View source for KYYA

{{short description|Radio station in Billings, Montana}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name             = KYYA
| logo             = KYYA K-Bear logo.png
| city             = [[Billings, Montana]]
| area             = [[Billings Metropolitan Area]]
| branding         = ''98.1 K-Bear''
| frequency        = 730 [[kHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| translator       = 98.1 K251CI (Billings)
| airdate          = October 15, [[1959 in radio|1959]] (as KURL)
| format           = [[Oldies]]
| power            = 5,000 [[watt]]s day<br>236 watts night
| class            = D
| facility_id      = 19216
| coordinates      = {{coord|45|45|29|N|108|29|53|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning =
| former_callsigns = KURL (1959–2010)
| affiliations     = [[ABC News Radio]]
| owner            = Desert Mountain Broadcasting
| licensee         = Desert Mountain Broadcasting Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations  = [[KBLG]], [[KPLN]], [[KRZN]], [[KWMY]], [[KRKX]]
| webcast          = {{Listen live|http://www.981kbear.com}}
| website          = {{URL|981kbear.com}}
| licensing_authority= [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}
'''KYYA''' (730 [[AM broadcasting|AM]]) is a [[radio station]] licensed to [[Billings, Montana]], United States. The station serves the Billings area. The station is currently owned by Desert Mountain Broadcasting. These call letters previously belonged to [[KURL|93.3 FM]] which formerly aired a Top 40/CHR format for many years. The 93.3 FM station last aired an Adult AC format until it went silent and was later sold to another radio broadcaster in the Billings radio market.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=KYYA |title=KYYA Facility Record |work=United States [[Federal Communications Commission]], audio division |access-date=2010-11-05}}</ref> [[730 AM]] is a Canadian and Mexican [[clear-channel]] frequency.
==History==
KYYA signed on as KURL on October 15, 1959. At the time, the transmitting power was only 500 watts. The transmitter was located north of Garden Avenue between Sugar and Riverside Road in Billings. The station was owned by Yellowstone Broadcasting Corporation. In early 1962, the station was assigned to Christian Enterprises Incorporation, and the station began a long history carrying a [[Religious radio|religious]] format. KURL applied to increase power to 5,000 watts on February 10, 1981. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/attachment/7d366ebe-65cd-d756-0e30-a95cd4d47357.pdf|work=United States Federal Communications Commission|access-date=May 1, 2024|title=FCC History Cards for KYYA}}</ref>
The station was one of several purchased by Harold Erickson in the 1960s to "cover the entire state of Montana with Christian radio". The network included [[KGLE]] in Glendive, KGVW in Belgrade (since deleted), as well as others in surrounding states. [[KURL|KURL-FM]] was brought on the air in 1972, then on 97.1, initially airing [[elevator music]]. That station was sold in 1981 and became known as K-Bear. KURL aired national programming in the 1970s. Programs such as [[Focus on the Family]], and [[Chuck Swindoll|Insight for Living]], were added to the lineup. In 2010, Connoisseur Media purchased the station, taking the religious programming over to KURL-FM where it continues today. KURL-AM began broadcasting a news/talk format. In 2013, the station celebrated its 50th year of broadcasting.
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/local-christian-radio-station-celebrates-50-years-of-broadcasting/article_d026ba51-d5c6-5e8e-a848-cdb38900cd6d.html|title=Local Christian radio station celebrates 50 years of broadcasting|author=Susan Olp|date=January 19, 2013|newspaper=[[Billings Gazette]]}}</ref>
On May 7, 2019, [[Connoisseur Media]] announced that it would sell its Billings cluster to Desert Mountain Broadcasting, an entity formed by Connoisseur Billings general manager Cam Maxwell.<ref>{{cite news |title=Connoisseur Media Sells Billings Cluster To Desert Mountain Broadcasting |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/176615/connoisseur-media-sells-billings-cluster-to-desert-mountain-broadcasting/ |work=RadioInsight |date=9 May 2019}}</ref> The sale closed on July 31, 2019.
On November 27, 2019, KYYA dropped its news/talk format and began [[Stunting (broadcasting)|stunting]] with Christmas music as "Billings' Christmas Station" (simulcasting on FM translator K251CI 98.1 FM Billings).<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/182040/kyya-adds-translator-drops-news-talk-for-christmas-music/ KYYA Adds Translator, Drops News/Talk For Christmas Music] Radioinsight - November 27, 2019</ref>
On December 26, 2019, KYYA ended its Christmas music stunt and launched an oldies format, branded as "98.1 K-Bear".<ref>[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/182040/kyya-adds-translator-drops-news-talk-for-christmas-music/ K-Bear Returns to Billings] Radioinsight - December 26, 2019</ref>
==Previous logo==
<gallery>
File:KYYA NewsTalk730AM logo.png
</gallery>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://www.981kbear.com/ KYYA Website]
{{AM station data|19216|KYYA}}
*{{FCC-LMS-Facility|200745|K251CI}}
*{{FXL|K251CI}}
*[https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=45036&.pdf FCC History Cards for KYYA]
{{Billings Radio}}
{{Oldies Radio Stations in Montana}}
[[Category:Radio stations in Montana|YYA]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1959]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Montana]]
[[Category:Oldies radio stations in the United States]]
{{Montana-radio-station-stub}}