KQBU (AM)

KQBU (920 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve El Paso, Texas, United States. The station is owned by 97.5 Licensee TX, LLC, an American subsidiary of Grupo Radio Centro (GRC).

KQBU
CityEl Paso, Texas
Frequency920 kHz
BrandingLone Star Sports 920
Programming
FormatSports
AffiliationsCBS Sports Radio
Ownership
OwnerGrupo Radio Centro
(97.5 Licensee TX, LLC)
KAMA, KBNA-FM, XHTO-FM (operated from the US), other GRC stations in Ciudad Juárez
History
First air date
1947 (as KELP)
Former call signs
KELP (1947-1982)
KYSR (1982-1985)
KDXX (1985-1987)
KBNA (1987-2002)
KZMR (2/02-4/02)
KAJZ (4/02-11/02)
KBNA (2002-2004)
KLTO (12/15-22/04)
KBNA (2004-2007)[1]
Technical information
Facility ID67065
ClassB
Power1,000 watts (day)
360 watts (night)
Transmitter coordinates
31°44′09″N 106°22′24″W
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitelonestarsports920am.com

History

KELP, a 1,000-watt daytime-only station, received its license and signed on in 1947 as a 1,000 watt daytime only station KELP. After ownership by Paso Broadcasting Co. and Trinity Broadcasting Corporation, it was sold to Gordon McLendon in 1954. McLendon added a couple of towers in order to add night authority with 500 watts power, as well as to add an antenna for a new TV station, KILT. The old tower site was 4530 Delta Drive on the property used for the city of El Paso sewage treatment plant.

In 1957, KELP and its TV station were sold to KELP Radio Corporation, which changed the TV station's calls to KELP-TV. Sales of KELP-AM-TV to Northern Pacific Radio Corporation (in 1961) and John B. Walton (in 1966), and of the AM station to Clear Channel Communications (in 1977), followed.

On August 20, 1982, KELP became KYSR. In 1987, after another callsign change, the station became KBNA, marking its first Spanish-language format.

The station was relocated to its current site in 1989-1990 by then-station engineer David Stewart and then-director of Engineering Marvin Fiedler. The phasing equipment was designed by Harry Seabrooke at Silliman and Silliman, and built by Fiedler and Stewart.

Univision Radio would come into owning KBNA as well as KBNA-FM 97.5 and KAMA on 750 AM. In January 2009, Univision partnered with El Paso Media Group to provide an English language morning talk radio format, known as TalkBack Radio. Infighting between competing factions resulted in a host lineup change in early April 2009 and Univision canceling the talk radio format on April 15, 2009.

The station was assigned the KQBU call sign by the Federal Communications Commission on December 11, 2007.[1] By 2016, KQBU was airing national programs from the Univisión América talk network.

In 2016, Univision Radio exited El Paso by selling its stations to affiliates of Mexican radio broadcaster Grupo Radio Centro for $2 million, with GRC taking over operations via LMA on November 8.[2] Rafael Márquez, a United States citizen, owns 75 percent of the licensee, 97.5 Licensee TX, LLC, with the remainder being owned by Grupo Radio Centro TX, LLC. Under GRC ownership, KQBU has been a simulcast of KBNA-FM.

On September 13, 2018, KQBU dropped the KBNA-FM simulcast and changed their format to sports, branded as "Lone Star Sports 920".[3]

References
  1. "Call Sign History". FCC Media Bureau CDBS Public Access Database.
  2. Venta, Lance (10 November 2016). "Grupo Radio Centro Acquires Univision's El Paso Cluster". RadioInsight. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  3. Lone Star 920 Brings CBS Sports Radio to El Paso Radioinsight - September 13, 2018
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