A group of former KJQN (alias "KJQ") employees who left the station late last year have found a new home at KZOL, FM-96.1, Provo, and will begin broadcasting their own brand of modern music Thursday morning.
Owners of KZOL, The Great Stock Co., have signed a lease agreement with Acme Broadcasting, composed of many of the former KJQ employees, that will allow the group to broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the new frequency - nicknamed the new "X-96."Former KJQ sales manager James H. Facer and United Concerts promoter James C. McNeil formed Acme after 23 of 25 employees quit KJQ in November and December. KJQ has since replaced all the employees it lost and is still broadcasting its style of modern music on the following frequencies: FM-92.7, 95.5, 104.9 and AM-1490. The new "X-96" and its version of modern music will replace KZOL's adult contemporary hit radio format. The station was previously nicknamed "K-96."
Air personalities Bill Allred, Mike Summers, Dom Casual, Mister West, Andrea Gappmayer, Todd Nuke'em, Chet Tapp, Mark Christiansen and Tony Rumfallo are among those former KJQ employees who have joined the new modern music station. Ted Sweetland will become the station's new sales manager.
"We're the people who helped originate modern music in Utah," Summers said. "We're all native Utahns, and we think we know what modern-music fans in this state want . . . They don't want modern music to sound corporate, either."
KZOL has a strong broadcasting signal that can be heard along most of the Wasatch Front. The station's official call letters may be changed later, pending FCC approval.