| KKHQ-FM | |
| City: | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Area: | Waterloo-Cedar Falls |
| Branding: | Q98-5 |
| Frequency: | 98.5 MHz |
| Airdate: | January 7, 1994 (as KKCV) |
| Format: | Top 40 (CHR) |
| Erp: | 15,000 watts |
| Class: | C3 |
| Facility Id: | 66780 |
| Callsign Meaning: | The Q in KKHQ is used for the "Q98.5" branding |
| Former Callsigns: | KKCV (1993–2003), KOEL (2003) KOEL-FM (2003–2020) |
| Affiliations: | Compass Media Networks Premiere Networks |
| Owner: | Townsquare Media |
| Licensee: | Townsquare License, LLC |
| Sister Stations: | KCRR, KOEL, KOEL-FM |
| Webcast: | Listen Live |
| Website: | q985.fm |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
KKHQ-FM (98.5 MHz), branded as Q98-5, is a radio station serving Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and surrounding cities with a Top 40/CHR format. This station is owned by Townsquare Media.
KKCV signed on the air on January 7, 1994, and aired a country format branded as "The Hog."[1] The station would later rebrand as "K98.5."[2] On September 22, 2003, the country formats of KKCV and KOEL-FM were merged on the 98.5 FM frequency, along with the KOEL-FM call letters, as the latter flipped to Top 40/CHR format as "Q92.3."[3]
On August 30, 2013, a deal was announced in which Townsquare Media would acquire 53 Cumulus stations, including the then-KOEL-FM, for $238 million. The deal was part of Cumulus' acquisition of Dial Global; Townsquare and Dial Global are both controlled by Oaktree Capital Management.[4] [5] The sale to Townsquare was completed on November 14, 2013; KOEL-FM was one of three stations (along with KCRR and KKHQ-FM) that were placed in a divestiture trust for eventual resale within two years.[6] In December 2016, the Federal Communications Commission approved Townsquare's request to reacquire the stations from the divestiture trust.[7]
On December 9, 2020, KOEL-FM and KKHQ-FM swapped frequencies, bringing the KOEL-FM call letters and the country format back to 92.3 FM after 17 years. In return, KKHQ-FM's Top 40/CHR format moved to 98.5 and rebranded as "Q98.5".[8]