KBNA-FM
Broadcast areaEl Paso metropolitan area; Ciudad Juárez
Frequency97.5 MHz
BrandingKé Buena 97.5
Programming
Language(s)Spanish
FormatRegional Mexican
Ownership
Owner
KAMA, KQBU, and in Ciudad Juárez: XEJ, XHEM-FM, XHEPR-FM, XHIM-FM, XHNZ-FM, XHTO-FM
History
First air date
February 15, 1969
Former call signs
  • KINT-FM (1969–1982)
  • KYSR-FM (1982–1985)
Call sign meaning
"Ké Buena" (How Good)
Technical information
Facility ID67066
ClassC
ERP100,000 watts horizontal
48,000 watts vertical
HAAT332 meters (1,089 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
31°47′34″N 106°28′47″W / 31.79278°N 106.47972°W / 31.79278; -106.47972
Links
WebcastListen Lice
Websitekebuena975.com

KBNA-FM (97.5 MHz "Ké Buena 97.5") is a commercial radio station in El Paso, Texas. The station is owned by Grupo Radio Centro and it airs a Regional Mexican radio format.

KBNA-FM's transmitter is located in the Franklin Mountains, off Scenic Drive in El Paso.[1] The station has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts horizontal and 48,000 watts vertical.[2] The signal extends north to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and south through Ciudad Juárez and the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

History

Early years

On February 16, 1969, KINT-FM first signed on.[3] It was owned by Sun County Broadcasting, which also owned KINT (1590 AM; now KELP). The 1970s version of KINT-FM is not related to the current KINT-FM, heard on 93.9 MHz and owned by Entravision Communications. While its AM station carried a contemporary hits format, KINT-FM aired progressive rock.

By the mid-1970s, KINT-FM had joined its AM sister station, playing top 40 hits and later adding disco music. Larry Daniels owned KINT-AM-FM in the early 1970s. Jim Tabor (formerly a DJ at KLIF in Dallas) and his father bought the stations in 1974. The studios and the 1590 AM transmitter were at 5300 El Paso Drive. They moved the offices to the 5959 Gateway Building near Bassett Center, and then bought a building at 5710 Trowbridge that became known as Radio Center.

KYSR-FM

Tabor later changed the AM call sign and format in 1979 to KKOL "Kool Oldies". He sold the AM to Gary Acker in 1981. KINT-FM was sold to a new company called Great American Broadcasting, Inc., with an AM station on 920 kHz (now KQBU). In 1982, Great American changed the call letters to KYSR and KYSR-FM.

KYSR-FM moved from contemporary hits to adult contemporary music. In 1982, the stations changed hands again, going to KYS Radio.

KBNA-FM

In 1985, the two stations were acquired by Tichenor Radio.[4] Tichenor specialized in Spanish language formats and flipped the stations to Regional Mexican music as KBNA and KBNA-FM or "Ké Buena" ("How Good"). Tichenor stations, including KBNA-AM-FM, were acquired by Univision Communications in 2003.[5] Univision flipped the AM station to Spanish language talk radio but kept Regional Mexican music playing on KBNA-FM.

In 2016, Univision Radio exited the El Paso media market by selling its stations to an affiliate of Mexican radio broadcaster Grupo Radio Centro for $2 million.[6] GRC took over operations via a local marketing agreement (LMA) on November 8. Rafael Márquez, a United States citizen, owns 75 percent of the licensee, under the business name "97.5 Licensee TX, LLC". The remainder is owned by Grupo Radio Centro TX, LLC, a subsidiary of the Mexican media company.

References

  1. ↑ Radio-Locator.com/KBNA-FM
  2. ↑ FCC.gov/KBNA-FM
  3. ↑ Broadcasting Yearbook 1972 page B-204
  4. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1987 page B-277
  5. ↑ Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-524
  6. ↑ Venta, Lance (10 November 2016). "Grupo Radio Centro Acquires Univision's El Paso Cluster". RadioInsight. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
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