KKRC-FM

See also: KKRC

KKRC-FM (97.3 MHz, "97.3 KKRC") is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format, and serves the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare Media.

KKRC-FM

Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Broadcast area	Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Frequency	97.3 MHz
Branding	97.3 KKRC
Programming
Format	Classic hits
Affiliations	Compass Media Networks United Stations Radio Networks Westwood One
Ownership
Owner	Townsquare Media (Townsquare License, LLC)
Sister stations	KXRB-FM, KIKN-FM, KKLS-FM, KSOO, KSOO-FM, KXRB, KYBB
History
First air date	1971 (1971) (as KSOO-FM)
Former call signs	KSOO-FM (1968–1973) KPAT (1973–1994) KMXC (1994–2020)
Call sign meaning	Former call letters of 93.5 FM in the 1980s
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	64711
Class	C1
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	259.7 meters (852 ft)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	973kkrc.com

Its studios are located on Tennis Lane in Sioux Falls, while its transmitter is located near Humboldt.

History

The station signed on as KSOO-FM in 1971. In 1973, KSOO-FM changed call letters to KPAT. For many years, KPAT competed against CHR competitor KKRC-FM for ratings throughout the entirety of the 1980s, and later became Sioux Falls' dominant Top 40/CHR station after KKRC dropped the format in September 1990.

On August 21, 1993, at 6 p.m., KPAT began stunting with a computerized countdown. At noon on August 23, KPAT flipped to country as "Kat Country".^[2] On November 22, 1994, at 5 p.m., KPAT flipped to a hot adult contemporary format as KMXC, "Mix 97.3".^[3]

The station debuted its current format and callsign on August 31, 2020, after stunting the weekend prior with a loop of "Back in Time" by Huey Lewis and the News. The first song on KKRC-FM was "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince.^[4]