KMXG


KMXG is an adult contemporary-formatted radio station licensed to Clinton, Iowa, serving the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois. The station broadcasts at a power of 100 kW. Its transmitter is located on 225th Street in rural LeClaire in Scott County.
KMXG is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., with studios located in Davenport, Iowa. Other stations located in the same complex are KUUL-FM, WLLR-FM, KCQQ-FM, WFXN and WOC.

History

Early history (1947–1986)

KMXG originally had studios in Clinton and was co-owned with KROS 1340 AM. At that time, 96.1 had the call letters KROS-FM and later KSAY. During its run as KROS-FM, the station acted as a repeater for the AM signal, and later formatted beautiful music, much like other FM stations of the day.
During its years in Clinton, KSAY operated as a religious station serving primarily the Gateway area from 1974 until 1986. During this time, a February 1985 fire that struck the building where the studios for KSAY and KROS were located knocked the station off the air for several days; when the station returned to the air in a new studio, the first program was a two-hour show devoted to the fire and volunteers that helped get KROS-KSAY back on the air.

Adult contemporary era (1986–present)

Upon 96.1 FM's move to the Quad Cities, the station was known as KLIO-FM and formatted adult contemporary music. The call letters changed several years later to KMJC in November 1989 before adopting the current KMXG call sign in July 1993.
Starting in 2008, during the holiday season, Mix 96 switches to an all-holiday music format.

Weekend programming

Sometime during the 2000s decade, KMXG began programming a "retro Saturday" block of music, focusing on hits of the 1980s with some hits from the 1970s and early 1990s mixed in. Syndicated programming added included Backtrax USA, Retro Pop Reunion and American Top 40: The 80s. With the demise of KUUL-FM's oldies format in 2012, several of KUUL's former programs were added to KMXG's weekend lineup, including American Top 40: The 70s, Into the 70s with John Landecker and The 70s with Steve Goddard. As such, Saturdays are devoted to 1980s and 1990s music, while Sundays feature music of the 1970s. For nearly two years, until format changes to classic hits and adult hits at WYEC and KQCS, respectively, KMXG's weekend programming was the only regularly scheduled classic hits radio programming, featuring music of the 1970s through 1990s, available in the Quad-Cities market.
Continuing on Sundays were two three-hour blocks of smooth jazz music: "Jazz Patio" and "Smooth Jazz Sunday Night," both hosted by Art Monroe. Jazz music has been a staple of 96.1 FM since at least its incarnation as KLIO, with different hosts through the years.