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KEEZ-FM (99.1 MHz, "Z99") is an American radio station licensed to serve the community of Mankato, Minnesota, and serving the Minnesota River Valley. The station broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format. The station is owned by Alpha Media, through licensee Alpha 3E Licensee LLC, along with sister stations KYSM-FM, KRBI-FM and KMKO-FM.

History

The station was granted license on May 15, 1968, as KEYC-FM. The station was started by Lee Enterprises, which also owned KEYC-TV. The station was sold in 1977, to Faribault County Broadcasting Co. for $200,000, principally owned by Paul C. Hedberg and his wife. Burke B. Bartell was General manager until 1980's. The station was a Top 40/CHR station by the mid-1980s, and then shifted to a Hot AC format in August 1992. Hedberg Broadcasting sold the station in 1993, to Nolan Broadcast Group.

From January 1993 to the fall of 2000, KEEZ was owned and operated by Nolan Broadcast Group. KEEZ was managed by Michael E. Nolan, who along with his father Philip E. Nolan owned KAUS-AM/KAUS-FM in Austin, Minnesota. In 2000, the station was sold to Three Eagles Communications.

KEEZ's longtime competitor, 96.7 KDOG, was a CHR station from 1984 until shifting to Hot AC in 2000. KDOG returned to their CHR roots as "Hot 96.7" in September 2009.

While Z99 was a Hot AC format during the daytime (playing a mix of hit music from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and today), it took a Top 40/CHR format at night, as the station added hip-hop to their playlist, thus it could be considered an Adult Top 40. By 2012, Z99 shifted to a full-fledged Top 40/CHR music station.

On October 31, 2018, at Midnight, KEEZ began stunting with a continuous loop of Michael Jackson's “Thriller” while branding as "Thriller 99.1". The next day, at 9 a.m., KEEZ relaunched with a hot adult contemporary format as "Mix 99.1".

In November 2024, KEEZ reverted back to Top 40/CHR and the "Z99" moniker.

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for KEEZ-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. Broadcasting: 66. 27 May 1968. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Broadcasting: 67. 16 May 1977. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
4. "Z99 Mankato Flips To AC Mix 99.1 - RadioInsight". RadioInsight. 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
5. Z99 Returns to Mankato

External links

• Z99 website
• Facility details for Facility ID 21193 (KEEZ-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KEEZ-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

44°03′07″N 94°18′00″W / 44.052°N 94.300°W / 44.052; -94.300

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• Radio stations in Minnesota
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• Radio stations established in 1968
• 1968 establishments in Minnesota
• Alpha Media radio stations
• Contemporary hit radio stations in the United States
• Minnesota radio station stubs