KZMP (AM)

KZMP
City University Park, Texas
Broadcast area Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
Branding ESPN Deportes Radio AM 1540
Frequency 1540 kHz
First air date 1949 (as KCUL)
Format Sports
Language(s) Spanish
Power 32,000 watts (day)
750 watts (night)
Class B
Facility ID 63551
Former callsigns KCUL (1949-1967)
KBUY (1967-1976)
KRXV (1976-1978)
KMZK (1978-1979)
KTIA (1979-1983)
KUQQ (1983-1985)
KMIA (1985-1988)
KSVZ (1988-1989)
KSGB (1989-1993)
KTNO (1993-1997)
KPAD (1997)
Affiliations ESPN Deportes Radio
Operator Deportes Media
Owner Liberman Broadcasting
(Liberman Broadcasting of Dallas License LLC)
Sister stations KBOC, KNOR, KZMP-FM, KZZA
Also part of the Liberman cluster: TV Station KMPX

KZMP (1540 AM) is a radio station that serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is owned by Liberman Broadcasting.

History

This station began as KCUL in 1949, licensed to Fort Worth, Texas. KCUL featured a Variety format through the 1950s. The station was named after investor A. B. Culbertson, although other sources mention a connection with Fort Worth-area optometrist L. H. Luck, because "K-C-U-L" was "Luck" spelled backwards. In the mid 1950s, KCUL switched to a country music format; blocks of Spanish language programming in 1958. By 1964, the radio station had picked up a sister station on the FM dial and hired Marcos Rodriguez,Sr. father of Marcos A. Rodriguez to be morning DJ and afternoon salesperson. At the time, FM radio in America was in its infancy. Listeners did not listen to FM very much and broadcasters weren't sure the technology was going to last.

On New Year's Day, 1967, KCUL-AM and its FM sister station were sold by East-West Broadcasting to John Walton and was rebranded "Classical Country" KBUY, maintaining its Country format with Western music added. It became the first full-time Country/Western station in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; the format adjustment was described as "an 'uptown' version of its predecessor, KCUL."

In 1976, the station was once again rebranded as KRXV (callsign derived from Roman numerals XV {15} and their then-branding "Radio 15"), this time with an All-News format that lasted for only 14 months. KRXV employed Marcos A. Rodriguez as a board operator and Jim Miklaszewski now an NBC News correspondent as News Director. Hal Eisner, currently a longtime TV newsman in Los Angeles who currently works at FOX's KTTV also worked there. The format then changed to beautiful music as "Radio 15," a joint operation between actor James "Jimmy" Stewart and Oklahoma News Network owner William Schuller. In 1978, the callsign was changed to KMZK (calls were an acronym of sorts for "muzik."), but the easy-listening format and branding remained the same.

Between 1979 and 1983, the station was revamped as KTIA with a Spanish format and again as KUQQ. KTIA was founded by a partnership led by Johnny Gonzalez, one of three former KESS advertisers, but their purchase tragically coincided with the prime rate going to 20%; the business went bust and the station went dark for almost a year. The callsign KMIA was established on June 25, 1985, but the station didn't sign on until three months later. The format from that period until 1986 was Spanish, Tropical, and Caribbean music. Then the format changed to urban contemporary gospel with some Spanish religious programming. The callsign was said to have stood for Ministry In Action) as "Faith 1540".

From 1988 to 1993, formats were bounced from Religious to Spanish as KSVZ (1988), KSGB (1989), and KTNO (1993). Then in 1997, it was rebranded as KPAD with a Motivational format, airing syndicated programming from the Personal Achievement Radio service (the callsign standing for Personal Achievement in Dallas). But the motivation format didn't last long, and the callsign was changed to KZMP as a simulcast of KTCY until 2003. Along the way, KTCY and KZMP-FM swapped calls. In 2006, KZMP, along with 3 other stations were sold by Entravision Communications to Liberman.

On June 1, 2009, KZMP-AM struck an LMA with The Walt Disney Company and dropped its FM simulcast ("Radio Salaam Namaste") in favor of ESPN Deportes Radio.[1]

Starting in the 2011 Major League Baseball season, KESN & KZMP has acquired rights to broadcast all Texas Rangers baseball games for the next four years. Its English broadcasts will be airing on KESN while the Spanish-language broadcasts air on this station.[2] This is in addition to the FC Dallas Spanish audio broadcasts.

It was announced on August 7, 2013 that Disney, the owner of ESPN Deportes Radio, transferred the station's operations to Deportes Media. No changes in the station's programming lineup will occur.[3] Despite this arrangement, KZMP-AM and KESN ESPN Radio 103.3 maintained a strong partnership.

On September 4, 2016; ESPN Deportes Radio has been dropped for a simulcast of sister station KZZA 106.7, as their Regional Mexican format was rebranded as "La Ranchera" the same day. The staff of ESPN Deportes Dallas has announced on their Facebook page that they are in search of a new station.[4]

On July 2018, ESPN Deportes Radio returns to KZMP after an almost 2-year absence. It now competes with Univision Radio-owned KFLC, which broadcasts as a Univision Deportes Radio affiliate.

References

  1. ↑ ESPN re-launches ESPN Deportes Radio on 1540-AM KZMP in Dallas Market. Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine. - HispanicAd (released May 14, 2009)
  2. ↑ Rangers join ESPN 103.3 FM, 1540 AM - ESPN Dallas/Fort Worth (released December 8, 2010)
  3. ↑ Cumulus to LMA ESPN 103.3 Dallas - [www.radioinsight.com Radio insight] (released August 7, 2013)
  4. ↑ Cuando la pasión por nuestra profesión nos desborda... - ESPN Deportes Dallas Facebook page (posted September 12, 2016)

Coordinates: 32°50′13″N 96°46′39″W / 32.836885°N 96.777401°W / 32.836885; -96.777401

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