KROD

The station is a network affiliate of ESPN Radio. KROD breaks from ESPN Radio on weekday afternoon drive time for "KROD Sportstalk with Steve Kaplowitz".

The station carries Pacific Coast League baseball games as the flagship station of the El Paso Chihuahuas.{{cite web |publisher=Los Angeles Dodgers |title=Dodgers Radio Network |url=http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/schedule/radio_network.jsp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315212149/http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/schedule/radio_network.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 15, 2007 |access-date=January 28, 2010}} It also broadcasts the El Paso Rhinos in the Western States Hockey League, UTEP Miners football, UTEP Miners men's basketball, UTEP Miners women's basketball, the NFL on Westwood One and Texas Longhorns football.{{cite news |work=El Paso Times |url=http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10250204 |title=KROD to broadcast Texas Longhorn football games |archive-date=September 3, 2008 |access-date=August 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903025212/http://www.elpasotimes.com/sports/ci_10250204 |url-status=dead }}

A construction permit for KROD was issued in 1936, to operate on 1500 kHz, then a local channel, with 100 watts full-time.{{cite book | title = Broadcasting Yearbook | date = February 1937 | publisher = Broadcasting Publications, Inc. | location = Washington, D.C. | page = 108}} The station signed on the air on June 1, 1940, as El Paso's second radio station after KTSM, which was established in 1929.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1941/Radio-All-BC-YB-1941.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1941 page 160] The call sign KROD stood for Dorrance D. Roderick, the station's original owner and the publisher of the El Paso Times newspaper. The studios were at 2201 Wyoming Street, now the home of Channel 38 KSCE. KROD was a CBS Radio Network affiliate, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio".

A short time after going on the air, KROD increased its power to 250 watts and had a construction permit to move to 600 kHz. The move to AM 600 was coupled with an increase in power to 1,000 watts by day, 500 watts at night. A new four tower array was constructed during 1941.{{cite journal | title = Digging Dividends from Isolation (advertisement) | journal = Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising | date = November 17, 1941 | page = 48 | volume = 21 | issue = 20 | publisher = Broadcasting Publications, Inc. | location = Washington, D.C.}} The 600 kHz transmitter was on Dyer Street in Northeast El Paso, where the Sunrise Shopping Center now stands. The transmitter moved to 10420 Dyer in the late 1960s.

By 1950, KROD had increased its power to 5,000 watts full time. An advertisement in the 1953 Broadcasting Yearbook said that KROD had the "greatest coverage of any radio station in El Paso," with the biggest audience, the largest dollar value and unrivaled local programs.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1953/Radio%20BC%20YB%201953.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1953 page 286] In 1952, a television station was added, Channel 4 KROD-TV (now KDBC-TV). Because KROD was a CBS affiliate, KROD-TV also aired CBS programming.

As network programming moved from radio to television, KROD began playing music. In 1959, KROD-AM-TV were acquired by Trigg-Vaughn Stations, with Cecil Trigg serving as President.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1960/B%20All%20Radio%20Yearbook%201960.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1960 page A-233] KROD moved to a full service middle of the road (MOR) format of popular music, news and sports. The station used the catch phrase "The Big 600". The station also aired University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) sports, specifically, NCAA Division I Men's Football and NCAA Division I Men's Basketball, for much of its history. This is depicted by the KROD banners in the movie Glory Road.

In 1967, the stations were sold to Doubleday Broadcasting Co., a subsidiary of publisher Doubleday and Company. In April 1973, Doubleday sold KROD to Desert Horizons, Inc., a subsidiary of publicly-owned group Media Horizons, Inc.{{cite magazine |author= |title=Changing Hands|magazine=Broadcasting |location=New York NY |date=April 16, 1973 |page=30}} In September 1974, Doubleday sold KDBC-TV (formerly KROD-TV) to Portal Communications, Inc., a subsidiary of Evening Post Publishing Co.{{cite magazine |author= |title=Actions |magazine=Broadcasting |location=New York NY |date=September 9, 1974 |page=74}} In 1978, KROD added an FM station, 95.5 KLAQ.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1980/C%20Radio%20Broadcasting%20Yearbook%201980.pdf Broadcasting Yearbook 1980 page C-222] While KROD continued its MOR format, KLAQ began by playing progressive rock music, later switching to album rock.

In the 1980s, KROD switched to oldies music. New Wave Communications acquired KROD and KLAQ in 1995, switching AM 600 to a talk and sports format. In 1999, KROD and KLAQ changed hands again, this time to Regent Communications, Inc.[https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2010/D-2010-BC-YB-7.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-524]

On January 18, 2011, KROD dropped its talk programming, changing to all sports, with programming from ESPN Radio. KROD and KLAQ were also acquired by Townsquare Media.{{Cite web |url=https://elpasoheraldpost.com/chihuahuas-townsquare-media-extend-partnership/ |title="Chichuahuas and Townsquare Extend Partnership" El Paso Herald Post, Feb. 17, 2017 |access-date=August 19, 2019 |archive-date=August 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190806132923/https://elpasoheraldpost.com/chihuahuas-townsquare-media-extend-partnership/ |url-status=dead }}

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{{El Paso Radio}}

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{{Sports Radio Stations in Texas}}

{{ESPN Texas}}

{{Townsquare Media}}

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Category:1936 establishments in Texas

Category:Radio stations established in 1936

ROD

Category:Sports radio stations in the United States

Category:Townsquare Media radio stations

Category:UTEP Miners football

Category:ESPN Radio stations