KORL-FM

The station signed on in 1989 adopting a soft adult contemporary music format with the call letters KLHI. By 1996, the format changed to a modern adult contemporary music, later evolving to a modern rock sound.

In 2005 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) gave the station the green light to move the transmitter and its city of license to Honolulu. After the change was made, KLHI adopted the new call sign KORL-FM and dropped the modern rock music format, moving it to a new frequency of 92.5 FM and serving the Maui area.

At first after KORL-FM's move-in in 2006, the station originally played multi-cultural programming during the day and smooth jazz at night and 24 hours on the weekends. But on June 9, 2008, KORL-FM dropped all of its daytime multi-cultural programming and went with smooth jazz full-time.

Logo of KORL-HD4 & 97.1 FM used between December 12, 2011 until July 2, 2015, airing J-pop under the branding "J-Pop 97.1".

On December 12, 2011, KORL-FM became the first station in the United States to have 4 HD subchannels. One duplicated the analog signal and the other three fed three different analog translators. The main channel flipped formats to adult top 40 and moved the smooth jazz format to its HD2 subchannel and FM translator K268BE at 101.5 FM. The HD3 channel was launched with a Korean Contemporary - K-Pop format, rebroadcasting on FM translator K298BA at 107.5 FM. And the HD4 channel debuted with a Japanese Contemporary - J-Pop format, rebroadcasting on FM translator K246BR at 97.1 FM (switched from K244EF 96.7 FM.[3]

Programming on 101.5/101.1 HD2 soon switched from Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network (which was also heard on the chief signal when it was a smooth jazz outlet) to a locally programmed smooth AC mix dubbed "Smooth FM Hawaiian Style". In the spring of 2013, the smooth AC format of 101.1 HD2 and 101.5 changed to active rock, branded as "K-Rock, Honolulu's Real Rock." 101.5 is an affiliate of the syndicated Pink Floyd program "Floydian Slip."

On July 2, 2015, the J-pop format on 101.1 HD4 changed to classic hip hop, branded as "Boom 97.1". However, shortly after, 97.1 had to drop the Boom branding, as Radio One has the exclusive rights to use it with its classic hip hop stations. After briefly branding as "97dot1", the station later rebranded as "Hot 97dot1".[4] In August 2016, KORL-HD4 flipped to all-1980s' hits as "Retro 97.1.".[5] On January 1, 2017, KORL-HD3 flipped to country music as "Nash Icon 107.5". In March 2021, KORL-HD3 reverted to smooth jazz as "Jazzy 107.5."[6]

Prior to KORL-FM's move-in, another radio station broadcast on the same frequency, called "Energy 101.1" (KXRG-LP). It aired nonstop dance music at around 2pm to 2am from Ala Moana to Pearlridge. Energy 101.1's frequency could not be heard from the windward areas such as Kaneohe and Kailua.

KXRG later signed off so KORL-FM could occupy the frequency. KXRG looked to move to another frequency. Due to its status as a low-power station and was off the air from 2007 to 2010, when it returned on a new signal, this time at 95.9.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to KORL-FM.

• KORL in the FCC FM station database
• KORL on Radio-Locator
• KORL in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
• K246BR in the FCC FM station database
• K246BR on Radio-Locator
• K268BE in the FCC FM station database
• K268BE on Radio-Locator
• K298BA in the FCC FM station database
• K298BA on Radio-Locator