KBLT-LP

KBLT-LP
City Houston
Broadcast area Greater Houston
Branding ktru 96.1fm
Frequency 96.1 MHz
First air date 1967 (Rice Radio, as KOWL)
July 30, 1971 (as KTRU @ 91.7)
October 2, 2015 (current license; as KBLT-LP @ 96.1)
Format Freeform
College Radio
Language(s) English
ERP 41 watts
HAAT 47 m (154 ft)
Callsign meaning KBLT-LP has no meaning; a random FCC assignment. (see below)
Former frequencies 91.7 MHz (1971–2011; seperate license)
91.5 (1999-2011; campus translator, seperate license)
90.1 HD2 (2011-2015)
Owner Rice University
(William Marsh Rice University)
Webcast Listen now
Website ktru.org

KBLT-LP, usually referred to by its former callsign and still-current branding KTRU (stylized as ktru), is the college radio station of Rice University, a private university in south-central Houston, Texas, United States.

KTRU broadcasts a freeform-eclectic music format on 96.1 FM;[1] its programming includes modern classical, reggae, indie rock, screwed and chopped, spoken word and local experimental noise bands. During evening hours, the station broadcasts shows geared to particular musical genres and themes. The station is owned by the university, which maintains an FM transmitter atop Rice Stadium,[2] and is managed by its students.

History Synopsis

KTRU was founded in 1967 in the basement of Hanszen College, one of the residential colleges of Rice University.[3]

From 1971 to 2011, KTRU aired on the 91.7 FM frequency, becoming a 50 kilowatt facility in 1991, and transmitting from a broadcast tower near Humble. Rice University was given the 50,000 watt upgrade to the facility at no cost by Michael Stude, then owner of KRTS which operates on the second adjacent 92.1 frequency. This was accomplished by moving 91.7's transmission facility further north, allowing Stude to upgrade his own station's facility in an effort to cover more of the Houston market. While KTRU gained a significant increase in overall coverage area, the signal was weakened tremendously around the Rice campus, leading to the request and subsequent grant of a low power translator broadcasting from the top of the Stadium on 91.5 MHz in 1999, in order to restore a strong signal around the entirety of the campus.[3][4]

In 2011, Rice president David Leebron finalized the sale of the radio tower, FM frequency, and broadcast license to the University of Houston System, and the station ceased broadcasting on 91.7 MHz on April 28.[5][6]

KTRU returned to FM broadcast radio when it acquired a construction permit to build a 41 watt low-power FM at 96.1 MHz, which was fully licensed as Facility ID #192202 and signed on October 2, 2015. 96.1 KBLT-LP has a coverage radius of 5 miles (8.0 km) from Rice Stadium, covering southwest Houston within the Interstate 610 loop.[4][7] As a result, KTRU relies solely on online streaming to reach listeners outside of its limited broadcast range.

The station has promoted and sponsored independent and local music through sponsoring shows at local venues and on its university campus. The station organizes a Rice battle of the bands every year as well as an annual outdoor show featuring local and touring bands.

KBLT Call Letter Usage

The current L1 facility received the KBLT-LP call sign upon receiving its License to Cover on October 2, 2015, as the longstanding KTRU call letters, historically used by the University while broadcasting on 91.7, had since been reassigned to Grace Public Radio on May 17, 2011, for use on their Christian radio station in Iola, Kansas after the 91.7 frequency had been sold to University of Houston and new KUHA calls were requested for it as part of the purchase from Rice. There is no meaning behind the call sign, as it is merely a random assignment issued by the Federal Communications Commission.

Former campus translator

In addition to the main station, KTRU's programming was relayed by a broadcast translator to improve reception in the area surrounding the Rice campus. Although it could have been used to continue the student programming by using KPFT's digital subchannel as its source, the translator was included in the sale to the University of Houston System, preventing the station from having an over-the-air broadcast at all, until the current low power facility was built and licensed. University of Houston moved the campus translator down one channel, to 217 (91.3 MHz) near the Medical Center, where it continues to operate as a fill-in service for the primary 91.7 KXNG facility.

Call signFrequency
(MHz)		City of licenseERP
W		ClassFCC info
K218DA91.5Houston10DFCC

Rice Radio History

The roots of KTRU began in February 1967 in a residential college at Rice, Hanszen College, where several students broadcast music in the Old Section part of the dorm using an unlicensed 2 watt AM station, using the call sign KHCR (Hanszen College radio) and the wiring of a buzzer system. The next fall, the station transformed into an AM carrier current station with wires running through the steam tunnel system connecting the dormitories to a studio located in the basement of the Rice Memorial Center using the call sign KOWL, a nod to the Rice University mascot.[8]

The station moved to FM after a license was granted by the FCC to the Rice University Board of Governors. Since KOWL was already in use at the time, KTRU was chosen as a substitute. KTRU began operations in 1971 with a transmitter located in Sid Richardson College. Initially broadcasting at 10 watts, the students engineered an increase to 340 watts in April 1974 and 650 watts in October 1980. The broadcast day also increased from the initial evening-only hours to 10 to 12 hours a day on weekdays and most of the weekend. In 1981, KTRU expanded its broadcast hours to 24 hours per day. In 1987, a major expansion of the student center was completed and KTRU's studios were relocated to the 2nd floor of the Ley Student Center.[9]

In 1991, KTRU's transmitter was moved to the north of Houston, increased in power to 50,000 watts and was presented with an operating endowment by Mike Stude, the owner of Houston-area radio station KRTS (now KROI) and an heir of the founders of Brown & Root. This move enabled KRTS to increase from 3,000 watts to 50,000 watts without interfering with KTRU's signal on the second adjacent channel.

In 1997, a university committee released a report recommending expanding coverage of university programs to 12 hours of the broadcast day, the hiring of professional staff, and increasing marketing of the station, in addition to studio expansion and technology upgrades. At the recommendation of the committee, a professional General Manager was hired in 1998 with the Station Manager still staffed by a student volunteer.[10]

In 2000, university administrators threatened to withhold financing and other resources KTRU received through student fees unless the station increased the broadcast air time devoted to specifically to Rice University sports. As a result, KTRU more than doubled the number of sports games it broadcast per week.

On November 30, 2000, student volunteers entered the station to host their weekly punk show and found that their slot had been preempted by a sports game without prior notice and they were expected to operate the board during the broadcast. The DJs protested by playing punk rock music concurrently with the game during its last hour. A university administrator called the station manager and demanded that he discipline the DJs. When the station manager refused, the university administration responded by physically locking students out of the station and replacing its programming with a satellite feed from the World Radio Network. The administration cited the station's by-laws which gives the university president ultimate authority over the station. Students protested the shut-down, including a silent protest outside the University Board of Governors meeting. The station shutdown and protests received coverage in the press[9] and students submitted a petition in support of the student-run station with over 700 signatures. The lockout lasted 8 days before the station was returned to student control with joint oversight from the university administration.[9]

On August 17, 2010, Rice University announced that it had been in negotiations to sell KTRU's broadcast tower, FM frequency and license to the University of Houston System in order for 91.7 to become a full-time classical music and fine arts programming station, relieving KUHF from all music programming and allowing it to become a full-time news station. The new station at 91.7, KUHA (since resold, 91.7 is now KXNG), would be operated as a not-for-profit outlet with listener support funding the new Classical music home.[11] The FCC approved the sale and granted the transfer of license to the University of Houston System on April 15, 2011.[12]

On February 14, 2011, Pacifica Radio's KPFT began broadcasting KTRU's programming on its HD2 channel.[13]

KTRU ceased broadcasting on 91.7 FM at 6 a.m. on April 28, 2011,[6][14] and resumed over the air broadcasting as KBLT-LP on 96.1 FM on October 2, 2015. The HD-2 signal of KPFT, which aired KTRU programming in a digital only capacity during the time KTRU was off of Houston's analog airwaves, dropped the programming once KBLT-LP signed on and replaced it with the programming that had been heard on KPFT's HD-3 signal, which has since then been dropped itself.

Notable station alumni

  • Rob Sides, music industry executive who worked for Warner Brothers, Electra, WEA, Giant and Revolution Records
  • Stan Barber, significant contributor to Network News Transfer Protocol, and chair of the Texas IPv6 Task Force
  • John Doerr, venture capitalist with Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers
  • Kyle Henry, film director and editor whose work has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival [15]
  • Scott Hochberg, representative to Texas House District 137 since 2003 and co-founder of Logitek Audio
  • Tim Holy, Ph.D., neurobiologist at Washington University and NIH Pioneer Awardee[16]
  • Ray Isle, Wine Editor at Food & Wine
  • Sarah L. Keller, Ph.D. Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean of Research at the University of Washington and winner of numerous awards including the 2010 Avanti Young Investigator Award, and the NSF CAREER Award her work in cell membrane lipids.[17][18]
  • Bruce Mast, former mayor of Albany, California [19]
  • Michele Wucker, executive director of the World Policy Institute and 2007 Guggenheim Awardee [20]
  • Clayton O. Finney, aka "The Outlaw Philatelist", renowned expert on preservation of early-American Methodist Chapels, World Champion Golf Ball Retriever, aficionado of fine cigars and spirits, author of “The Clayton Finney Lifestyle” and other lesser known novels, Chairman, Repentant Sinners Social Club and BBQ Cooking Team, staunch supporter of BlackBerry technology, and frequent contributor to “The American Philatelist”, “Linn's Stamp News” and “Schweizer Briefmarken Zeitung”

References

  1. ↑ "KTRU Station Information Profile". Arbitron.
  2. ↑ Wermund, Benjamin (September 25, 2015). "KTRU to return to airwaves Oct. 2". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Brown, Seth (August 20, 2010). "Deal to sell Rice's KTRU to KUHF announced". The Rice Thresher. Retrieved June 16, 2018 – via The Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas.
  4. 1 2 Hardy, Michael (February 9, 2015). "KTRU Returning to Houston Airwaves". Houstonia. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  5. ↑ FCC. "Correspondence for KTRU". Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  6. 1 2 "Sadness alert: KTRU to shut down in a week". April 20, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  7. ↑ Passwaters, Arie (September 28, 2015). "KTRU to return to FM radio on 96.1 with celebration concert". Rice University News and Media. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ "The evolution of Rice radio". Rice Thresher. 2000-10-27. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  9. 1 2 3 Kern, Lauren (January 11, 2001). "Rice University's slow, systematic makeover of KTRU is just the latest example of a college determined to pattern itself after corporate America". Houston Press. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
  10. ↑ CINELLI, MICHAEL. "KTRU Format Changes Will Benefit Students". press release. Rice University. Archived from the original on October 9, 1999.
  11. ↑ Kever, Jeannie (August 16, 2010). "UH System board considers plan to buy Rice radio station". Houston Chronicle.
  12. ↑ FCC. "Correspondence for KTRU". Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  13. ↑ "KTRU programming to be available via KPFT HD2 radio broadcasts". February 5, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2011.
  14. ↑ Laura (no family name given). "KTRU station off air, but still broadcasting online" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. April 28, 2011. Retrieved on April 29, 2011.
  15. ↑
  16. ↑
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
  19. ↑ Burdman, Pamela (1998-03-20). "Regents' Panel OKs Plan For UC Housing". SFGate. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
  20. ↑
  21. ↑

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