On October 16, 1964 (60 years ago) (1964-10-16), the station first signed on the air.[3] It was originally KFAY-FM, the sister station of KFAY1250 AM. The two stations mostly simulcast a country music format and were owned by H. Weldon Stamps. KFAY-FM ran 3,000 watts, less than half of its current output. It later switched to an easy listening format, separate from the AM station.
In 1970, it switched to Album Oriented Rock as "92.1 The Keg" with the call signKKEG. Ten years later in 1980, the station dropped AOR and flipped to a Top 40 format for only seven years. During its seven years as a Top 40 station, KKEG downgraded its Top 40 formula from mainstream to rock-leaned in late 1986 shortly after former adult contemporary station KCIZ-FM flipped to mainstream Top 40/CHR that same year. The following year in 1987, KKEG dropped its rock-leaned Top 40 format and returned back to its former AOR format. KKEG was acquired by Cumulus Media in 1999.[4]
On June 11, 2009, the KKEG call sign and rock music format were moved to 98.3 FM in Bentonville, Arkansas. The KQSM-FM call sign that had previously been on 98.3 FM was then transferred to 92.1 FM and branded as "Sports Radio 92.1 The Ticket.” In June 2011, PD Josh Bertaccini was hired and “The Red Zone with JB” debuted that summer. In January 2013, parent company Cumulus Media entered into a partnership with the new CBS Sports Radio Network. Over 150 Cumulus sports stations around the U.S., including KQSM-FM, switched their network affiliation to CBS Sports Radio.
