KUFO Rocks Portland Once Again
• After a 15-year “hiatus,” Connoisseur Media proudly announces the return of KUFO/Portland, OR, replacing hip-hop WE 102.9. Portland has not had a dedicated Active Rock station since early 2011 when KUFO, then at 101.1, signed off, selflessly giving its life so that News-Talk sister KXL could expand from 750AM to FM. Since that dark time, the market has supported Classic Rock and Alternative formats but lacked a modern, Active Rock outlet — until now.
KUFO returns after a series of on-air stunts generating local buzz — on Monday, Feb. 2, KUFO played Sonny & Cher‘s “I got You Babe” on a 24-hour loop as a nod to the movie Groundhog Day. The next day, the station played the Star Wars theme and the Cantina Song, foreshadowing that something epic was coming… until midnight on Wednesday, Feb. 4 when KUFO officially launched.
“This is an exciting day for rock fans in Portland,” said Ross MacLeod, who assumes PD stripes for KUFO. “There’s nothing else like this in the market. KUFO is back to deliver the music people have been asking for — unapologetically. This station is built for listeners who want less clutter, fewer interruptions, and an incredible rock experience.”
“When you have a legendary brand like KUFO sitting dormant, it only makes sense to bring it back,” said SVP of Programming Keith Dakin. “The success of new bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Pierce the Veil plus the resurgence of artists like Deftones, you see that there is a hole for guitar driven, uptempo, rock. No one in Portland is playing this type of music so we thought, lets bring back the station that did it so well originally.”
“Bringing back this mega rock brand was a true team decision, driven by our people here in the market who know our listeners best,” said Mark Handwerger, VP/Market Manager of Connoisseur Portland. “We listened closely to the community and trusted our instincts — it made the decision a no-brainer, this brand belongs on the air again! It’s exciting to revive something with so much history and give it a new life.”
