The station was founded on May 7, 1990, by Barbara Marmet, with the intention of having a community radio station for Frederick. The "Key" branding references Frederick native Francis Scott Key.
Among several applicants for the allocation, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave preference to her because of her local residency and, under an affirmative action program designed to increase minority-owned broadcasters, a woman. This led to a lawsuit by Jerome Lamprecht, one of the competing applicants; in 1992's Lamprecht v. FCC, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held in an opinion written by newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that in the absence of a demonstrable reason, such as encouraging programming diversity, such preference was unconstitutional.[2] Litigation continued until an eventual settlement between Lamprecht and Marmet in 1999.[3]
On September 16, 2010, at 9a.m., Key 103 dropped the "Frederick's Continuous Soft Rock" moniker and began a 20th anniversary retrospective show looking back at the 20 years of the station's personalities, music, and activities. This retrospective ended at noon with a launch into its current hot adult contemporary format.
