| Broadcast area | High Desert |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 96.9 MHz |
| Branding | Pure Rock KNAC |
| Programming | |
| Format | Active rock |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks Las Vegas Raiders Vegas Golden Knights |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | 2002 |
Call sign meaning | "Highway Drive" (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 89344 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 1,000 watts |
| HAAT | 244 meters (801 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°58′15″N 117°2′23″W / 34.97083°N 117.03972°W |
| Repeater | See § Repeater |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | www |
KHDR (96.9 FM) and KNAC (94.9 FM) are radio stations licensed to Lenwood and Baker, California. Owned by The Drive, LLC, a joint venture between Heftel Broadcasting Company and Point Broadcasting, they broadcast an active rock format branded as Pure Rock KNAC. Similarly to sister station KRXV, the stations serve the Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 corridors, targeting travelers from California to Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada.
History
[edit]KHDR first signed on in 2002.
In 2004, KHWZ (100.1 FM) in Ludlow, California broke from the Highway Country trimulcast and switched to "The Drive". KHWZ went silent on February 25, 2011.
In early 2017, parent company KHWY, Inc. filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the Highway Stations — KHDR and KHRQ, plus The Highway Vibe (KRXV, KHWY, KHYZ) and Highway Country (KIXW-FM, KIXF) — were put up for auction. Heftel Broadcasting won the auction with a $620,000 bid, with Educational Media Foundation having offered $525,000 for just KRXV and KHYZ. Point Broadcasting would maintain a 32.3% minority stake in the stations.[2]
In 2018, the Drive stations switched formats from mainstream rock to adult hits. On December 26, 2020, the stations returned to rock.[3]
Syndicated programming on KHDR and KHRQ included, by February 8, 2021, The Woody Show weekday mornings.[4] The Drive stations are affiliates of the Vegas Golden Knights radio network.[5] One of KHDR's syndicated shows (by March 2024) was Highway Rock, hosted by former KNAC DJ Gonzo Greg. Similar to KNAC, it broadcast musical genres ranging from classic rock to hard rock and heavy metal music.[4][6]
On February 12, 2025, KHDR and KHRQ rebranded as "Highway Rock" and began simulcasting on KHYZ's HD3 subchannel. The station's frequency was also changed from 96.9/94.9 to 99.7.[7]
On August 6, 2025, KHRQ changed its call letters to KNAC in tribute to the original KNAC in Los Angeles, and the stations held a "Pure Rock Rewind" weekend of classic 80s and 90s rock over the Labor Day holiday to promote the change.[8][9] In October 2025, the station announced that it would rebrand as "Pure Rock KNAC" on October 31, 2025.[10]
Repeater
[edit]| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | Facility ID | Class | ERP (W) |
Height (m (ft)) |
Transmitter coordinates | First air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KNAC | 94.9 FM | Baker, California | 89128 | B1 | 1,450 | 404 m (1,325 ft) | 35°26′10″N 115°55′25″W / 35.43611°N 115.92361°W | 2002 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KHDR". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ Venta, Lance (May 22, 2017). "Heftel Broadcasting Acquires The Highway Stations". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- ^ Venta, Lance (January 14, 2021). "94.9/96.9 The Drive Return To Rock Along I-15 To Vegas". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
- ^ a b Venta, Lance (February 3, 2021). "Woody Show Comes To Barstow's Drive". RadioInsight. RadioBB Networks. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "Broadcast Affiliates". Vegas Golden Knights. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
- ^ "highwayrock.fm – DRIVE 96.9/94.9". highwayrock.fm. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
- ^ Highway Drive Rebrands Focus to Las Vegas HD Subchannel Radioinsight - February 12, 2025
- ^ "Federal Communications Commission". Licensing and Management System. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ^ "KXTE Gets More Xtreme; Highway Rock Pays Tribute To KNAC". RadioInsight. August 31, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ Venta, Lance (October 28, 2025). "KNAC To Relaunch In California's High Desert On Halloween". RadioInsight. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official website
- Facility details for Facility ID 89344 (KHDR) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KHDR in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 741488 (KHRQ) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KHRQ in Nielsen Audio's FM station database