed to Long Beach, Washington, picked up the KAST-FM call sign and format, moving from the original 92.9 to 99.7 FM.[4]

The relocated station began broadcasting in the Portland radio market in early 2006. From that point until April 11, 2007, the station was known as KTRO and it featured a talk radio format.[5] Most of the programming was provided by the Salem Radio Network, a conservative talk service featuring hosts such as Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt and Mike Gallagher.

KRYP

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Salem management saw that the Hispanic community was growing in the Portland area. It decided KTRO's talk format could go on an AM station, leaving 93.1 FM to serve Spanish-speaking listeners with a music format targeted at them. (The Salem Radio Network's conservative talk programming is now heard on co-owned KPAM 860 AM.)

KTRO took on new call letters, KRYP, and a new radio format during the two-week period starting on March 28, 2007. It uses the moniker "El Rey" or The King. Salem Media normally "target[s] audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values."[6] But KRYP was an exception. Salem management brought in José Santos of Santos Latin Media to help. He is a former program director of KLVE, one of the top Spanish-language stations in Los Angeles.[7] Santos would lead the station's change to a Regional Mexican format.[8]

The Spring 2008 Arbitron ratings saw KRYP become the Portland radio market leader. It was the first time a Spanish-language radio station achieved that milestone.[9][8]

References

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  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for KRYP". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Our History/Our Content from the Univision Radio website
  3. ^ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1988 page B-228. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Five Portland Owners Shuffle Signals to Add KTRO, a February 2, 2006 Radio Monitor article via allbusiness.com
  5. ^ "Salem Communications Corp, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Mar 31, 2006" (PDF). secdatabase.com. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  6. ^ Overview Archived 2007-08-11 at the Wayback Machine That is according from the Salem Communications website.
  7. ^ NAB Radio Show Session Features Top Program Directors from the National Association of Broadcasters website
  8. ^ a b El Rey/Portland Makes History from the Radio & Records website
  9. ^ Latest Arbs: El Rey Is King from Oregon Media Insiders
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