The station signed on the air in 1977 with the callsign KTQQ, and branded as "Q101 - The Country Boss" and was a fierce competitor against country station KYKZ 96 throughout the 1980s. It was originally located at frequency 100.9 MHz. KTQQ eventually succumbed to country station Kicks 96 in popularity by the 1990s; the country format was put to an end and the station was later bought as a sister station. Due to pressure by the FCC; the station was forced to move from 100.9 to 101.3 MHz as a Class C3 station in the mid 1990s to avoid ongoing interference with KJAS (now KKHT) located also at 100.9 MHz, and this time with a new callsign change from KTQQ to KKGB.
