Several Des Moines-area radio signals will make changes on April 1, with Iowa Catholic Radio and “La Ley” changing spots on the dial.
Iowa Catholic Radio announced that its programming in Des Moines will move from KWKY/1150 and K233BT/94.5 (Des Moines) to KDLS-FM/105.5 (Perry-Des Moines). KDLS-FM will change its callsign to KIHS; the former KIHS/88.5 (Adel) changed its callsign to KQBV on March 18.
“We really needed to do something to serve our own core metro, but this will be a large enough signal that it will reach even further than that,” Iowa Catholic Radio Director Matt Willkom said in an on-air announcement.
Meanwhile, KWKY and K233BT will become the new home of KDLS-FM’s current Spanish-language format, “La Ley.” KWKY will change its callsign to KLDX, dropping a callsign that had been in use since 1959.
Trinity Communications, parent of Iowa Catholic Radio, purchased KDLS-FM two years ago. The station upgraded to cover Des Moines in 1995.
105.5 also has a construction permit to switch its antenna to non-directional while remaining 10kW/157m (class C3) from its present site. The change will improve the station’s signal to Ames.
Iowa Catholic Radio is heard on eight stations around the state besides the Des Moines signals.