KYKR

KYKR

City of license	Beaumont, Texas
Broadcast area	Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange Golden Triangle
Branding	"Kicker 95.1"
Slogan	"Continuous Country Favorites"
Frequency	95.1 (MHz)
Format	Country
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	131 meters
Class	C1
Facility ID	25581
Transmitter coordinates	30°03′43.00″N 93°58′50.00″W
Callsign meaning	KY(i)cKeR
Owner	Clear Channel Communications (Capstar Tx Limited Partnership)
Website	www.kykr.com

KYKR (95.1 FM, "Kicker 95.1") is a radio station broadcasting an Country format. Licensed to Beaumont, Texas, it serves the Beaumont/Port Arthur metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting at 93.3 FM under the current call sign. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.

History

For many years, KYKR was located at 93.3 FM. Then, in November 1991, top 40 station KZZB went silent, prompting then-owners Gulfstar to purchase the 95.1 signal and place KYKR's country format on it. 93.3 and 95.1 simulcast briefly before the latter frequency became KYKR's full-time home in the summer of 1992.

Actually, 93.3 was originally licensed at KCAW-FM (the AM was on 1510- Currently KBED and owned by Cumulus) and was owned by Jimmie Joynt of Port Arthur. Jimmy sold the station when he moved to Dallas to start Superior Broadcast Products. KYKR was issued to 93.3 in the early 1980s and went through owner ship by the Hicks family of Beaumont (Steve Hicks most notably of CapStar; his father, John Hicks, had owned 560 KLVI since the 1960s) and was moved to the 2000ft Clear Channel Devers tower in the early 1990s after Steve Hicks had purchased 95.1. 93.3 was sold to Tichner Broadcasting, now Univision, and the KYKR format was permanently moved to the 95.1 frequency that had been dark for some time under KZZB (a station that had great ratings until its last owner before Clear Channel bought it).

Notable events

In January, 1988, the KYKR tower in South Vidor suffered a massive fire believed to be arson. 93.3, 1510 AM, and numerous 2way gear including the 2meter ham repeater operated by former KLVI (KYKR's sister station under Clear Channel) assistant Chief Engineer, Chris Boone, WB5ITT, were all totally destroyed in the fire. KYKR has just lost its insurance the month before because the renewal had not been done in time for the 30day grace period. Boone had not yet gotten personal insurance for the ham repeater and lost over $1000 in equipment out of his own pocket, including a duplexer (WACOM WP639) borrowed from a friend, Roger Dillon, K5PE in Beaumont. Boone had to give Dillon his own WACOM WP641 (a more expensive duplexer) for the loss of Dillon's and the WB5ITT repeater did not return to the air from the KYKR tower.

KYKR struggled with borrowed equipment to make it back on the air but did and eventually recovered.

External links

• Kicker 95.1 Website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KYKR
• Radio-Locator information on KYKR
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KYKR