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KRFO-FM

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KRFO-FM
Frequency104.9 MHz
BrandingKAT Kountry 105
Programming
FormatCountry
AffiliationsCompass Media Networks
Ownership
Owner
KDHL, KRFO, KQCL
History
First air date
December 29, 1966 (1966-12-29)
Call sign meaning
Radio From Owatonna[1]
Technical information[2]
Licensing authority
FCC
30125
ClassA
ERP4,700 watts
HAAT53 meters (174 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
44°04′26″N 93°10′49″W / 44.07394°N 93.18029°W / 44.07394; -93.18029
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitekatkountry105.com

KRFO-FM (104.9 MHz) is a radio station airing a country music format, licensed to Owatonna, Minnesota. KRFO-FM is owned by Townsquare Media.[3]

History

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KRFO-FM has long operated as the FM companion to KRFO (1390 AM) in Owatonna. The AM station was part of a postwar expansion of Minnesota radio; a Minnesota Broadcasters Association historical directory lists KRFO, Owatonna, among the stations added in Minnesota in 1950.[4]

KRFO-FM was operating on 104.9 MHz by 1967. The 1967 edition of SAMS Stereo FM listed KRFO-FM at 104.9 MHz with 2,900 watts and an antenna height of 175 feet.[5]

By the late 1980s, KRFO-AM-FM was owned by Owatonna Broadcasting Co. In 1989, Broadcasting reported that Owatonna Broadcasting had sold the stations to Ingstad Broadcasting Inc. for $1,054,551. The sale report described KRFO-FM as operating on 104.9 MHz with 3,000 watts and an antenna 175 feet above average terrain.[6] FCC application records show the station's 1989 assignment application was granted on August 10, 1989.[7]

In 1991, KRFO-FM received a facility upgrade. Broadcasting reported that the FCC granted a modification of license for KRFO-FM on September 12, 1991, increasing the station's effective radiated power to 4.7 kW horizontal and vertical.[8] FCC-derived facility records continue to list KRFO-FM as a Class A station on 104.9 MHz, licensed to Owatonna with 4.7 kW ERP and 53 meters HAAT.[9]

The station was airing a country format by at least the early 1990s. KRFO-FM was included in the 1993–94 Country Music Association country radio station list.[10]

In 1998, Cumulus Media LLC acquired KRFO-AM-FM as part of a larger purchase of stations from James D. Ingstad. Broadcasting & Cable reported that the transaction included KRFO-AM-FM in Owatonna and had a total value of $42.5 million.[11]

KRFO-FM later became part of Townsquare Media. In August 2013, Northpine reported that Townsquare would take over Cumulus stations in several Iowa and Minnesota markets, including the Faribault-Owatonna group consisting of KDHL, KRFO, KQCL, and KRFO-FM.[12] The station now operates as a country outlet branded "Kat Kountry 105".[13]

References

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  1. ↑ "Call letters among the corn rows". The Albert Lea Evening Tribune. Albert Lea, Minnesota. October 23, 1987. p. 4. Retrieved June 17, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ↑ "Facility Technical Data for KRFO-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  3. ↑ KRFO-FM fcc.gov. Accessed January 15, 2013
  4. ↑ Minnesota Anniversary & Directory (PDF). Minnesota Broadcasters Association. Retrieved May 16, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  5. ↑ SAMS Stereo FM 1967 (PDF). Howard W. Sams & Co. Retrieved May 16, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  6. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. June 26, 1989. p. 52. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  7. ↑ "KRFO-FM Application List". FCCInfo.com. Capitol Airspace Group. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  8. ↑ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 14, 1991. p. 56. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  9. ↑ "KRFO-FM Facility Details". FCCInfo.com. Capitol Airspace Group. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  10. ↑ Country Radio Station List 1993–94 (PDF). Country Music Association. Retrieved May 16, 2026 – via World Radio History.
  11. ↑ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. March 23, 1998. p. 80. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  12. ↑ Ellis, Jon (August 30, 2013). "Broadcasting News-August 2013". Northpine. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Kat Kountry 105". Kat Kountry 105. Townsquare Media. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
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