The station was founded as KTNT-FM and was owned by The Tacoma News Tribune. It signed on the air on October 26, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-10-26).[8] The station was powered at 10,000 watts, a fraction of its current output, and exclusively targeted Tacoma and South Puget Sound.
The Tacoma News Tribune added an AM station in 1952, KTNT (1400 kHz, now KITZ); and in 1953, KTNT-TV (channel 11, now KSTW). The call signs for the three stations were derived from the newspaper's initials.
KNBQ (1976–1988)
In 1976, the call letters were changed to KNBQ.[9] While the AM station carried a personality adult top 40 sound, the FM station switched to an automated adult contemporary format ("Mellow sounds in contemporary music") branded as "97 KNBQ". In early 1977, that format evolved to an automated music-intensive Top 40 format as "Q-97 FM". That automated Top 40 format shifted over time from using syndicated programming tapes (such as from Drake-Chenault's XT-40 format) to a locally programmed approach, and eventually added live DJs. By 1980, the station was live and local with a full DJ staff and a personality intensive approach. (The KNBQ call letters later were found on FM 102.9 and currently on FM 98.5.)
In the 1980s, the Tacoma News Tribune boosted KNBQ's power to 100,000 watts. The Federal Communications Commission granted a construction permit to increase the antenna height to 1,480 feet, moving the transmitter to Tiger Mountain. That greatly increased the station's value, now able to compete in the entire Seattle-Tacoma media market. In 1987, KNBQ was sold to the original iteration of Viacom.[10] Viacom kept the Top 40 format but used a "no talking over the music" policy to differentiate KNBQ from other Seattle Top 40 outlets.
KBSG (1988–2008)
On February 1, 1988, the station flipped to an oldies format as "K-Best 97.3". It picked up the KBSG-FM call letters.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] K-Best concentrated on the biggest hits of the 1960s, with some 1970s songs with a few late 1950s hits. As the station moved into the 1990s, the 1970s titles were increased and the 1950s songs were removed.
Entercom bought the station in 1996. For many years, KBSG-FM was simulcast on co-owned KBSG in Auburn (1210 AM, now KMIA). This lasted until 2002, when KBSG flipped to all-news radio (KBSG would later be sold to Bustos Media, which specialized in Spanish language formats). On August 1, 2007, after Entercom traded KBSG, KIRO and KTTH to Bonneville as part of a multi-market station swap. KBSG was rebranded from "KBSG 97.3" to "The New B97.3", and dropped the word "oldies" from the station's title.[18][19] The station's playlist was moved to more 1970s and 80s music, with fewer 60s titles. The format moved from oldies to classic hits.
Exactly one year later, on August 1, 2008, the station's call letters were switched to KIRO-FM.[20]
On April 1, 2009, KIRO-FM became the primary station as the simulcasting on KIRO (AM) came to an end. It marked the completion of the station's transition to the FM frequency that began in August 2008.[27] KIRO (AM) is now a sports talk station, branded as "710 ESPN Seattle".
Also moved from KIRO to KIRO-FM were the NFL broadcasts of the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network (later named the Bing Radio Network and the American Family Insurance Radio Network, currently the Delta Air Lines Seahawks Radio Network). KIRO-FM is now the flagship station for the team's play-by-play and the pre- and post-game shows. The Seahawks had been heard on KIRO (AM) since the NFL franchise was launched in 1976.
Seahawks Pre-Game and Seahawks Post Game hosted by Steve Raible and Dave Wyman with Michael Bumpus, Jordan Babineaux, Paul Moyer, and Ray Roberts. The pregame show was hosted by controversial KIRO-FM talk show host Dori Monson until October 2020, when he was suspended indefinitely following accusations of transphobic tweets.[28] After that, Monson was replaced by Dave Wyman, who also hosts the afternoon drive show Wyman and Bob with Bob Stelton on KIRO (AM).
