Here is a list of the first 25 FM radio stations to broadcast in the state of Texas. Stations are listed in chronological order, followed by license date, original call letters, original city of license, original owners, and the eventual fate of the radio station.
Because of FM's secondary role in broadcasting during its initial years, the documentation of its earliest stations is ironically much less extensive than that of the earliest AM radio stations of the 1920s. Much assistance has been provided in the compilation of this list by Mike Dorner and Bruce Williamson, webmaster of the Houston Radio History website.
Stations which are still on the air are highlighted in yellow.
Sign on date | Original calls and frequency | Original owner | |||||
1 | Aug. 22, 1946 | KTHT-FM | 98.5 | Houston | Texas Star Broadcasting | became KOPY-FM on 12/2/47; signed off in 1950 | |
2 | Oct. 5, 1946 | KERA-FM | 94.3 | Dallas | Dallas Morning News | became WFAA-FM and moved to 97.9 on 9/15/47; signed off on 9/1/1950; WFAA-FM revived 1/6/1961; Currently KBFB | |
3 | Nov. 1, 1946 | KYFM | 101.5 | San Antonio | Express Publishing | became KTSA-FM in 1950; signed off in 1956 | |
4 | Dec. 23, 1946 | KTRN | 97.7 | Wichita Falls | Times Publishing Co. | signed off in 1949 | |
5 | Dec. 24, 1946 | KPRC-FM | 99.7 | Houston | Houston Post | moved to 102.9 in 1947; moved to 99.1 and changed call letters to KODA in 1958 | |
6 | Dec. 1946 | KISS-FM | 100.1 | San Antonio | Walmac Co. | moved to 99.5 in 1947, still operates as KISS-FM | |
6 | Dec. 1946 | WOAI-FM | 102.3 | San Antonio | Express Publishing | signed off in 1950 | |
8 | Feb. 1947 | KCMC-FM | 92.5 | Texarkana | KCMC, Inc. | moved to 98.1 in 1948; became KTAL-FM in 1962 | |
8 | Feb. 1947 | KAMT | 94.5 | College Station | Texas A&M College | signed off in 1948 | |
8 | Feb. 1947 | KGKB-FM | 101.5 | Tyler | East Texas Broadcasting | signed off in 1951 | |
10 | March 1947 | KRBC-FM | 96.9 | Abilene | Reporter Broadcasting | signed off in 1950 | |
11 | April 1947 | KGBS-FM | 95.3 | Harlingen | Harbenito Radio Corp. | signed off in 1950; Revived in 1960 at 94.5 as KELT, currently KFRQ | |
12 | June 8, 1947 | KIXL-FM | 104.5 | Dallas | Variety Broadcasting | became KEZT in 1972, became KKDA-FM in 1975 | |
13 | June 30, 1947 | KTRH-FM | 101.1 | Houston | KTRH Broadcasting | became KLOL in 1970 | |
14 | Nov. 1947 | KGNC-FM | 104.3 | Amarillo | Plains Radio Corp. | signed off in 1950; revived on 12/24/1958 on 93.1, moved to 97.9 | |
15 | Dec. 1947 | KURV | 104.9 | Edinburg | James Cullen Looney | signed off in 1952 | |
16 | Jan. 31, 1948 | KXYZ-FM | 96.5 | Houston | Harris County Broadcasting | signed off in 1953; revived in 1960, currently KHMX | |
16 | Jan. 1948 | KRBA-FM | 95.5 | Lufkin | Darrell F. Yates | signed off in 1953; revived on 12/19/1959 as KSPL-FM (licensed to Diboll); currently KAFX | |
16 | Jan. 1948 | KVWC-FM | 98.7 | Vernon | Northwestern Broadcasting | signed off in 1950 | |
19 | Feb. 1948 | KRIC-FM | 99.5 | Beaumont | KRIC, Inc. | moved to 97.5 in 1958; became KAYD in 1963; changed city of license in 2002 to Mont Belvieu to target Houston, currently KFNC | |
20 | Apr. 1, 1948 | KRLD-FM | 92.5 | Dallas | KRLD Radio | became KAFM in 1973; became KZPS in 1986 | |
21 | April 1948 | KFYO-FM | 99.5 | Lubbock | Plains Radio Corp. | signed off in 1950 | |
22 | May 1948 | KWFT-FM | 99.9 | Wichita Falls | KWFT, Inc. | signed off in 1953 | |
23 | June 1948 | KDNT-FM | 106.1 | Denton | Harwell V. Shepard | currently KHKS Denton/Dallas/Fort Worth | |
23 | June 1948 | KTEM-FM | 107.5 | Temple | Bell Broadcasting | signed off in 1954 | |
25 | July 1948 | KONO-FM | 92.9 | San Antonio | Mission Broadcasting | Currently KROM |