A battle for Hard Rock fans has broken out in Duluth with a second station adopting the format.
Midwest Communications has debuted “98X” on W251CD/98.1 and WDUL/970 (Superior-Duluth). The move revives an “X” Hard Rock format that aired on K231BI/94.1 (Duluth) and KZIO/104.3 (Two Harbors) until they were sold to Minnesota Public Radio in 2017 amid the selloff of Red Rock Radio.
The new “98X” was able to gain control of the former “94X” Facebook page and began hinting at its return prior to its March 30 launch.
“98X” serves as a flanker for Midwest Classic Rocker KQDS-FM/94.9 (Duluth), reviving a strategy KQ had used when both stations were owned by Red Rock. “X” takes on Townsquare Media’s “Sasquatch 92.1” (WWPE Hermantown-Duluth) after its switch from Classic Rock to Hard Rock last year.
The “X” branding mimics the longtime identity of “93X” (KXXR/93.7 Minneapolis), which Twin Ports listeners hear when they visit the Twin Cities.
W251CD/WDUL was previously “Hot 98” with a Hot Adult Contemporary format. The switch ends a Hot AC duplication which came about after the “Hot 98” program provider moved from Contemporary Hits to Hot AC and Midwest’s “My 95.7” (KDAL-FM Duluth) transitioned from AC to Hot AC.
970 coincidentally identified as “Radio X” for a short time in the early 2000s, years before it had an FM translator, carrying Hot Talk and Sports.
The “X” Hard Rock identity first launched as “X106” on KZIO and K292EZ/106.3 (Duluth) in 2003 under Red Rock’s ownership. It became “94X” when the translator changed frequencies in 2004. “X” originally served as a flanker for KQ in its battle with Midwest’s “102.5 The Bear” (KRBR Superior-Duluth), which changed format prior to Midwest buying KQDS-FM in 2016.