KZAI

The KZAI license went on the air as KCTA-FM 103.3, a 100,000-watt FM station licensed to Sinton, on May 20, 1968.{{r|airdate}} Owned by the Broadcasting Company of the Southwest alongside its Corpus Christi station KCTA (1030 AM), the station broke from simulcasting its daytime-only AM partner and became country{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43484905/|work=Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=February 7, 1971|title=Area Radio|access-date=February 2, 2020|page=13}} outlet KOUL on October 2, 1970.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=76162 |title= History Cards for KZAI|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) An agreement was reached to sell KOUL to J. W. Brauer in 1975,{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/75-OCR/1975-09-08-BC-OCR-Page-0051.pdf|work=Broadcasting|date=September 8, 1975|title=Changing Hands|page=51|access-date=February 2, 2020}} but the two parties mutually agreed to dismiss the sale attempt on February 12, 1976.{{r|hc}} KOUL moved to 103.7 MHz in the early 1980s as part of a multi-city allocation shuffle to resolve a conflict involving allocations in Freeport,{{cite news|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1981-11-19/pdf/FR-1981-11-19.pdf|work=Federal Register|date=November 19, 1981|title=FM Broadcast Station in Freeport, Tex.; Proposed Changes in Table of Assignments|page=56833 (67)|author=FCC|access-date=February 2, 2020}} and in 2005, it was approved to change its city of license from Sinton to Refugio in a move designed to allowed KTKY to upgrade its own facility.{{cite web|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2005-05-25/05-10238|author=FCC|work=Federal Register|date=May 25, 2005|title=70 FR 29984 - Radio Broadcasting Services; Refugio, Sinton and Taft, TX|access-date=February 2, 2020}}

In 1997, Broadcast Corporation of the Southwest sold its three Corpus Christi FM stations and one AM to Harpole Broadcast Holdings of Texas in a $5.2 million transaction.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-08-22.pdf|access-date=February 2, 2020|date=August 22, 1997|work=Radio & Records|title=Transactions|page=6}} Harpole sold the three FMs to Texrock Radio the next year for $7 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1998/RR-1998-02-27.pdf|access-date=February 2, 2020|date=February 27, 1998|work=Radio & Records|page=10|title=Transactions}} 2001 saw another sale of the FMs, this time to Rodriguez Communications for $6.5 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fms-96575|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=March 11, 2001|title=FMs|access-date=February 2, 2020}}

On April 5, 2013, Tejas Broadcasting, which had become the owner of KOUL and other stations in 2004,{{cite news|url=https://www.rbr.com/epaper/pages/october04/04-204_transactions.html|work=RBR Epaper|title=$20,000,000 KLTG-FM, KOUL-FM, KMJR-FM & KLHB-FM Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, Sinton, Portland, Orem TX); and KTNZ-AM/KBZD-FM, KQFX-FM & KGRW-FM Amarillo (Amarillo, Borger, Friona TX)|date=October 2004|access-date=February 2, 2020}} announced it would sell KOUL to the Educational Media Foundation for $1.25 million; the deal included a $500,000 loan to Tejas that allowed it to build out two construction permits on its other stations in the market and perform deferred maintenance on the KOUL facility. On May 3, 2013, KOUL dropped its longtime country format and began broadcasting Air1 programming, with new KXAI call letters instituted.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/81544/emf-acquires-koul-corpus-christi/|work=RadioInsight|title= KOUL Flips To Air1|date=May 3, 2013|access-date=February 2, 2020|first=Lance|last=Venta}} Tejas would later exit broadcasting by selling one of those stations, KMJR (licensed to Odem), to EMF in 2019 for $432,000.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/174345/emfs-corpus-christi-addition-to-lead-to-san-antonio-move-in-with-help-from-bob-in-austin/|access-date=February 2, 2020|date=February 12, 2019|title= Emmis Amends Austin Portion of Three Market Signal Modification Plan|first=Lance|last=Venta|work=RadioInsight}}

With EMF in control of KMJR and KXAI, the company saw an opportunity. In partnership with Emmis Communications, owner of KBPA in the Austin market, a series of applications were filed. KXAI would move from Refugio to a new city of license, Balcones Heights, and broadcast with 4,300 watts of power—a relocation into the heart of the San Antonio metropolitan area,{{r|plan}} giving EMF a city-grade signal in San Antonio.{{r|rbr}} To make the move possible, Emmis' KBPA would slightly downgrade its facility. Meanwhile, KMJR at 98.3 would move to 103.7 using KXAI's antenna.{{r|plan}} In January 2020, the relocation and other facilities changes were approved by the Federal Communications Commission.{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/183809/fcc-report-1-26-three-way-texas-allocation-change-approved/|access-date=February 7, 2020|work=RadioInsight|date=January 26, 2020|title= FCC Report 1/26: Three Way Texas Allocation Change Approved|first=Lance|last=Venta}}{{cite news|url=https://www.rbr.com/emf-frequency-change-wins-signal-alamo-city-gain/|work=RBR|title=EMF Frequency Change Wins Signal Alamo City Gain|access-date=February 2, 2020|date=January 16, 2020|first=Adam|last=Jacobson}} In April 2021, EMF filed a modification to the construction permit, reducing the proposed output slightly to the final 2.3 kW but from a tower site closer to the city core.{{Cite web|title=Minor Modification of a FM Station Construction Permit Application|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/fmDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f9178cd41f60178d3ac1ece0162&id=25076f9178cd41f60178d3ac1ece0162&goBack=N|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=Federal Communications Commission}}

On June 7, 2021, 103.7 began broadcasting from its new transmitter under the new call sign KZAI,{{Cite web|title=Public Notice|url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-373119A1.pdf|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=Federal Communications Commission}} completing the move to San Antonio. The same day, EMF filed for KZAI's license to cover, which the FCC granted two days later.{{Cite web|title=License to Cover for FM Application|url=https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/fmDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f9179c985ce0179e80379380862&id=25076f9179c985ce0179e80379380862&goBack=N|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=Federal Communications Commission}} The former KZLR (previously KMJR) then became the new KXAI and took on the 103.7 technical facilities and Air1 programming for Corpus Christi.

The move displaced KAHL (AM) translator K279AB from 103.7 to 107.9 under the new call sign K300DY. The move happened concurrently with the sign-on of KZAI.{{Cite web|title=Public Notice|url=https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-373070A1.pdf|access-date=June 15, 2021|website=Federal Communications Commission}}

{{reflist}}

• {{FM station data|7084|KZAI}}
• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|147995|K224EH}}

{{San Antonio Radio}}

{{Air 1}}

{{Religious Radio Stations in Texas}}

ZAI

Category:Air1 radio stations

Category:Educational Media Foundation radio stations

ZAI

Category:Radio stations established in 1968

Category:1968 establishments in Texas