KYDZ

KYDZ "Kids 90" was a high school radio station at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming.[1] The station's license was held by Park County School District Number 6, and it operated on 90.1 MHz from 1976 to 1996.[2]

For the Nevada station formerly known as KYDZ, see KXST.
KYDZ
CityCody, Wyoming
Frequency90.1 MHz
BrandingKids 90
Programming
FormatDefunct (was Variety)
Ownership
OwnerCody High School
(Park County School District Number 6)
History
First air date
1976
Last air date
1996
Call sign meaning
Similar to "KIDS"
Technical information
Facility ID51604
ClassC2
ERP10,000 watts
HAAT−140 m
Transmitter coordinates
44°31′29″N 109°4′6″W

History

After being granted a construction permit in January 1975, KYDZ signed on the air in the summer of 1976. Broadcasting with 10 watts,[1] KYDZ was the first FM radio station to sign on the air in the Bighorn Basin; the first commercial FM outlet in the region was KENB-FM, which took to the air in December 1980.[3] Like many high school stations, KYDZ operated during the day only; in 1984, its regular broadcast hours were 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.[4] Programming was eclectic, with pop and rock music, public service announcements, news of school activities, and story programs for elementary school and preschool students.[5] The station was relocated to a new transmitter site in 1981, with its effective radiated power increased to 150 watts;[6] a second increase approved in 1986 boosted KYDZ's power to 10,000 watts.[7]

In 1976, the station planned on organizing a 77-hour radio marathon in late December to help the students gain work experience. However, the marathon took on a life of its own when Rob Russell, a football player who had been key in leading Cody to a state football title that fall and a member of the radio class, came down with a staph infection and was flown to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The students turned the marathon into a benefit to raise money for his medical treatment, raising more than $1,200.[8] The KYDZ radiothon soon became an annual tradition,[9] raising money for local causes such as a local Meals on Wheels program.[10] The 84-hour 1984 edition raised $3,417 for an 8-year-old Cody boy who had been accidentally shot months prior and sent messages to Marines stationed in Lebanon; their efforts earned them a thank-you letter from President Ronald Reagan.[4] The next year, the radiothon raised funds for a football player from Rock Springs High School who collapsed on the field during a football practice and was in a coma for four weeks.[9]

In 1996, however, KYDZ's broadcast time on air would come to an end when the school district could not afford to hire a faculty advisor to run the radio program.[2] The license was cancelled in 1998 for failure to transmit over a 12-month period.[11] The channel is now used by Wyoming Public Radio transmitter KUWP (licensed to Powell).[12][13]

References
  1. FCC History Cards for KYDZ
  2. "Radio Free Cody". Casper Star-Tribune. May 26, 1996. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  3. Davis, Dennis (December 11, 1980). "Another FM radio station planned for Casper by July". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  4. "Reagan writes to students". Casper Star-Tribune. Associated Press. January 11, 1984. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  5. McKean, Robert; Taylor, Bob (May 1978). "Students on the Air Waves" (PDF). Educational Leadership. p. 678. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  6. "Facilities Changes" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 23, 1981. p. 74. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  7. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 18, 1986. p. 77. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  8. "Spirit of giving stays in Cody, though Christmas has gone by". Casper Star-Tribune. December 30, 1976. p. 2. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  9. "Cody students raise $3,417 for Overy". Casper Star-Tribune. January 3, 1985. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  10. "$2,170 raised". Casper Star-Tribune. January 4, 1979. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  11. "Washington This Week" (PDF). M Street Journal. October 14, 1998. p. 7. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  12. "WPR on air in Buffalo". Casper Star-Tribune. November 19, 1999. p. C3. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  13. "Format Changes & Updates" (PDF). M Street Journal. January 26, 2000. p. 2 (36). Retrieved October 13, 2019.
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