KTXT-FM

Not to be confused with KTXT-TV.

KTXT-FM

City of license	Lubbock, Texas
Broadcast area	Lubbock metro area
Branding	88.1 The Raider
Frequency	88.1 (MHz)
First air date	February 5, 1961 (as KTXT-FM) 1959 (as KTTC-AM)
Format	non-commercial educational
ERP	35,000 watts
HAAT	129 meters
Class	C2
Facility ID	65352
Transmitter coordinates	33°34′55.00″N 101°53′25.00″W
Callsign meaning	K TeXas Tech
Former callsigns	KTTC-AM KTTC-FM
Former frequencies	99.1 (MHz)
Owner	Texas Tech University
Sister stations	KTTZ-FM

KTXT-FM (88.1 FM) is a non-commercial educational college radio station licensed to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, USA. KTXT-FM is licensed to broadcast 35,000 watts of power to Lubbock and the surrounding South Plains of West Texas.

History

The first station operated at Texas Tech University began as a carrier current station in 1951. It was called MD-2 until permission was obtained to use the call letters KTTC. In 1959, it became an AM band radio broadcast station. The following year, KTTC applied to the FCC to become a 10-watt, non-commercial educational FM station. The request was granted and the station began broadcasting at 91.9 megahertz. The call letters were changed to KTXT since KTTC were for marine operation.

The original transmitter, antenna, and studios were located in the speech building and after the late seventies in the journalism building. The antenna and transmitter moved to the channel five KTXT-TV at the west end of the campus sometime after TV's inception in 1962. Though power remained low, the antenna stood at a height of 272 feet (83 m).

In the late 1960s or early 1970s, the station applied for and received a construction permit for an increase to 18,500 watts at 340 feet (100 m), proposing the KTXT tower. This was extended a number of times, because of changes in plans, changes in budgets (which mostly the station did not have) and the discovery (after the big Lubbock Tornado of 5-11-70) or realization that the tower was too light and too damaged to carry the additional weight and wind load of the bigger FM station antenna. In late 1978 the station relocated to the 98th and University tower owned by Ray Moran interests (101.1 KTEZ in those days, now ch 34 KJTV).

KTXT studio

In the early 1980s ,KTXT-FM offered an eclectic mix of alternative programming ranging from oldies, new wave-80s, Reggae to house/trance, rock, country and indie. The 1980s led the way to the introduction of Reggae music to the South Plains area. Reggae bands were booked in local clubs as a result and Lubbock experienced a boom in world music influence locally. As with all college radio during the 1980s, KTXT-FM was responsible for expanding the minds and opening the ears to the sounds of up in coming bands like REM, U2 and The Clash. Whilst other stations in Lubbock stuck with the Chart Hits Radio (CHR) radio format, KTXT-FM drew many listeners away from commercial radio with their alternative programming thus forcing the commercial stations to pay attention to KTXT's playlists and DJs. Many veteran DJs can claim KTXT-FM as their first home on the air and are currently employed throughout the US as a result.

In February 1999, 88.1 became the first Lubbock FM station to broadcast on the Internet via a live audio feed.

Among the earliest broadcast equipment used included a 5,000 Watt Gates FM-5H2 transmitter donated by Pat Patillo (old and long time chief engineer of KTXT-TV), new feed line, and an eight bay antenna. The old frequency of 91.9 could not be used for a very high power level because it would conflict with the use of another channel assigned to Lubbock (102.5) that was open for applications in those days. The new frequency used was 88.1. This proved to be a good news/bad news combination. Sister station KTXT-TV was carried on cable tV on channel 6 where the sound frequency is about 87.7 MHz. At some locations near the new FM tower there was KTXT-FM audio heard where the KTXT-TV sound should have been. The FM operated at reduced power for a time as negotiations between the sister stations went on.

In the early 1980s, the owner of KAMR-TV in Amarillo, TX, a Texas Tech alumnus, donated their old broadcast tower to Texas Tech. This used (albeit newer and taller) tower replaced KTXT-TV's old tower and the KTXT-FM antenna was moved back to the Tech campus. When Texas Tech assumed control of the KOHM-FM broadcast license from the Lubbock Independent School District, it too moved to the campus.

Until 2001, KTXT-FM had been run under the auspices of the School of Mass Communications at Texas Tech University. At the time, Mass Comm was redirecting its media efforts from radio to various multimedia platforms. KTXT-FM's faculty adviser, Dr. Clive Kinghorn, retired in the Fall of 2001, and control of the station was transferred to Student Media that September.

Former KTXT-FM logo

The broadcast transmitters of all three stations, KTXT-TV, KTXT-FM and KOHM-FM, were housed in the same transmitter building until July 2003 when a new transmitter building for the radio stations was completed. The conversion of KTXT-TV to a digital television station required this new facility. At some point, the Gates transmitter KTXT-FM had been using was replaced by a Broadcast Electronics FM10B, rated to 12 kW. The BE transmitter was moved into the new facility and was eventually replaced in 2007 by a new, state-of-the-art solid-state Nautel Q10 transmitter.

Around 2007, a tower crew was welding stiffeners to the cross-members of the KTXT-TV tower in order to strengthen it for the heavier load an added digital TV antenna would require. It was during this work that the KTXT-FM antenna was significantly damaged. The antenna was eventually replaced by an antenna donated by Clear Channel Communications of Lubbock. The donated antenna was formerly used by 98 Kool (KCCL-FM), and was sent to the factory, refurbished and re-tuned for 88.1.

Some of the one-liners used by many of KTXT's DJs include: "Lubbock's Only Alternative", "The Couch", "Keep it locked to the left" and "Music your parents warned you about!" Or one from the 1980s, "You're all the way to the left at 88.1 KTXT-FM".

Cessation and return

KTXT-FM abruptly stopped broadcasting 2:35 PM CST on December 10, 2008. Student Media cited budget constraints as the reason behind the station closure. Student Media retained control of the studios, using them as offices, while the bulk of the broadcast equipment would be transferred to Texas Tech's other FM radio station, KOHM. Broadcasts from the former studios were no longer possible after December 10, and KTXT-FM was off the air.

Control of KTXT-FM was transferred to KOHM-FM in January 2009. Relocation of the microwave studio/transmitter links to the KOHM studios were completed in early May 2009, and test broadcasts were conducted. KTXT-FM returned to the air in late May with a broadcast schedule consisting mainly of network programming via satellite. The lack of proper studio facilities has been cited by KOHM management as the reason for KTXT-FM's automated/unattended operation.

KOHM station management has expressed a long-term goal of returning students to the operation of KTXT-FM. There is currently no studio for KTXT-FM, and Texas Tech has announced that KOHM is to be relocated by August 2010 so that its current studios can be renovated into administrative offices. No formal word has been made as to where KOHM's future home will be, and the current space is too small to house a separate studio for KTXT.

While there is a small amount of underwriting being aired on KTXT-FM, the acquisition of a new audio server will allow greater local insertion and reliability of the programming.

Ownership

Logo in KTXT studio

KTXT-FM is owned and licensed to Texas Tech University and is run in conjunction with KOHM-FM. Both stations report to the Texas Tech University Office of the Provost. KTXT-FM is not affiliated with the College of Mass Communications., nor Texas Tech Student Media.

Format

In its heyday, KTXT-FM was one of the most powerful college radio stations in the United States, operating with 35,000 watts of power. As a college radio station with an Alternative music format, KTXT-FM broadcast a wide range of music genres, including dance, modern rock, R&B/hip hop, and Texas country music.

One of the best known blocks of KTXT programming was 10pm Friday Until 7am Saturday from 1992-1994. From 10pm-1am, it was Shockwaves, a techno dance music show hosted by DJ Picadilly (Jeff Wros), and house music with DJ Daniel Dub(Daniel Alanzo). From 1am-4am it was the Midnight Maniacs with Moon Doggie(Daniel Light), Master Poe(Ben Hight), Ice Troy(Troy Hollers) and Mr. Todd(Mr. Todd) This show was full of antics, great alternative music, call-in's, prizes and even a early morning pizza delivery to one lucky listener! Then it was Shaggy and his one man fan club wrapping it up until 7am!

As of October 2009, KTXT's programming was all via satellite, consisting of PRI's "The TakeAway" during weekday morning drivetime, BBC World Service programming during the mid-day and afternoon, and music from the Jazz Satellite Network during overnights.

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for KTXT
• Radio-Locator information on KTXT
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KTXT