93.3 KIOA

What 93.3 KIOA does

93.3 KIOA is a terrestrial classic hits FM radio station broadcasting 70s, 80s, and 90s music to the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area. It is operated by Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC (dba Des Moines Media Group), a subsidiary of publicly traded Saga Communications, Inc., and is licensed at 93.3 MHz with a roughly 75-mile broadcast radius from its transmitter. The on-air product is anchored by personalities such as Luke Matthews, Jimmy Wright, Kate Garner, and Tony Lorino (host of Throwback Nation), and is packaged under the brand positioning "You lived it, we play it."

The station distributes its content across FM broadcast, dedicated iOS and Android mobile applications (built on the Jacapps platform), website streaming, and TuneIn, with streaming infrastructure provided by Amperwave. Its product portfolio beyond broadcast includes the Luke & Jeriney exclusive podcast, an Email Club and Text Club (SMS) loyalty program, a concert calendar with ticket giveaways, and a contest/sweepstakes platform. Partnerships with Ticketmaster/Live Nation and Hy-Vee anchor the concert ticketing layer, while sponsorships from local SMBs such as VanDerGinst Law demonstrate the station's event-sponsorship monetization model.

KIOA's business model is advertiser-funded: revenue is generated primarily through local and regional advertising sales and event sponsorships targeting Des Moines-area SMBs. There is no subscription, paywall, or direct-listener fee in evidence. The station serves two customer layers — Des Moines metro listeners (B2C, reach-driven) and local advertisers/sponsors (B2B, sponsorship-driven) — and operates within the broader Saga Communications portfolio, which provides corporate scale but limits KIOA's standalone strategic autonomy.

Name

93.3 KIOA

Legal name

Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC (dba Des Moines Media Group)

Website

https://kioa.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

93.3 KIOA is a classic hits FM radio station broadcasting 70s, 80s, and 90s music to the Des Moines, Iowa metro, operated by Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC (dba Des Moines Media Group), a subsidiary of Saga Communications, Inc. It serves local listeners and regional SMB advertisers through FM, mobile apps, and digital streaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Radio Networks (Format-Based) (MPABABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms (MPAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Classic hits radio
• FM radio broadcast
• Radio advertising
• Streaming radio
• Event promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: KIOA generates revenue primarily through advertising sold to local and national businesses. The station offers advertising opportunities through its website (desmoinesmediagroup.com) and maintains a sales team for direct advertising sales.
2. Contest and Promotion Sponsorships: Contests and promotional events feature sponsor integration, such as the Des Moines' People's Choice presented by VanDerGinst Law, generating sponsorship revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

93.3 KIOA is a classic hits FM radio station broadcasting to the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area on 93.3 MHz, playing music from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s under a "We Play Everything" positioning. Beyond over-the-air broadcasting, the station distributes its programming via a mobile app for iOS and Android, web streaming at kioa.com, TuneIn streaming, and a morning-show podcast. Audience engagement is supported through email and text clubs, contests, sweepstakes, and an online concert calendar with ticket giveaways.

Product overview

93.3 KIOA is a classic hits radio station owned by Saga Communications, operating from Des Moines, Iowa. The station offers a multi-platform listening experience centered on its broadcast radio service featuring classic hits music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The product portfolio includes the core radio broadcast, a KIOA mobile app for iOS and Android devices enabling live streaming and podcast access, email and SMS-based loyalty clubs for contest participation, and a concert events calendar with ticket giveaways. The station engages listeners through on-air personalities, theme weekends, and promotional contests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 93.3 KIOA Classic Hits Radio Broadcast

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saga Communications, Inc.coreOthersSaga Communications, Inc. is the parent company that owns and operates 93.3 KIOA-FM through its subsidiary Saga Communications of Iowa, LLC, dba Des Moines Media Group.
• Ticketmaster/Live NationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKIOA distributes concert tickets and promotes events for shows at venues including Iowa State Fair Grandstand and Vibrant Music Hall, often linking to Ticketmaster for ticket purchases.
• VanDerGinst LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVanDerGinst Law is a sponsor of the Des Moines' People's Choice awards event presented by KIOA, providing event visibility and cross-promotion.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• iHeartMedia: The largest US radio operator with a national portfolio of format-based FM stations, podcast networks, and digital streaming assets. Operates the same core business model (advertising-funded terrestrial + digital radio) as KIOA at massive scale.
• Cumulus Media / Westwood One: Major US radio broadcaster with hundreds of stations plus the Westwood One radio network. Same advertising-driven, format-based FM radio model as KIOA, with comparable digital streaming extensions.
• Beasley Media Group: Multi-market US radio broadcaster operating format-based FM stations with similar advertising sales motion and digital streaming distribution. Comparable at the corporate level to KIOA's operating model.
• Audacy (formerly Entercom/CBS Radio): Audacy is one of the largest US radio broadcasters with a national footprint of format-based FM stations. Comparable business model and revenue structure to KIOA at the parent-group level, though with vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Townsquare Media Des Moines: Townsquare Media operates a station cluster in the Des Moines market, directly competing for local advertisers, listeners, and event sponsorships in the same metropolitan area as KIOA.
• 1040 WHO (Des Moines): News/talk radio station also owned and operated by Saga Communications' Des Moines Media Group, sharing the same corporate parent, sales force, and Des Moines market. Directly comparable in business model, distribution, and advertiser base.
• Cumulus Media Des Moines Cluster (e.g., KGGO): Cumulus Media runs competing stations in Des Moines including classic rock KGGO, offering directly comparable formats, distribution, and advertiser overlap to KIOA's classic hits positioning.
• iHeartMedia Des Moines Cluster (e.g., KAZR, KDRB): iHeartMedia operates competing FM stations in the Des Moines market with similar advertiser reach and format diversity. Direct competitor for the same local advertising dollar in the same geography.

Others

• TuneIn: Streaming audio platform that distributes KIOA's signal globally and serves as a distribution and discovery layer. Thematically adjacent infrastructure partner rather than direct competitor.
• Saga Communications, Inc. Public parent company of 93.3 KIOA. Owns a portfolio of format-based radio stations across multiple US markets and shares the same ad-funded FM broadcast business model as its KIOA subsidiary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kioa933
• YouTubetunein.com/radio/KIOA-933-s33184
• Facebookfacebook.com/933KIOA
• Instagraminstagram.com/933kioa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 93.3 KIOA