KYDZ

Radio station in Cody, Wyoming (1976–1996)

44°31′29″N 109°4′6″W / 44.52472°N 109.06833°W / 44.52472; -109.06833

KYDZ "Kids 90" was a high school radio station at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming.^[1] The station's license was held by Park County School District Number 6, and it operated on 90.1 MHz from 1976 to 1996.^[2]

History

After being granted a construction permit in January 1975, KYDZ signed on the air in the summer of 1976. Broadcasting with 10 watts,^[1] KYDZ was the first FM radio station to sign on the air in the Bighorn Basin; the first commercial FM outlet in the region was KENB-FM, which took to the air in December 1980.^[3] Like many high school stations, KYDZ operated during the day only; in 1984, its regular broadcast hours were 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.^[4] Programming was eclectic, with pop and rock music, public service announcements, news of school activities, and story programs for elementary school and preschool students.^[5] The station was relocated to a new transmitter site in 1981, with its effective radiated power increased to 150 watts;^[6] a second increase approved in 1986 boosted KYDZ's power to 10,000 watts.^[7]

In 1976, the station planned on organizing a 77-hour radio marathon in late December to help the students gain work experience. However, the marathon took on a life of its own when Rob Russell, a football player who had been key in leading Cody to a state football title that fall and a member of the radio class, came down with a staph infection and was flown to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The students turned the marathon into a benefit to raise money for his medical treatment, raising more than $1,200.^[8] The KYDZ radiothon soon became an annual tradition,^[9] raising money for local causes such as a local Meals on Wheels program.^[10] The 84-hour 1984 edition raised $3,417 for an 8-year-old Cody boy who had been accidentally shot months prior and sent messages to Marines stationed in Lebanon; their efforts earned them a thank-you letter from President Ronald Reagan.^[4] The next year, the radiothon raised funds for a football player from Rock Springs High School who collapsed on the field during a football practice and was in a coma for four weeks.^[9]

In 1996, however, KYDZ's broadcast time on air would come to an end when the school district could not afford to hire a faculty advisor to run the radio program.^[2] The license was cancelled in 1998 for failure to transmit over a 12-month period.^[11] The channel is now used by Wyoming Public Radio transmitter KUWP (licensed to Powell).^[12]^[13]

References

^ ^a ^b FCC History Cards for KYDZ
^ ^a ^b "Radio Free Cody". Casper Star-Tribune. May 26, 1996. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ Davis, Dennis (December 11, 1980). "Another FM radio station planned for Casper by July". Casper Star-Tribune. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Reagan writes to students". Casper Star-Tribune. Associated Press. January 11, 1984. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ McKean, Robert; Taylor, Bob (May 1978). "Students on the Air Waves" (PDF). Educational Leadership. p. 678. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ "Facilities Changes" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 23, 1981. p. 74. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
^ "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 18, 1986. p. 77. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
^ "Spirit of giving stays in Cody, though Christmas has gone by". Casper Star-Tribune. December 30, 1976. p. 2. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Cody students raise $3,417 for Overy". Casper Star-Tribune. January 3, 1985. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ "$2,170 raised". Casper Star-Tribune. January 4, 1979. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ "Washington This Week" (PDF). M Street Journal. October 14, 1998. p. 7. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
^ "WPR on air in Buffalo". Casper Star-Tribune. November 19, 1999. p. C3. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
^ "Format Changes & Updates" (PDF). M Street Journal. January 26, 2000. p. 2 (36). Retrieved October 13, 2019.