KESZ

Three applicants filed in 1976 for one of the last Class C FM allotments in Phoenix: American International Development, owned by Julia Zozaya; Herbert Owens, owner of Turf Paradise; and KXIV (1400 AM).{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52138670/|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic|title=Spanish-language station joins area's English-dominated FM dial|date=July 4, 1982|page=E10}} In June 1979, the Federal Communications Commission issued an initial decision awarding the frequency to Zozaya.

However, KXIV challenged the initial decision, alleging that the signatures on Zozaya's applications did not match; the commission's review board agreed, overturning the initial decision and finding in favor of KXIV.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52139754/|access-date=May 25, 2020|page=Extra 10|title=Remodeling is under way on home for FM Spanish-language station|date=April 7, 1982|work=The Arizona Republic}} Zozaya, who was legally blind, appealed the review board's finding, claiming that her disability resulted in the mismatched signatures, and on May 7, 1981, the FCC issued a final ruling awarding the 99.9 frequency to Zozaya.{{r|home}}

The station signed on the air July 4, 1982, as Spanish-language station KNNN, Phoenix's first Spanish-language station on FM and at the time the only one operating in Arizona.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52138670/|access-date=May 24, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic|title=Spanish-language station joins area's English-dominated FM dial|date=July 4, 1982|page=E10}} It operated from a converted home at 4548 W. Osborn Road on Phoenix's west side.{{r|home}} Technical difficulties that developed on the first day of operation prompted KNNN to go silent again until July 12.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52139603/|access-date=May 25, 2020|date=July 11, 1982|page=F9|title=Technical difficulties squelched Spanish-language station's debut|work=The Arizona Republic}}

In late 1983, Zozaya sold the station for nearly $4 million to TransCom Communications, owned by Robert G. Herpe and former KDKB owner Eric Hauenstein.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1983/BC-1983-12-05.pdf|access-date=May 25, 2020|work=Broadcasting|date=December 5, 1983|page=76|title=Ownership changes|archive-date=January 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120005906/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1983/BC-1983-12-05.pdf|url-status=live}} By January 1984, it was apparent that a format change was likely coming as the new owners engaged former KDKB morning man Bill Andres.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52139427/|date=January 11, 1984|title=Talks with disc jockey signal format change for KNNN|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic|page=F5}} KNNN ceased broadcasting on February 28 to make way for TransCom's adult contemporary outlet, KLZI, which began broadcasting in March.{{cite news|work=The Arizona Republic|title=Valley's last Spanish FM radio station to sign off|date=February 28, 1984|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|access-date=July 21, 2019|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31251252/|page=C9}} The new outlet, doing battle with KKLT (98.7 FM), made a dent in its competitor's ratings in the first survey.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52140431/|page=F5|title=KTAR retains No. 1 ranking among Valley radio stations|date=July 19, 1984|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic}} Meanwhile, the Phoenix market would not get another Spanish-language station on FM until the creation of KVVA-FM in 1987.{{cite news|work=The Arizona Republic|date=June 15, 1987|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31231436/|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|access-date=May 4, 2019|title=Rock outlet KSTM replaced with bilingual KVVA-FM|page=B12}}

KLZI—along with KSUN, which TransCom was in the process of buying—was sold in 1986 to Duffy Broadcasting of Dallas in a $15 million transaction. It was announced the same day as the sale of KOOL-AM-FM for the same price, with both tying as records for the Phoenix market.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52141100/|date=July 28, 1986|page=B7|title=Pair of radio stations ups ante to $15 million|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic}}

On January 15, 1988, KLZI gave way to KESZ "EZ-Rock 99.9", remaining in the adult contemporary format. Also introduced was a new airstaff, which included Barry Chase and Beth McDonald in mornings, as well as Marty Manning.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31095895/klzi_keyx_kopa_bring_new_radio/|title=KLZI, KEYX, KOPA bring new radio formats to town|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=Arizona Republic|date=January 15, 1988|access-date=May 18, 2019}} Success was not immediate: with the station languishing at 15th in the ratings that summer, Chase was fired and Manning moved to mornings opposite McDonald.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52141665/|date=August 18, 1988|title=NBC layoff of censors signals shift of standards|page=E10|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Bud|last=Wilkinson|work=The Arizona Republic}}

After the Arizona Television Company, owner of KTVK (channel 3), acquired the station in 1990,{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52142047/|access-date=May 25, 2020|work=The Arizona Republic|title=KTVK parent purchasing KESZ-FM|page=F2|date=March 16, 1990}} KPNX meteorologist Bill Austin joined the morning show, which became known as "Beth and Bill".{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52142147/|access-date=May 25, 2020|date=June 4, 1990|title=KESZ-FM makes changes|page=C3|work=The Arizona Republic}} In the span of a year, Arizona Television purchased KESZ, Phoenix Magazine, and a TV production studio.{{cite news|pages=E1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34063311/ E4]|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34063376/|title=Coming into the Picture: Family-run Channel 3, once the 'black sheep' of local TV, has bloomed|first=Greg|last=Joseph|date=July 8, 1990|access-date=May 25, 2020|archive-date=June 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630063741/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34063376/coming-into-the-picture-family-run/|url-status=live}}

The station's share remained steady, but cume increased throughout the 1990s to a top-5 position.{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1975-1992/Phoenix.pdf|access-date=May 25, 2020|via=American Radio History|title=Phoenix|work=Duncan's American Radio|first=James|last=Duncan|date=2004|archive-date=January 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120005910/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1975-1992/Phoenix.pdf|url-status=live}} In 1997, Arizona Television—by then known as MAC America Communications—announced that it was forming a joint venture with Buck Owens, owner of KNIX; the venture, known as OwensMAC, would operate KESZ and MAC America's struggling station at 103.5 FM.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52144101/|access-date=May 25, 2020|date=July 10, 1997|pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52144275/ A2]|title=Tim & Willy in, jazz out at KOAZ|first=Charlie|last=Van Dyke|work=The Arizona Republic}} In 1999, KESZ became the market's top-billing station for the first time.{{r|duncan}}

In 1999, Jacor, which was already in the process of merging with Clear Channel Communications, acquired KNIX from Owens and KESZ from OwensMAC for $84 million and $58 million, respectively, marking the end of one of the market's last large independent owners.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52144601/|access-date=May 25, 2020|date=March 18, 1999|page=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52144754/ A10]|first=Michael|last=Clancy|title=Country radio station KNIX sold for record $84 million|work=The Arizona Republic}}

"Beth and Bill" continued in morning drive until Austin retired in February 2010 as a result of bladder cancer, when the show was renamed "Beth and Friends"; he died four months later at the age of 55.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/former-tv,-radio-personality-bill-austin-dies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605011527/https://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/former-tv,-radio-personality-bill-austin-dies|url-status=dead|work=ABC15|date=June 2, 2010|title=Former TV, radio personality Bill Austin dies|archive-date=June 5, 2010|access-date=May 25, 2020}}

Every year beginning in early November, KESZ flips to Christmas music. KESZ was one of the earliest FM stations to adopt the format, which had originated in Phoenix, first on KMEO, then on KOY after KMEO's demise; KESZ, noting that many of its listeners were migrating to the adult standards-formatted KOY during the Christmas season, began programming its own Christmas music in 1996.{{Cite news |last=Clancy |first=Mike |date=November 25, 2000 |title=KEZ took cue from KOY to cash in on yule joy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-arizona-republic-kez-took-cue-from-k/166698690/ |access-date=February 28, 2025 |newspaper=The Arizona Republic |location=Phoenix, Arizona |page=E5 |via=Newspapers.com}} When Jacor/Clear Channel purchased the station in 1999, it noted KESZ's success with the format and, in 2000, began introducing the all-Christmas format in test markets, then in 2001 rolled the format out nationwide.{{Cite news |date=November 30, 2001 |title=Way More Than 12 Days of Christmas |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-way-more-than-12-d/166699837/ |access-date=February 28, 2025 |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |location=Los Angeles, California |pages=F20, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-dial-kost-gets-an/166699876/ F21] |via=Newspapers.com}}

KESZ has continued to see success with Christmas music and is typically one of the top-rated stations in the United States during the holiday season. In the Holiday 2019 Nielsen Audio survey, KESZ earned a station-record 19.2 rating, up from the prior two years.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183762/holiday-2019-12-5-1-1-nielsen-audio-ppm-ratings-day-2-kesz-sets-new-station-mark-with-19-2-share/|work=RadioInsight|date=May 25, 2020|first=Lance|last=Venta|title= Holiday 2019 (12/5 – 1/1) Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 2: KESZ Sets New Station Mark With 19.2 Share}}

KESZ's HD Radio signal is multiplexed. The main signal is a simulcast of KESZ's adult contemporary programming. The second channel initially carried KEZ's Classic Channel programmed by iHeartMedia's Format Lab classic hits format consisting of songs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. As of April 2017, this changed to iHeart 70s. On October 1, 2017, KESZ-HD2 switched to a Christmas music format and continued to do so until November 14, 2018, when the primary station went Christmas (as planned) for the holiday season, and the HD2 moved to soft adult contemporary as "99.9 HD2 The Breeze." The move gave iHeart the right to use the "Breeze" name in the state of Arizona, preventing any other station group to use the name in the case of another station flipping to soft AC,{{cite news|work=RadioInsight|date=May 25, 2020|first=Lance|last=Venta|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/172073/kesz-squats-on-breeze-branding-for-phoenix/|title=KESZ Squats on "Breeze" Branding for Phoenix|access-date=November 15, 2018|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116001113/https://radioinsight.com/headlines/172073/kesz-squats-on-breeze-branding-for-phoenix/|url-status=live}} which saw a renewed interest in late 2018.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/ross/172026/why-soft-ac-is-booming-now/|work=RadioInsight|access-date=May 25, 2020|first=Sean|last=Ross|date=November 15, 2018|title=Why Soft AC is Booming Now|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116220108/https://radioinsight.com/ross/172026/why-soft-ac-is-booming-now/|url-status=live}} In September 2019, KESZ added a simulcast of KGME “Fox Sports 910” to its HD2 stream, bumping The Breeze format to HD3.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://kez999.iheart.com/ Station website]
• {{FM station data|40992|KESZ}}

{{Phoenix Radio}}

{{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in Arizona}}

{{IHeartMedia}}

Category:Mainstream adult contemporary radio stations in the United States

ESZ

Category:Radio stations established in 1982

Category:1982 establishments in Arizona

Category:IHeartMedia radio stations