KRWK (101.9 FM, known as "101.9 Jack FM", is a radio station serving the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting in 1983 under the call sign KRRZ. The station is currently owned by Midwest Communications. All the offices and studios are located at 1020 S. 25th Street in Fargo, while its transmitter is located near Amenia.
History
The station began life in 1983 with the KRRZcall sign, broadcasting at 6,000 watts, with an adult contemporary format as "Magic 102". Upon upgrading to 93,000 watts in 1986, the station changed to a country format as "Country 102" with the KFGO-FM call sign. The KRRZ call sign was transferred to 1390 AM in Minot, North Dakota. As the country music scene heated up in the early 1990s, the station adopted the moniker of "Moose Country 102". The station was sold to Otter Tail Power Company in 1995 along with KFGO, KDLM-FM, KVOX-FM, and KVOX. the stations were later sold to James Ingstad in 1999. In 2000, Clear Channel Communications bought Ingstad's stations, and changed the moniker to "K102", with a similar logo to co-owned "K102" in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Box 101.9
In 2002, KFGO-FM flipped to a classic rock format, and renamed itself as "The Box 101.9" Brought on during the flip was 107.9 The Fox's morning show duo, Robbie and Dave. In 2005, the syndicated The Bob & Tom Show replaced Robbie and Dave in the morning. On September 28, 2006 KKBX and the other Clear Channel stations in Fargo were sold to James Ingstad, who lives in Fargo. Ingstad once owned the stations and sold them in 2000, though KDAM didn't sign on until 2002. The sale was approved by the Federal Communications Commission on January 19, 2007.
On February 10, 2007, The Box tweaked to a mainstream rock "on shuffle", as a stunt, and changed its call sign to KRWK. On February 16, 2007, KRWK became "Rock 102" with a mainstream rock format, competing with both Triad Broadcasting's active rock station Q98 and classic rock station 107.9 The Fox. On June 1, 2007, the transmitter used for Rock 102, WDAY-FM "Y94", and KFNW-FM went on fire putting the stations off the air. In April 2008, the station tweaked back to classic rock.
Billboard controversy
On July 19, 2007, a woman wrote a letter to the editor to The Forum expressing concern over the appropriateness of a billboard of Rock 102 with a woman in tankini standing with a caption saying, "Now Turn Us On!".
KRWK shifted to a Talk format on March 19, 2012, branded as "101.9 Talk FM." The former lineup included Tom Becka in the morning, Kilmead & Friends, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, JD Hayworth, and others.
Rock 102 returns
"Talk FM", despite being the Fargo affiliate for both Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, did not fare well in the Arbitron ratings, registering a 1.7 share in the Spring 2013 ratings, well behind overall leader KFGO, another talk station on AM who had a 15.5 share. At 4 p.m. on September 8, 2013, following the end of the Minnesota Vikings season opener broadcast, KRWK returned to its original Rock format and branding as Rock 102 in an effort to compete with KQWB-FM, who relocated from 98.7 to 105.1 just a few weeks earlier, and KPFX. The station launched with 2,000 songs in a row, and will remain Fargo's FM affiliate for the Minnesota Vikings as well as NDSU Bison Football and Fargo Force Hockey.
Mix 101.9
On July 22, 2015, KRWK abruptly dropped the rock format and flipped to AC as "Mix 101.9", adopting the now-old format of KMJO, which flipped to classic country simultaneously.
On September 12, 2017 at midnight, after playing "One Way or Another" by Blondie, KRWK flipped to variety hits as "101.9 Jack FM". The first song on Jack FM was "Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane.
