KEYZ

KWBM signed on in 1948 at 1450 kHz. The new station was owned by the Williston Broadcasting Company and was Williston's first licensed radio station, though KGCX of nearby Sidney, Montana, had opened a Williston studio in 1946.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36665969/|work=Hope Pioneer|date=January 10, 1946|title=Williston To Open Radio Station|access-date=October 2, 2019|page=2|via=Newspapers.com}} Its finances prevented the station from being an immediate success. On June 30, 1950, KWBM went silent, shortly followed by a bankruptcy petition.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36635099/|agency=Associated Press|work=Bismarck Tribune|date=August 4, 1950|title=Williston Radio Firm Files Bankruptcy|access-date=October 2, 2019|page=8|via=Newspapers.com}} In February 1951, the Federal Communications Commission authorized its sale to Charles L. Scofield and James Caravaras for $100 and the assumption of more than $8,000 in station liabilities.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36635146/|agency=Associated Press|work=Bismarck Tribune|date=February 17, 1951|page=2|title=FCC Approves Changes In Williston Station|access-date=October 2, 2019|via=Newspapers.com}} Jack McGeehan, who later went on to be a state representative from Williams County in 1971, was an on-air personality at KWBM.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37950295/|agency=Associated Press|title=Jack McGeehan, Past State Solon|page=7|date=March 26, 1976|work=Bismarck Tribune|access-date=October 26, 2019|via=Newspapers.com}} Scofield would also serve in the state legislature.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37950506/|date=April 26, 1974|page=5|work=Bismarck Tribune|agency=Associated Press|title=Solon Urges Shield Law For Newsmen|access-date=October 26, 2019|via=Newspapers.com}}

KWBM became KEYZ in 1955.{{r|hc}} The station established a second studio in Crosby, {{convert|70|mi|km|sp=us}} away, and it bought an aircraft to help it serve clients in its 100-mile trading radius. It was the only station in North Dakota to maintain its own aircraft. By 1960, the station was on its third plane: a Beechcraft Bonanza.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1960/BC-1960-04-25.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=April 25, 1960|access-date=October 26, 2019|title=Aircraft in Promotion|pages=62–75}} In addition to sales calls, KEYZ's plane was put to use for news coverage, farm programming, promotional events, executive travel, and even search and rescue efforts.{{r|aircraft}} In 1957, KEYZ was approved to move to 1360 kHz, permitting a power boost from 250 to 5,000 watts.{{r|hc}} The company grew with the establishment of the Community Service Television cable system in 1967, and in 1979, the signing on of FM outlet KYYZ.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36635765/|title=Scofield Broadcasting Co.|date=October 3, 1981|work=Bismarck Tribune|access-date=October 2, 2019|page=22|via=Newspapers.com}}

In 1985, after a five-year hearing, Basin Broadcasters, owned by former KGCX general manager Duane Simpson, obtained the construction permit for a new station at 660 kHz in Williston, beating out KEYZ on diversification and integration criteria.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-08-05.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=August 5, 1985|page=45|access-date=October 2, 2019|title=Williston AM}} Basin had also put on air the first commercial competitor to KEYZ-KYYZ, KDSR, which began operations on February 28, 1985.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1988/1988-BC-YB.pdf|work=1988 Broadcasting Yearbook|date=1988|title=KDSR(FM)|page=B-213|access-date=October 3, 2019}} The permit was granted despite a petition to deny by the clear channel station on 660 being broken down: WNBC in New York, which claimed the new facility would cause objectionable skywave interference.{{cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1984-03-14/pdf/FR-1984-03-14.pdf|work=Federal Register|date=March 14, 1984|page=9616 (66)|title=Basin Broadcasters, Inc.; and Charles L. Scofield; Hearing Designation Order|access-date=October 2, 2019}} The construction permit took the KQSR call letters. In 1987, Basin sold the construction permit to Scofield for nearly $72,000.{{Cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1987/BC-1987-09-07.pdf|date=September 7, 1987|title=Ownership Changes|work=Broadcasting|access-date=October 2, 2019|page=112}} In March 1991, KEYZ's intellectual unit moved to the new 660 facility, while 1360 was taken silent and its license surrendered.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-M-Street/M-Street-Journal/M-Street-1991-03.pdf|date=March 4, 1991|page=3|title=Construction Permit Activity|work=M Street Journal|access-date=October 2, 2019}}

STARadio acquired Scofield's broadcasting holdings in 1996. In 2000, it sold its Williston-Sidney cluster and four additional Montana stations for $7.3 million to Commonwealth Communications.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Business-Report/Radio-Business-Report/2000/RBR-2000-09-11.pdf|work=RBR|date=September 11, 2000|access-date=October 2, 2019|title=$7,300,000 KMON-AM & FM Great Falls MT, KCAP-AM, KZMT-FM & KHKR-FM Helena-East Helena MT and KEYZ-AM, KYYZ-FM & KTHC-FM Williston ND -Sidney MT}} (This may be from the July 31, 2000 RBR) The Williston-Sidney cluster was sold to Cherry Creek Radio in 2003 as part of a $41 million, 24-station transaction.{{cite news|url=https://www.rbr.com/epaper/pages/nov03/03-230_transactions.html|work=RBR|title=RBR E-paper: Transactions|date=2003|access-date=October 2, 2019}}

In 2018, KEYZ was granted an AM revitalization translator, giving it a 250-watt FM signal at 103.3 MHz.{{cite web|url=https://www.northpine.com/broadcast/2018translators.html|work=Northpine|title= 2018 AM Revitalization Translator Applications |access-date=October 2, 2019}}

Effective June 17, 2022, Cherry Creek Radio sold KEYZ as part of a 42 station/21 translator package to Townsquare Media for $18.75 million.

• [http://www.keyzradio.com/ KEYZ official website]

{{AM station data|10511|KEYZ}}

• {{FXL|K277DR}}

{{Williston radio}}

{{News/Talk Radio Stations in North Dakota}}

{{Country Radio Stations in North Dakota}}

{{AM Stereo radio stations in the United States}}

{{Townsquare Media}}

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EYZ

Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States

Category:Country radio stations in the United States

Category:Williston, North Dakota

Category:Radio stations established in 1948

Category:1948 establishments in North Dakota

Category:Williams County, North Dakota

Category:Townsquare Media radio stations