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KZDC
File:KZDC-AM-StationLogo-440x300.png
Broadcast areaGreater San Antonio
Frequency1250 kHz
BrandingESPN AM 1250 and 94.5 FM
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatSports
NetworkESPN Radio
AffiliationsTexas Rangers
Ownership
Owner
KHHL, KJXK, KLEY-FM, KSAH, KSAH-FM, KTFM, KTSA
History
FoundedJuly 16, 1952
First air date
January 1, 1953 (1953-01-01)[1] (as KEXX)
Former call signs
KEXX (1953-1958)
KARS (1958-1959)
KEXX (2/1959-11/1959)
KUKA (1959-1981)
KVAR
KXET
KZEP
KHBL (3/1994-11/1994)
KZEP (1994-1995)[2]
Technical information
Facility ID65330
ClassB
Power25,000 watts (day)
920 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
29°17′1″N 98°28′28″W / 29.28361°N 98.47444°W / 29.28361; -98.47444 (day)
29°29′49″N 98°24′57″W / 29.49694°N 98.41583°W / 29.49694; -98.41583 (night)
Translator(s)94.5 K233DB (San Antonio)
Links
WebcastListen live
Websitesasportsstar.com

KZDC (1250 kHz "San Antonio's Sports Star: ESPN AM 1250 and 94.5 FM") is an all-sports-formatted AM radio station in San Antonio, Texas, owned by Alpha Media.[3] Most of the programming comes from ESPN Radio. Its studios and offices are located on Eisenhauer Road in Northeast San Antonio.

KZDC broadcasts at 25,000 watts by day using a non-directional antenna. But to avoid interfering with other stations on 1250 AM, it drastically reduces power at night to 920 watts and uses a directional antenna. The daytime transmitter site is just off U.S. Route 281 near Interstate 410, in the Mission del Lago district of San Antonio.[4] The station uses a separate nighttime site which is co-located with sister station KTSA 550, along Eisenhauer Road in Northeast San Antonio, across the street from the studios.

History

Early years

The original construction permit for what would become KEXX was initially granted by the FCC on July 16, 1952 to Manuel D. Leal.[2] KEXX was to initially operate as a daytime-only station with 500 watts of power on 1250 kHz.[2] The station originally signed on January 1, 1953[5] and would receive its license to cover on February 9, 1953, a little over a month later.[2]

By 1961, it had changed its call letters to KUKA.

Stuart Epperson would acquire KUKA and Por Favor, Inc. from the Coes on July 28, 1981, for $850,000.[6] Epperson already owned classical station KMFM (96.1 MHz) through holding company Classic Media; Epperson had acquired it in 1977.[7] KUKA retained its Spanish format during Epperson's ownership but moved into KMFM's studios, as that station's management also took over management of KUKA.[8]

In August 1982, only after a year of ownership, Epperson sold KUKA to Lotus Communications, who had already owned KVAR 104.5 since 1977, for $875,000.[9] This was to facilitate Epperson's purchase of KMAC-AM 630, which was announced a month earlier.[10] At the time, FCC regulations forbade one entity from owning multiple stations on the same band in the same market, and KMAC had a superior signal to KUKA's.

The station was assigned the call sign KHBL on March 1, 1994. On November 14, 1994, the station changed its call letters back to KZEP, then to the current KZDC on April 1, 1995.[11]

On January 5, 1998, KZDC adopted a Spanish language talk format as an affiliate of the Miami-based Radio Unica network. Radio Unica had taken over operations of KZDC under an LMA with Lotus.[12] Personalities heard on Radio Unica included Pedro Sevcec, Isabel Gómez-Bassols, among others.[13] On April 17, 2000, Lotus announced it would be selling KZDC to Radio Unica outright for $1.8 million.[14]

On February 9, 2004, Multicultural Broadcasting announced it would acquire Radio Unica's assets, including KZDC, for $150 million.[15] However, Multicultural wouldn't retain KZDC for long. In January 2005, less than a year after acquiring KZDC from Radio Unica, Houston-based Border Media Partners (BMP Radio) would acquire KZDC as part of a package deal with Multicultural for $5.75 million. The sale also included KFNI in Pleasanton and KVJY in Pharr.[16]

ESPN Radio-era

KZDC flipped to its current sports format on February 4, 2008, originally branded as ESPN 1250 The Zone.[17] This was the first time in the station's then 55-year history that it would broadcast in a language other than Spanish.

On October 14, 2013, BMP sold KZDC and the rest of its San Antonio cluster to L&L Broadcasting (now Alpha Media) for $31 million.[18] The transaction closed on January 31, 2014.[19]

On July 19, 2021, KZDC rebranded from 1250 ESPN San Antonio and 94.5 FM to San Antonio's Sports Star: ESPN AM 1250 and 94.5 FM.[20] The change comes as the station debuted a third local sports talk show that same day. The station retains its affiliation with ESPN Radio.

FM Translator

In December 2014, KZDC began to rebroadcast its programming on new FM translator K233DB at 94.5 FM.[21]

Broadcast translator for KZDC
Call sign Frequency City of license FID ERP (W) HAAT Class Transmitter coordinates FCC info
K233DB 94.5 FM San Antonio, Texas 142569 250 137 m (449 ft) D 29°25′07″N 98°29′02″W / 29.41861°N 98.48389°W / 29.41861; -98.48389 LMS

References

  1. ^ "KEXX" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1959. p. B-244 (140). Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d FCC History Cards for KZDC
  3. ^ "KZDC Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  4. ^ Radio-Locator.com/KZDC
  5. ^ "KEXX" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1959. p. B-244 (140). Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 24, 1983. p. 75. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "KMFM (FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1979. p. C-221. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "KUKA (AM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1983. p. B-245. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Ownership changes" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 23, 1982. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  10. ^ "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 26, 1982. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "KZDC Call Sign History". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
  12. ^ "S-4 - Registration of securities, business combinations". Securities and Exchange Commission. August 11, 1998. Retrieved July 21, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Sayewitz, Ronni. "Radio Unica hits Metroplex with Spanish all-talk format", Dallas Business Journal. June 1, 1998. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  14. ^ "Radio Unica buys KZDC for $1.8 million". San Antonio Business Journal. April 17, 2000. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  15. ^ Aldridge, James (February 9, 2004). "MultiCultural Radio acquires Radio Unica for $150M". San Antonio Business Journal. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  16. ^ BIA Financial Networks (January 23, 2005). "Deals". Broadcasting and Cable. Retrieved July 20, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "KZDC/San Antonio To Flip To Sports". All Access. January 16, 2008. Retrieved July 20, 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "L&L Broadcasting Acquires Border Media Stations For $31 Million". All Access. October 14, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Consummation Notice". Federal Communications Commission. February 3, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Venta, Lance (July 19, 2021). "ESPN San Antonio Rebrands As Sports Star". RadioInsight. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Venta, Lance (December 2, 2014). "ESPN San Antonio Comes To FM". RadioInsight. Retrieved July 20, 2021.


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