KRTY

KRTY (95.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station located in San Jose, California and licensed to nearby Los Gatos, airing a country music format. KRTY has two booster stations on 95.3 MHz; KRTY-FM1 licensed to Scotts Valley and KRTY-FM2 licensed to New Almaden. In addition to locally programmed country music, KRTY carries the syndicated Country Countdown USA show on Sunday mornings and Golden State Warriors games.[1][2]

For the Czech Republic village, see Krty.
KRTY
CityLos Gatos, California
Broadcast areaSanta Clara Valley
Frequency95.3 MHz
Branding95.3 KRTY
SloganSan Jose's Hot Country
Programming
FormatCountry
AffiliationsWestwood One
Golden State Warriors
Ownership
OwnerEmpire Broadcasting
(KRTY, Ltd.)
KLIV
History
First air date
1966 (as KLGS)
Former call signs
KLGS (1966–1969)
KTAO (1969–1974)
KRVE (1974–1985)
KATD (1985–1989)
KYAY (1989–1990)
Technical information
Facility ID35569
ClassA
ERP870 watts
HAAT262 meters
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitewww.krty.com

History of the 95.3 frequency

After obtaining a construction permit in 1964,[3] KLGS went full-power on 95.3 MHz in September 1966, owned by the Western Stereo Company.[4][5][6]

Tomentose Broadcasting bought KLGS in October 1968 for $133,500 and obtained the broadcast license in February 1969 for an additional $127,500.[5][7] From March 1969 to June 1974, 95.3 had a freeform format with the call letters KTAO.[8] Programming on KTAO included 48 hours of Indian music on Christmas Eve and Day of 1970 and Angela Davis announcing station identifications with calls to release the Soledad Brothers from prison.[9]

Joseph Vieira and two partners bought KTAO in 1974 and changed the station to a Portuguese format with call letters KRVE.[10]

The 95.3 frequency took on the call letters KATD on September 9, 1985.[11] On November 28, 1989, KATD became KYAY and changed its format from rock to country.[12]

KRTY (1990–present)

KATD changed to its current KRTY call sign on January 10, 1990 but retained the country format.[12][11] In October 1992, Bob Kieve's Empire Broadcasting purchased KRTY for over $3 million from Randolph E. George.[13] By the later half of the decade, as the Telecommunications Act of 1996 led to the consolidation of radio station ownership around the United States and in the Bay Area, the Empire Broadcasting family of stations including KRTY were among the last locally owned stations in the Bay Area.[14]

KRTY attracted a front page San Jose Mercury News story for banning the Dixie Chicks song "Goodbye Earl" due to violent lyrics and hosting an on-air, call-in program on March 13, 2000 about the song.[15] The station's editorial decision also got attention in the Los Angeles Times[16] and USA Today.[17] KRTY later added the song to its playlist and donated to a domestic violence shelter for every play of the song.[17]

Beginning in the 2016–17 season, KRTY became the South Bay affiliate for the Golden State Warriors radio network, after the team moved from the powerful signal of KNBR that covered the entire San Francisco Bay Area.[2]

Owner Kieve died on May 25, 2020.[18]

References
  1. http://www.krty.com/on-air/
  2. Kawakami, Tim (August 25, 2016). "Warriors jump from KNBR to 95.7 FM the Game: Why they did it, what this means, what's next for Tom Tolbert?". Talking Points with Tim Kawakami. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  3. "Broadcast actions by broadcast bureau" (PDF), Broadcasting, 67 (18), p. 81, November 2, 1964
  4. "Broadcast actions by broadcast bureau" (PDF), Broadcasting, 71 (12), p. 119, September 19, 1966
  5. "Changing Hands" (PDF), Broadcasting, 75 (16), p. 52, October 14, 1968
  6. "U.S. FM Radio by Frequencies and Channels" (PDF). 1966 Broadcasting Yearbook. Washington, DC: Broadcasting Publications Inc. p. B-212.
  7. "Ownership changes" (PDF), Broadcasting, 76 (7), p. 110, February 17, 1969
  8. Alexander, Geoff. "KTAO Radio". Academic Film Archive of North America. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  9. Corrigan, Jane (February 8, 1971), "KTAO explores community radio", Stanford Daily, retrieved May 30, 2017
  10. Rogers, Meg (2007). The Portuguese in San Jose. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. p. 121. ISBN 9780738547817.
  11. "Call Sign History: KRTY". FCC. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  12. Weimers, Leigh (January 9, 1990). "Lotto change will add up for schools". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1D. Retrieved June 20, 2019 – via NewsBank.
  13. "Newsline", Billboard, 104 (42), p. 77, October 17, 1992
  14. Pulcrano, Dan (June 4, 1998). "The Big Radio Play". Metro Silicon Valley. Archived from the original on May 5, 1999. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  15. Kava, Brad (March 14, 2000). "Song's ban unleashes debate on violence in pop culture". San Jose Mercury News. p. 1A. Retrieved June 20, 2019 – via NewsBank.
  16. Lewis, Randy (April 1, 2000). "'Earl' Creates Heat--and Heated Debate". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  17. Birkhead, Larry (April 3, 2000). "Some radio stations bag Chicks' 'Earl'". USA Today. p. D2. Archived from the original on May 10, 2000. Retrieved June 20, 2019. Also published as "Radio Balks At Dixie Chicks' 'Goodbye Earl'". Sonicnet. April 5, 2000. Archived from the original on May 12, 2001.
  18. Pizarro, Sal (May 25, 2020). "Remembering Bob Kieve, a champion for San Jose". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020.

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