Energy Arizona

In 1999, the company now known as Sierra H Broadcasting signed on KESP 101.1 FM in Payson, AZ. The format was Classic Hits (a.k.a. a lighter version of Classic Rock) under the name “Loop 101” (which, probably not coincidentally, is also the name of a then-being-constructed freeway in the Phoenix area.) The call letters changed to KAZL in early 2000, and at some point, K224CJ 92.7 FM (a 10-watt translator broadcasting from South Mountain in Phoenix) and K292DF 106.3 FM (a 10-watt translator located in Flagstaff, AZ) began simulcasting KAZL. The idea was to provide an alternative to Sandusky’s Classic Rock KSLX 100.7 FM. However, Loop 101 rarely made an appearance in the Phoenix ratings. On June 18, 2002, at 5pm, “Loop 101” came to an end. It was replaced by a s...