KASE-FM
{{short description|Country music radio station in Austin, Texas}}
{{for|the airport with the ICAO code KASE|Aspen – Pitkin County Airport}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox radio station
| name = KASE-FM
| logo =
| logo_size =
| image = KASE-FM HD2 Austin's Alt 97.5 logo.jpg
| image_size = 75px
| caption =
| city = Austin, Texas
| area = Greater Austin
| branding = KASE 100.7
| frequency = 100.7 MHz {{HD Radio}}
| translator = {{Radio Relay|97.5|K248CU|Austin|HD2}}
| airdate = {{start date and age|1969|3|30}}
| language = English
| format = Country music
| subchannels = HD2: Alt 97.5 (Alternative rock)
| erp = 100,000 watts
| haat = {{convert|363|m|ft|sp=us}}
| coordinates = {{coord|30.3233|N|97.7999|W|type:landmark_region:US-TX_source:FCC}}
| class = C0
| licensing_authority = FCC
| facility_id = 35849
| callsign_meaning = Pronounced case
| affiliations = {{ubl|Premiere Networks|iHeartRadio|Austin FC (HD2)}}
| owner = iHeartMedia
| licensee = iHM Licenses, LLC
| sister_stations = {{hlist|KHFI-FM|KPEZ|KVET|KVET-FM}}
| webcast = {{ubl|{{iHeartRadio|2165}}|{{iHeartRadio|7053}} (HD2)}}
| website = {{ubl|{{URL|https://kase1007.iheart.com}}|{{URL|https://alt975austin.iheart.com}} (HD2)}}
}}
KASE-FM (100.7 MHz "KASE 100.7") is a commercial radio station licensed to Austin, Texas, owned by iHeartMedia and airing a country music radio format. It shares studios and offices with four sister stations in the Penn Field complex in the South Congress district (or "SoCo") of south central Austin, within walking distance of St. Edward's University. KASE-FM's transmitter site is off Waymaker Way in Austin, amid towers for other FM and TV stations.[https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Kase&nav=&x=0&y=0 Radio-Locator.com/KASE-FM]
KASE-FM broadcasts in the HD Radio format.{{Cite web|url=http://hdradio.com/stations|title=Stations}} It airs alternative rock on its HD2 subchannel, branded as "Alt 97.5," which is also carried on translator station K248CU on 97.5 MHz in Austin. KASE-FM and K248CU can also be heard on the iHeartRadio platform.
Programming
Weekday mornings, The Bobby Bones Show from Nashville is heard on KASE-FM.[https://kase101.iheart.com/schedule/ KASE101.iheart.com/schedule] It is syndicated by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, KASE-FM features "The Best of Bobby Bones." Overnight, KASE-FM carries After MidNite with Granger Smith. The rest of the schedule is staffed by voice-tracked DJs from outside Austin.
In Austin, iHeartMedia owns two country stations. 98.1 KVET-FM plays of mix of current, recent and classic country, while KASE-FM concentrates on more contemporary country titles.
History
=Beautiful music=
KASE-FM first signed on the air on March 30, 1969, playing an automated beautiful music format.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1970/B%20N-Ter%20BC%20YB%201970%20All-3.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-192] It was co-owned with AM 1300 KVET, a popular AM country station. KASE-FM transmitted with an effective radiated power of 26,500 watts, a quarter of its current power.
=Switch to country=
After a little over a decade on the air, management saw an opening for a new country format in Austin. While KVET would continue to play an older, personality style of country and western music, KASE was designed to appeal to younger country fans.
Bill Mayne, KASE Program Director at the time, recalled in a 2010 interview, the Friday afternoon in September 1981 when KASE "came out of Mantovani and went into the Waylon Jennings song "Are You Ready for the Country" and had every dentist's office, nursing home and doctor's office in the city of Austin calling to complain."Louis Hau, "The Billboard Q&A: Bill Mayne, Billboard, January 5, 2010, Vol. 122 Issue 17, p. 17.
The "Continuous Country" format became a hit with Austin listeners and has consistently been voted by radio general managers as one of the top twenty "Most Admired Stations" in America. It was the first station to win the "Station of the Year" award from the Country Music Association four times and was given its second Billboard Magazine "Station of the Year" award in 1997.{{cite news|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-22-97/383948&EDATE=|title=Capstar Broadcasting Partners to Acquire Radio Stations KASE-FM and KVET-AM/FM|agency=PR Newswire|date=December 22, 1997|access-date=December 8, 2010}}
In 1990, KVET (AM) began simulcasting on 98.1 MHz. KASE continued to target adults in the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics, while KVET-FM targeted the 25-54-year-old demographic.
=Change in ownership=
In 1998, KVET, Inc., which owned KVET-AM-FM and KASE-FM, sold its stations to Capstar, Inc.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2000/D-Radio-NE-TER-BC-YB-2000-2.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-246] Capstar was later merged into Clear Channel Communications, which is known today as iHeartMedia.
KVET and KASE have historically been Austin's top country stations, staving off many competitors over the decades. KASE-FM has also been nominated for the Country Music Association (CMA) "Large Market Station of the Year" Award numerous times.[http://stationratings.com/sr_ratings.aspx?market=135 StationRatings.com/Austin]
=2024 rebrand=
On March 11, 2024, after using the brand "KASE 101" since its launch in 1981, KASE rebranded as "KASE 100.7", referencing its actual frequency.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/265958/kase-shows-its-frequency/ KASE Shows Its Frequency] Radioinsight - March 11, 2024
KASE-FM HD2/K248CU
KASE-FM HD2 launched an LGBT-oriented dance format via translator K248CU (97.5 FM) on January 12, 2016.[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/95888/pride-radio-debuts-in-austin/ Pride Radio Debuts in Austin] The format lasted until January 26, 2018, when it changed to its current Alternative Rock format as "Alt 97.5".[https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122713/iheartmedia-launches-alt-97-5-austin/ iHeartMedia Launches Alt 97.5 Austin] In 2021, KASE-FM-HD2/K248CU was named as Austin FC's English-language radio broadcaster.{{cite news|url=https://www.austinfc.com/post/2021/03/31/austin-fc-names-iheartmedias-alt-975-fm-official-flagship-english-language-radio|title=Austin FC Names iHeartMedia's ALT 97.5 FM Official Flagship English- Language Radio Broadcast Partner|work=AustinFC.com|date=March 31, 2021|access-date=April 20, 2021}}
Previous logo
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{FM station data|742508|KASE}}
- {{FCC-LMS-Facility|143307|K248CU}}
- {{FXL|K248CU}}
{{Austin Radio}}
{{Country Radio Stations in Texas}}
{{The Bobby Bones Show}}
{{iHeartMedia}}
Category:Country radio stations in the United States
Category:Radio stations established in 1969