KQPS (103.1 FM) is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Palm Desert, California, United States, and serves the Palm Springs—Coachella Valley radio market. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. KQPS's transmitter is off Varner Road in Cathedral City, amid other Palm Springs-area FM and TV towers. KQPS is the flagship station of "Channel Q", a national talk/EDM network targeted to the LGBTQ community. In addition to the local Palm Springs signal, Channel Q is heard on a number of Audacy's HD Radio subchannels across the country as well as on the Audacy internet radio platform. Network hosts include Jai Rodriguez, John Duran, and Shira Lazar. History Classical KCMS The station at 103.1 FM first signed on November 27, 1977, as KCMS, playing classical music. The station was founded by broadcast engineer Paul Posen under his company, Classic Broadcasting. The original studios were located in Indio, California. Its relays were KCBI (97.3 FM), when it was affiliated with CBS Radio, and KECI (97.7 FM), broadcasting into the Imperial Valley. In October 1983, the station changed its call sign to KEZN. By 1987, the studios were moved to a new facility in Palm Desert. Switch to soft AC In the early 1990s, the station switched to the nationally syndicated "Format 41" soft adult contemporary service of the Unistar Radio Network. In 1994, KEZN became the only AC station in the Palm Springs market when KPLM flipped to a country music format. Noted Los Angeles broadcaster Russ O'Hara teamed with local personality Kayla Stone for the Russ and Kayla morning drive show, as the station eliminated the Format 41 service to go with local programming. Another local disc jockey, Debra Kaye Ahlers, occupied the midday shift, while program director Dale Berg, a noted personality from Orange County, handled afternoon drive. Later, former Nashville Network announcer Dan McGrath took over morning drive, while former KCLB personality John O (John Ostrum) assumed the afternoon slot. In 1996, Gary Bell arrived from KCBS-FM in Los Angeles. Ryan Yamanaka also served as an on-air personality from 2000 to 2001 working the overnight shift. He was also the last personality to drive KEZN's "Mr. Frosty". The early personalities helped propel KEZN to be among the top rated stations in Palm Springs. CBS ownership In June 1998, Posen sold his interest in the station to CBS Radio (which would later merge with Infinity Broadcasting, and would