Fargo Radio: Big 98.7 FM Launches With Jesse, Amanda, Pike

Fargo's Q98 rocks has moved to 105.1 FM and taking the 98.7 FM spot on the FM dial is Big 98.7, branding as Today's Hits Music Without All The Rap.

Adult CHR KLTA Big 98.7 will be the new home of the popular morning show, "Jesse and Amanda with Pike."    Jesse and Amanda with Pike – John Halvorson (Jesse James), Amanda Scheid (Amanda Lea) and Taylor Peterson (Pike) – left their longtime home of Froggy 99.9 earlier this month.

According to The Forum, the three stayed mostly silent about where they were headed, the only hints being dropped through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The cryptic messages only read, “Big changes are coming.”

98.7 FM was formerly home to Q98 Rocks, a hard rock, male-oriented staple of the Red River Valley moved Friday to 105.1 FM and is now branded Q105.1 Rocks retaining its call letters KQWB.

On Monday, hundreds of clients and listeners attended the Big 98.7 launch party as the morning trio went live on air from The Venue at the Hub at 5 p.m.

The station’s first song, “Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, helped set the tone for a format of current hit songs minus any hard rock or rap.  Featured artists on the new Big 98.7 will include Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5 and Lady Gaga.

To top the day off, Jesse and Amanda with Pike were named North Dakota’s best morning show and top community service team by the North Dakota Broadcasters Association.

BIG 98.7 FM LISTEN-LINE: Click Here.

Monday’s announcement bookended a storm of radio station changes earlier this year.

In late April, Jim Ingstad sold his six Radio Fargo-Moorhead stations, – including Bob 95 – to Midwest Communications.

Ingstad then bought Froggy 99 and five other stations from L&L Broadcasting, which had just bought those stations as part of a larger deal with Triad Broadcasting.

Then, on Aug. 5, Ingstad swapped Froggy 99.9 with Midwest Communications’ Bob 95.

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