KSWD (FM)

The station's legacy on FM radio dates back to July 8, 1961, when it signed on as KOL-FM, a simulcast of its AM sister station KOL (1300 AM). From 1962 to 1967, KOL-FM was owned by television producers and game show moguls Mark Goodson and Bill Todman;[https://archive.org/stream/broadcastingtele63unse_0#page/n529/mode/1up "Changing Hands"], Broadcasting, 1962-10-29, p. 62. during this period, KOL-AM-FM aired top 40 and middle of the road formats.Warren Guykema, "KOL is Swinging Station With Some Serious Aims", The Seattle Times, 1963-11-17, TV Section, p. 4.Marty Loken, "Like It or Loop It, KJR's Still No. 1", The Seattle Times, 1964-04-12, p. 19Schneider, op. cit., p. 108.Marty Loken, "KOL's New Sound-Rock and Roll from the Mudflats", The Seattle Times, 1965-06-13, TV Section, p. 17 The pair of stations was sold to Buckley Broadcasting in 1967.{{cite news |title=Leathernecks Land Again |last=Skreen |first=S.J. |date=1967-03-21 |work=The Seattle Times |page=23 }}

The station had a progressive rock format from 1968 to 1975, competing with KISW and, starting in 1974, KZOK-FM.

In 1975, the station changed its call sign to KEUT and its format to beautiful music.

The station changed to its long-running country music format as KMPS-FM on February 1, 1978,[https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/70s/78/RR-1978-12-15-OCR-Page-0076.pdf#search=%22format%20change%22 Country Review 1978-12-15]. worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2024-02-09 continuing to simulcast its AM sister. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, KMPS-FM was the dominant (and sometimes only) country station in the Seattle area.{{cite web |title=94.1 KMPS - Country Radio Television Commercial - Seattle - The Judds (1988) | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mwWYdyb6xw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/9mwWYdyb6xw |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web |title=94.1 KMPS Seattle - TV Commercials - 1998 | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOaiPPUzOVA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/uOaiPPUzOVA |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}

EZ Communications bought KMPS-AM-FM from Hercules Broadcasting in 1986.{{cite magazine |url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Mediatrix/Mediatrix-Seattle-1986.pdf |last=Bornstein |first=Rollye |title=Mediatrix Media Profile: Seattle |magazine=Mediatrix |publisher=Mediatrix, Inc. |location=Denver |volume=1 |issue=9 |date=1988 }} EZ sold the AM station to Salem Communications ten years later in 1996. In July 1997, EZ merged with American Radio Systems. Westinghouse/CBS bought American Radio Systems' stations (including KMPS) on September 19, 1997.{{cite magazine |title=Radio & Records, 1997-09-26 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-09-26.pdf |website=worldradiohistory.com }} In June 1998, CBS split off the radio division under the revived Infinity Broadcasting name, which would be renamed CBS Radio in December 2005.

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom. KMPS would be retained by the new company, making it a sister station to country competitor KKWF as well as KHTP, KISW, and KNDD.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/116299/cbs-radio-to-merge-with-entercom/ |last=Venta |first=Lance |title=CBS Radio to Merge with Entercom |website=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |date=2017-02-02 |access-date=2020-04-06 }} To meet ownership limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), sister stations KFNQ, KJAQ, and KZOK-FM were divested to iHeartMedia.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/120711/entercom-trades-boston-seattle-spin-offs-iheartmedia-richmond-chattanooga-2/ |last=Venta |first=Lance |title=Entercom Trades Boston & Seattle Spin-Offs To iHeartMedia For Richmond & Chattanooga |website=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |date=2017-11-01 |access-date=2020-04-06 }} The merger was approved on November 9, and was consummated on November 17.{{cite web |url=http://entercom.com/press/entercom-receives-fcc-approval-merger-cbs-radio/ |title=Entercom Receives FCC Approval for Merger with CBS Radio |work=Entercom |date=2017-11-06 |access-date=2017-11-17 }}{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121072/entercom-completes-cbs-radio-merger/ |last=Venta |first=Lance |title=Entercom Completes CBS Radio Merger |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |date=2017-11-17 |access-date=2017-11-17 }} At noon on the same day as the completion of the merger, after playing "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks, KMPS-FM switched to all-Christmas music, leading to speculation that the station was planning to change formats after the holiday season. On-air personality Deanna Lee denied that this was the case, and stated that KMPS would remain a country station.{{cite news |url=http://www.insideradio.com/free/kmps-christmas-flip-fuels-talk-of-post-holiday-changes/article_0d51bc3c-ce41-11e7-8dbc-339949101329.html |title=KMPS Christmas Flip Fuels Talk Of Post-Holiday Changes |website=Inside Radio |date=2017-11-28 |access-date=2020-04-06 }}{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121123/kmps-seattle-goes-christmas/ |title=KMPS Seattle Goes Christmas |date=2017-11-18 |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |access-date=2017-12-09 |language=en-US }} However, the rumors would turn out to be true.

File:94.1 The Sound logo 2017.png

On December 4, 2017, at 9:12{{nbsp}}a.m., KMPS-FM flipped to soft adult contemporary as 94.1 The Sound, launching with "Hello" by Lionel Richie. The change briefly made KKWF the only country station in Seattle, before KVRQ abruptly flipped to the format in response later that morning.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121486/entercom-flips-kmps-seattle-soft-ac/ |title=Entercom Flips KMPS Seattle To Soft AC |date=2017-12-04 |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |access-date=2017-12-09 |language=en-US }}{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/121492/hubbard-launches-country-98-9-seattle/ |title=And Then Hubbard Launches Country 98.9 Seattle |date=2017-12-04 |work=RadioInsight |publisher=RadioBB Networks |access-date=2017-12-09 |language=en-US }}{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Seattle-radio-s-king-of-country-goes-soft-rock-12405420.php |title=Seattle radio's king of country goes soft rock |newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |access-date=2017-12-09 }} The station's call letters were changed to KSWD on December 11, these calls were previously used by KKLQ, an Entercom rock station divested during the merger which had also branded itself as "The Sound".{{cite web |title=Call Sign History (KSWD) |url=http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=20356&Callsign=KSWD |website=FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database |publisher=Federal Communications Commission |access-date=2017-12-11 |archive-date=2017-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212034602/https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/call_hist.pl?Facility_id=20356&Callsign=KSWD |url-status=dead }} The KMPS calls were moved to sister station KRAK in Hesperia, California.

On January 16, 2018, former KMTT morning host John Fisher was announced as KSWD's morning host beginning January 22.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122458/john-fisher-joins-94-1-sound-seattle-mornings/ |title=John Fisher Joins 94.1 The Sound Seattle For Mornings |date=2018-01-16 |work=RadioInsight |access-date=2018-01-18 |language=en-US }} Ten days later on January 26, it was announced that Seattle resident and nationally syndicated personality Delilah would become the station's midday host beginning January 29. Alongside her daytime program on weekdays, KSWD airs her syndicated program on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122705/94-1-sound-adds-delilah-middays/ |title=94.1 The Sound Adds Delilah For Middays |date=2018-01-26 |work=RadioInsight |access-date=2018-01-27 |language=en-US }}

In May 2018, Smokey Rivers (who previously worked for iHeartMedia's Phoenix cluster and KMXZ-FM, and was CBS Radio's president of adult contemporary from 2000 to 2005) was named the station's program director, and began to additionally host afternoons.{{cite news |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/168198/smokey-rivers-named-94-1-the-sound-seattle-program-director/ |title=Smokey Rivers Named 94.1 The Sound Seattle Program Director |date=2018-05-03 |website=RadioInsight |access-date=2018-11-12 |language=en-US }} In October 2018, Jeanne Ashley was named assistant program director and new morning co-host.{{cite news |url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/181157/kswd-94-1-the-sound-seattle-names-jeanne-ashley-ap |title=KSWD (94.1 The Sound)/Seattle Names Jeanne Ashley APD/Morning Co-Host |work=All Access |publisher=All Access Music Group |access-date=2018-11-12 |language=en-US }}

On September 4, 2024, at 10{{nbsp}}a.m., KSWD flipped to hot adult contemporary as Emma 94.1; the flip brought the format back to the market a little over five months after KPLZ-FM flipped to classic country.{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Audacy Introduces Emma To Seattle |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/280348/audacy-introduces-emma-to-seattle/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}}

KSWD broadcasts in HD Radio with one digital subchannel and a former channel:{{cite web |url=http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=11 |title=HD Radio station guide for Seattle–Tacoma, WA |access-date=2015-05-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722064640/http://hdradio.com/station_guides/widget.php?id=11 |archive-date=2015-07-22 }} HD Radio Guide for Seattle-Tacoma

• KSWD-HD1 is a digital simulcast of the analog signal.
• KSWD-HD2 formerly broadcast a blues format known as "The Delta". The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.

{{reflist}}

• {{official website |https://www.audacy.com/941thesoundseattle}}

{{FM station data|20356|KSWD}}

{{Adult Contemporary Radio Stations in Washington}}

{{Seattle Radio}}

{{Entercom}}

Category:1961 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Audacy, Inc. radio stations

Category:Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States

Category:Radio stations established in 1961

SWD (FM)