KRIB

The station signed on the air in {{Start date and age|1948|4}}. It was assigned the KRIB call sign by the Federal Communications Commission.{{cite web |title=Call Sign History |work=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |url=https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=47095&Callsign=KRIB}}

File:KRIB logo.jpg

Through the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, KRIB was the dominant Top 40 station for the Mason City market. This lasted until 1985, when the station made the transition to full-service adult contemporary, competing against AC stations KLSS-FM and KGLO. This didn't last long, and in May 1987, after being sold to Boyd Communications, KRIB flipped its format to oldies. However, in 1989, prior owners Chesterman Company regained control of the station after suing Boyd for failing to make payments beyond the initial down payment to purchase the station.Steve McMahon, "KRIB to be sold," The Globe-Gazette, February 2, 1990. In April 1990, Hedberg Broadcasting, the owner of KLSS-AM/FM, bought the station, with KLSS-AM being subsequently sold to the University of Northern Iowa.Steve McMahon, "Competitor purchases KRIB radio," The Globe-Gazette, April 11, 1990. In the early 1990s, KRIB began playing a mix of soft oldies and adult standards, using the syndicated service "America's Best Music" supplied by Westwood One for a time, before it was dropped in favor of local programming. In addition, ESPN Radio programming would later be added in evenings for a time.

In March 1997, Three Eagles Broadcasting bought the station.Kevin Baskins, "Hedbergs sell KLSS, KRIB," The Globe-Gazette, March 4, 1997.

On September 6, 2004, KRIB flipped to country as "Eagle Country", though the prior standards format would continue to be heard in overnights.Mary Pieper, "KRIB shifts its format to country," The Globe-Gazette, September 4, 2004.{{cite web | url=https://northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0904.html | title=Broadcasting News-September 2004 }} On April 1, 2005, KRIB's country format would move to sister station KYTC; subsequently, KYTC's oldies format would move to KRIB.Peggy Senzarino, "Radio stations swap music formats," The Globe-Gazette, April 2, 2005.{{cite web | url=https://northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0405.html | title=Broadcasting News-April 2005 }}

On February 3, 2012, KRIB shifted to adult standards, initially carrying programming from the syndicated "Music of Your Life" service.Laura Bird, "The Blaze, KRIB change their formats," The Globe-Gazette, February 7, 2012.{{cite web | url=https://northpine.com/broadcast/archive/news0212.html | title=Broadcasting News-February 2012 }} The station later reverted to being locally programmed, and shifted back to a soft oldies format.

Digity, LLC purchased the station on September 12, 2014. Two years later, Alpha Media acquired Digity, LLC, including KRIB, for $264 million.{{Cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/93286/alpha-media-acquires-digity/|title=Alpha Media/Digity Sale Price & Details|date=2015-08-12|work=RadioInsight|access-date=2018-05-28|language=en-US}}{{cite web|url=https://radioink.com/2016/02/25/alpha-closes-digity-deal/|title=Larry Wilson’s Alpha Now 4th Largest Radio Company|work=RadioInk|date=2016-02-25|access-date=2024-08-29}}

In June 2024, due to staffing cuts across many of Alpha Media's stations nationwide, which included the dismissal of operations manager and program director Jared Allen, KRIB began airing Westwood One's "Good Time Oldies" format.Robin McClelland, "Longtime radio voices silenced in North Iowa," The Globe-Gazette, June 1, 2024.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/269522/alpha-media-continues-to-purge-programming-on-air-staffs-in-midwest-markets/ The Programming/On-Air Purges Across Alpha Media Show No Sings Of Stopping][https://www.westwoodone.com/formats/music/good-time-oldies/ Good Time Oldies | Westwood One]

With the discontinuation of Good Time Oldies by Westwood One on April 20, 2025, KRIB switched back to a mix of soft oldies and adult standards under Westwood One's "Adult Standards" format.[https://www.westwoodone.com/formats/music/adults-standards/ Adult Standards | Westwood One]

KRIB was one of the first radio stations in Iowa to play Rock and Roll and Top 40 hits, thus attracting a young audience. In February 1959, the station was one of the sponsors of the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom in nearby Clear Lake. The show's master of ceremonies was KRIB disc jockey Bob Hale. The show featured The Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly. Infamously, all three perished in a plane crash just north of the Mason City Municipal Airport that night. The event would later be described as "The Day the Music Died."

Over sixty years later, KRIB still changes its music format during the week of the anniversary of the Winter Dance Party, playing hit songs of the late 1950s and early 1960s, with an emphasis on tunes from February 1959.{{cite web |title=KRIB website |work=KRIB-AM |url= http://www.kribam.com/}} On Saturday mornings, it also airs an hour of oldies from the 1960s.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.kribam.com/ KRIB official website]

{{AM station data|47095|KRIB}}

• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|147922|K244FA}}
• {{FXL|K244FA}}
• [http://www.threeeagles.com/ Three Eagles Communications]

{{Mason City Radio}}

{{Alpha Media}}

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

RIB

Category:Mason City, Iowa

Category:Adult standards radio stations in the United States