Update 7/31: After stunting with all-Bad Bunny over the weekend, Lee Family Broadcasting launched Bilingual Rhythmic “Mega 97.5” on 97.5 K248BZ Kimberly/Twin Falls ID and 99.1 KXTA-HD3 Gooding.
The station is carrying Entravision’s “Shoboy Show” in mornings and Tino Cochino Radio in afternoons. Nights will feature multiple mixshows and the station intends to hire a locally based midday host.
Benjamin “El Chupacabras” Reed, Program Director of Regional Mexican “99.1 La Perrona” KXTA-FM re-adds those duties for K248BZ. He previously programmed the station as Bilingual CHR “LatinX 97.5“ from February 2019 until its flip to Classic Rock in August 2020.
As of midnight, KXTA HD-3, also heard on K248BZ, 97.5 FM in the Twin Falls/Jerome area, officially became “Mega 97.5.” The station ends a simulcast of KKRK AM and 100.5 FM in the Mini-Cassia area. Mega 97.5 is uniquely formatted with a bi-lingual mix of reggaeton and hip-hop, with both music and announcements aired in Spanglish.
“After reviewing the latest demographics from our area, we were convinced that this was the right move,” remarked Benjamin Reed, a.k.a. “El Chupacabras,” who serves as Spanish Language Brand Manager for Lee Family. “I credit ownership with making this decision. Some of our local schools are now 70 percent Hispanic or Latinx. The latest Census data for Southern Idaho clearly demonstrates this is an area of explosive growth.”
Mega 97.5 will target a new generation that is well anchored in their parents’ and grandparents’ generation, as well as the here and now, speaking both Spanish and English, or simply English only. Family and culture are still crucial elements that bind our community – the main focus of Mega 97.5. Music will feature artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, J Balvin as well as newer offerings such as the immensely popular Peso Pluma.
Morning drive time will be anchored by Edgar Sotelo, better known as Shoboy. Sotelo has worked in both Los Angeles and New York. Afternoon drive will feature Tino Cochino. Both Tino and Shoboy reflect our target demographic in their approach to reaching out to our audience.
Nights will feature 3 hours of beatmixes, first with “La Mezcla Fuego,” then with “Vamonos de Fiesta” and finally with syndicated mixes from JamTraxx. Lee Family will soon be actively recruiting a new midday personality from the local area.
Original Report 7/28: Lee Family Broadcasting has broken apart the simulcast Classic Rock/Hits “Balanced Rock 97.5/100.5“ 970 KXTA/100.5 K263BX Rupert and 97.5 K248BZ Kimberly/Twin Falls ID.
97.5 K248BZ and 99.1 KXTA-HD3 Gooding are now stunting with all-Bad Bunny as “Conejo 97.5“. A new format will launch on Monday, July 31. The stunting can be heard here.
