KUPL
{{short description|Radio station in Portland, Oregon}}
{{About||the station known as KUPL at 1330 AM from 1976–1995|KKPZ}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KUPL
| logo = 98.7 THE BULL logo.png
| city = Portland, Oregon
| area = Portland metropolitan area
| branding = 98-7 The Bull
| frequency = 98.7 MHz
| airdate = June 6, 1948 (as KPOJ-FM)
| format = Country
| erp = 25,000 watts
| haat = {{Convert|502|meters}}
| class = C1
| facility_id = 4114
| licensing_authority = FCC
| coordinates = {{coord|45|30|58|N|122|43|59|W|region:US-OR_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| callsign_meaning = CoUPLe; KU-PortLand
| former_callsigns = {{ubl|KPOJ-FM (1948–1968)|KPOK-FM (1968–1973)|KUPL-FM (1973–2010)}}
| former_frequencies = {{ubl|98.7 MHz (1948–1964)|98.5 MHz (1964–1997)}}
| owner = Alpha Media
| licensee = Alpha Media Licensee LLC
| affiliations = Premiere Networks
| sister_stations = KBFF, KINK, KUFO, KXL-FM, KXTG
| webcast = [https://www.alphamediaplayer.com/987thebull Listen Live]
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
KUPL (98.7 FM) is a commercial radio station in Portland, Oregon. The station is owned by Alpha Media and airs a country music radio format, known as "98.7 The Bull."
KUPL's studios and offices are located in Downtown Portland on SW 5th Avenue.{{cite web|url=https://www.987thebull.com/contact|title=Contact 98.7 The Bull|work=987thebull.com|access-date=February 13, 2024}} The transmitter is in Portland's West Hills, on SW Barnes Road.[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=kupl&nav= Radio-Locator.com/KUPL-FM]
History
=KPOJ-FM/KPOK-FM=
On June 6, 1948, the station signed on as KPOJ-FM at 98.7 MHz.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1950/RADIO%20&%20TV%20ALL%20YB%201950%20B&W-11.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1950 page 250] It was owned and operated by The Oregon Journal.{{cite news |title=New FM Operation Open As KALE Changes to KPOJ |url=http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1948/1948-06-14-BC.pdf |access-date=18 December 2014 |agency=Broadcasting |date=June 14, 1948}} It was powered at 44,000 watts and mostly simulcast co-owned AM 1330 KPOJ, a network affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Don Lee Network.
It moved one spot lower on the FM dial, to 98.5 MHz, on March 27, 1964. On August 15, 1968, KPOJ-FM changed its call sign to KPOK-FM. It played oldies and called itself "The Golden Sound." On June 18, 1973, KPOK-FM changed its format from oldies to beautiful music as "98-FM". On July 11, 1973, the call letters switched to KUPL-FM while AM 1330 aired country music, also using the KUPL call sign. The beautiful music on 98.5 lasted more than a decade.{{Cite web|title=KUPL-FM ad, 1983|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMw-GwK1dSY|website=YouTube}}
=Switch to Country=
In 1982, KUPL-AM-FM were acquired by the Scripps Howard Broadcasting.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-All-BC-YB-1985.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1984 page B-233] On March 16, 1984, after 10 years as an easy listening station, KUPL-FM dropped the format and joined its AM counterpart as a country music station. KUPL-AM had also previously broadcast easy listening since the late 1970s. In 1981, KUPL-AM became a "Music of Your Life" affiliate, continuing with an easy listening format until 1984. The moniker for KUPL-FM was "K98, Continuous Hit Country." Later the station would be known as "Couple 98" by pronouncing the call letters KUPL.{{Cite web|title=98.7 KUPL Big Money Jukebox TV spot 2006|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1NM4DyU9BQ|website=YouTube}}
In 1996, the stations changed hands again, now owned by American Radio Systems.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1998/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-1998.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1998 page D-364] On September 4, 1997, KUPL-FM moved back from 98.5 MHz to 98.7 MHz, its original frequency.
Over the course of the next decade the station would rebrand various times including 98.7 KUPL and New Country 98-7 KUPL. In 1995, the AM station was sold for $2 million to Crawford Broadcasting, who switched it to a Christian radio format as KKPZ.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2005/Radio-All-2005-BC-YB.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2005 page D-429] In 1998, KUPL-FM was acquired by CBS Radio.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1999/D-Radio-All-BC-YB-1999..pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1999 page D-368]
=Sale to Alpha Media=
In August 2009, CBS sold its Portland cluster to newly formed Alpha Media.[http://oregonmediacentral.com/2009/08/first-on-omc-cbs-radio-sells-portland-station-group-to-alpha-broadcasting CBS Radio Sells Portland Station Group to Alpha Broadcasting] - [http://oregonmediacentral.com Oregon Media Central] (released August 7, 2009) Radio vet Scott Mahalick was hired to program KUPL-FM.[http://oregonmediacentral.com/2009/08/first-on-omc-cbs-radio-sells-portland-station-group-to-alpha-broadcasting CBS Radio Sells Portland Station Group to Alpha Broadcasting] - [http://oregonmediacentral.com Oregon Media Central] (released August 7, 2009) On September 16, 2010, the "-FM" suffix was removed from the station's callsign.
In March 2011, the station began using the slogan "98-7 KUPL, #1 For The Most New Country." On January 10, 2013 at midnight, the station dropped the "98-7 KUPL" branding for "98-7 The Bull."{{cite web |url=http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/80447/kupl-portland-gets-bullish/ |title=KUPL Portland Gets Bullish – RadioInsight}} It only uses the actual callsign during legal station identifications.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|name=Official KUPL website}}
- {{FM station data|4114|KUPL}}
{{Portland, Oregon Radio}}
{{Alpha Media}}
{{The Bobby Bones Show}}
{{Country Radio Stations in Oregon}}
Category:Country radio stations in the United States
Category:Radio stations established in 1948