KBAQ
classical music public radio station in Phoenix
KBAQ (89.5 FM, "K-Bach") is a public radio station in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, playing classical music. It is co-owned by the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and Arizona State University (ASU). The studios are located inside the C Building on MCCCD's campus of Rio Salado College on West 14th Street in Tempe, alongside MCCCD-owned KJZZ (91.5 FM), while the station broadcasts from a transmitter on South Mountain. In addition to its FM signal, it is broadcast as an audio subchannel (8.5) of ASU-owned KAET television (Arizona PBS) across central, northern, and southwestern Arizona.
The need for a public classical music station in Phoenix arose in 1986 when commercial station KONC was sold and changed formats. MCCCD and ASU each filed for the available 89.5 MHz frequency, which in turn was also sought by three other applicants. In 1990, the Federal Communications Commission ordered the two parties to share time on the frequency or otherwise come to an agreement. With the collaboration of both educational institutions, KBAQ began broadcasting on April 26, 1993; the community college system manages day-to-day operations, while ASU provides production and recording services for concerts around Arizona. The station is funded by donations from listeners, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the community college district.
History
Phoenix's longtime classical music station had been KONC at 101.5 MHz.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “KBAQ” as classical music public radio station in Phoenix. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as classical music public radio station in Phoenix. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q14680453. Authority coordinates are 33.333, -112.065. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1986, 1990 and 1993.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “KBAQ”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow KBAQ primary sources, KBAQ archive and KBAQ research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “KBAQ”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “KBAQ” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.