KTHT
KTHT (97.1 MHz "Country Legends 97.1") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Cleveland, Texas, and serves the northern section of Greater Houston. The station airs a classic country radio format and is owned by Cox Radio, along with 107.5 KGLK, 106.9 KHPT and 92.9 KKBQ. The studios and offices are in 3 Post Oak Central in the Uptown Houston district.[1][2]
City | Cleveland, Texas |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Greater Houston Deep East Texas |
Frequency | 97.1 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | Country Legends 97.1 |
Slogan | Houston's Home for Country Legends |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Classic Country |
Ownership | |
Owner | Cox Media Group (CMG NY/Texas Radio, LLC) |
KGLK, KHPT, KKBQ | |
History | |
First air date | January 7, 1993 (as KRTK) |
Former call signs | KRTK (1991-1995) KEYH-FM (1995-1996) KOND (1996-1997) KRTK (2/1997-9/1997) KKTL (1997-1999) KKTL-FM (1999-2000) |
Call sign meaning | Texas HoT (former branding) |
Technical information | |
Facility ID | 65308 |
Class | C |
ERP | 100,000 watts |
HAAT | 563 m (1,847 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 30°32′6″N 95°1′4″W |
Repeater(s) | 92.9 KKBQ-HD-2 |
Links | |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | CountryLegends971.com |
KTHT has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum permitted for non-grandfathered FM station. The transmitter site is off Route 222 at Bob McGowan Road in Shepherd, Texas, near Sam Houston National Forest.[3] That puts it about halfway between Houston and Lufkin, Texas. KTHT programming is simulcast in HD radio on sister station 92.9 KKBQ's HD-2 subchannel.
Station history
Classical KRTK
On January 17, 1993, the station signed on as KRTK.[4] It was owned by Texas Classical Radio, Inc.
KRTK originally simulcast the classical music programming on 92.1 KRTS Seabrook, to increase that station's coverage in northern sections of the Houston radio market. It was sold four years later after KRTS' request to increase power was approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Regional Mexican KEYH-FM
In September 1995, 97.1 began simulcasting Regional Mexican-formatted KEYH 850 AM as KEYH-FM. The simulcast ended a short time later, as 97.1 began to air its own Regional Mexican format as "Estereo 97", which later became "Que Onda 97" in March 1996.
In January 1997, the station was bought for $10 million by the broadcasting company AMFM.[5]
Talk, Alternative and Oldies
The call sign switched to KKTL as "Houston's Talk FM, 97 Talk," in September 1997. KKTL changed hands again in 1998. It was bought by Jacor for $14.7 million.[6]
In March 1999, after the talk format floundered, the station switched to a simulcast of Alternative Rock KTBZ-FM "107-5 The Buzz". It continued simulcasting 107.5 after KTBZ and KLDE "Oldies 94.5" swapped frequencies in July 2000, making 97.1 an oldies outlet. The swap was the result of an ownership trade-off in the AMFM/Jacor/Clear Channel merger.
Hot 97.1
In August 2000, Cox acquired KKTL.[7] On November 4, 2000, at Noon, KKTL split from the simulcast and flipped to Rhythmic Contemporary as KTHT "Hot 97.1".
The first song on "Hot" was "Party Up" by DMX.[8] The Rhythmic format lasted a little over two years.
Country Legends
On January 2, 2003, at Noon, after playing "Back That Thang Up" by Juvenile, 97.1 flipped to a classic country format as "Country Legends 97.1". The first song on Country Legends was "You Never Even Called Me by My Name" by David Allan Coe.[9]
Core artists include Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Ronnie Milsap.
Station Personalities
Dan Gallo and Chuck Akers host the weekday morning show.
Jake Stewart, weekday middays.
Call Sign History
- KRTK - 05/03/1991 (K-Arts)
- KEYH-FM - 09/18/1995
- KOHD - 03/11/1996
- KRTK - 02/10/1997 (K-Arts again)
- KKTL - 09/22/1997 (97 Talk)
- KKTL-FM - 03/19/1999 (simulcast of 107-5 The Buzz, Oldies 107.5)
- KTHT - 11/13/2000 (Hot 97-1, Country Legends 97.1)
References
- "Contact Us." KTHT. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
- "Uptown District Map." Uptown Houston District. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.
- Radio-Locator.com/KTHT
- Information from the Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1995 page B-395
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1998 page D-421
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2001 page D-432
- Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-519
- KKTL Becomes Hot 97.1
- Hot 97.1 KTHT Becomes Classic Country
External links
- KTHT Website
- Listen to the launch of Hot 97.1
- KTHT in the FCC's FM station database
- KTHT on Radio-Locator
- KTHT in Nielsen Audio's FM station database