KQLK

KQLK
DeRidder, Louisiana;
Broadcast area	Lake Charles, Louisiana
Frequency	97.9 MHz
Branding	97.9 Nash Icon
Programming
Format	Classic country
Ownership
Owner	Cumulus Media; (Cumulus Licensing LLC);
Sister stations	KAOK, KBIU, KKGB, KYKZ
History
First air date	September 6, 1991 (as KEAZ at 101.7)
Former call signs	KEAZ (1991–2000); KAOK-FM (2000–2003)
Call sign meaning	KQ LaKe Charles
Technical information
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	9029
Class	C2
Power	50,000 watts
HAAT	150 meters (490 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	30°36′57.0″N 93°13′31.0″W / 30.615833°N 93.225278°W
Links
Public license information	Public file; LMS;
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	979nashicon.com

KQLK (97.9 FM) is a classic country formatted broadcast radio station licensed to DeRidder, Louisiana, serving Southwest Louisiana.^[1] KQLK is owned and operated by Cumulus Media.^[4] Its studios are located on Broad Street in downtown Lake Charles and its transmitter is north of Ragley, Louisiana.

History

In September 1991, what was originally KQLK 97.9 was located at 101.7 MHz ^[5] and with the callsign KEAZ featuring a country music format. It served primarily the De Ridder, Fort Polk and Leesville, Louisiana market and was owned by DeRidder FM Broadcasting, Inc. The signal was very fringe and almost inaccessible to the Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana market. In 2000, Pittman Broadcasting, LLC. bought the station and later flipped the station to an FM simulcast of KAOK-AM, a news and talk station in nearby Lake Charles; this time with a new frequency change from 101.7 to 97.9 and a relocated transmitter from Vernon to Beauregard Parish. In 2003, the station switched back to country music as "Country 98", and switched its call sign to the current KQLK. The result was moderate to below average ratings. In late 2004, the station was bought by Cumulus Media and would change to Hot 97–9; featuring a CHR format with a predominantly hip hop slant. On August 15, 2014, the station switched to country for the third time as one of the first affiliates of Cumulus' Nash Icon network.^[6] As of 2017, the station serves the Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana market but is still licensed to its hometown of De Ridder.