KKBR
Radio station in Billings, Montana
KKBR (97.1 FM) - branded as Mix 97.1 - is a commercial radio station in Billings, Montana. Licensed to Billings, Montana, United States, the station serves the Billings area. The station is currently owned by Townsquare License, LLC. The station has obtained a construction permit from the FCC for a power increase to 100,000 watts.
Types of music
The radio station previously aired classic hits, focusing on the hits from 1968 to 1988, as "97.1 K-Bear".
On July 3, 2013, after stunting with Christmas music as "97.1 Santa FM", the station launched a Top 40/CHR format as "PopCrush 97.1" with a weekend of commercial free music, including a contest to be the first person to call the station at the first commercial break. The first 3 songs as PopCrush 97.1 were Pitbull's "Feel This Moment" featuring Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors", and Rihanna's "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z. On July 25, 2016, KKBR rebranded as "97.1 Kiss FM".
On August 29, 2022, it was announced that big changes are coming to this station.
On September 16, 2022, KKBR shifted from Top 40/CHR to hot adult contemporary, and rebranded as "Mix 97.1".
Ownership
In October 2007, a deal was reached for KKBR to be acquired by GAP Broadcasting II LLC (Samuel Weller, president) from Clear Channel Communications as part of a 57-station deal with a total reported sale price of $74.78 million. What eventually became GapWest Broadcasting was folded into Townsquare Media on August 13, 2010.
The public source identifies “KKBR” as radio station in Billings, Montana. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around KKBR, Radio and station.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “KKBR”, the useful work is to connect “radio station in Billings, Montana” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6331750. Authority coordinates are 45.766, -108.455. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1968, 1988, 2013 and 2016.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. 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 “KKBR”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow KKBR primary sources, KKBR archive and KKBR 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 “KKBR”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “KKBR” 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.