KILT (AM)

610 AM signed on the air on March 8, 1948. It was owned by W. Albert Lee. As such, the new station obtained KLEE calls when it debuted.

On March 27, 1957, 610 was sold by Howard Broadcasting to Gordon McLendon, and the Top 40 legend was born. The station took on the calls of KILT in a tip of the hat to McLendon and for 24 years, was the Top 40 station in Houston, simply named the "Big 610 KILT". It used PAMS jingles that featured the call letters being sung out over the air. Notable personalities in the 1970s included Steve Lundy, Sheila Mayhew, Beau Weaver, Jay West, K.O. Bailey, Barry Kaye, Captain Jack and others.

On February 16, 1981, sister station KILT-FM dropped album rock for country during the "Urban Cowboy" craze that swept through Houston, and the United States in general.[1] Having competition from KRBE and KRLY on the FM dial and losing ratings dramatically, on June 1, 1981, 610 dropped its famed Top 40 format for a simulcast of their FM sister station KILT-FM, then known as "FM 100". (Ironically, it would be longtime KILT AM competitor 79 KULF that would, just over a year later in July 1982, relaunch itself as Top 40 "79Q" KKBQ and soar to the top of the radio ratings, spawning the legendary "AM & FM Stereo Combo" that topped Houston ratings throughout the next decade after KILT threw in the towel and flipped its format to country.)

The current sports-talk format debuted in September 1994.[2][3] The first shows on then-branded "Star 610 SportsRadio KILT" were Mike Edmonds & Ed Fowler in the afternoon from 4p-7p and the Bob Stevenson Outdoors Show, airing Tuesday-Friday mornings 4am-5am and Saturdays & Sundays from 4am-7am. Prime Sports Radio, out of Dallas, aired for all other hours. Then, in 1995, Edmonds & Fowler moved to the mornings 6am-9am and Rich Lord & Kenny Hand were paired together for "Section 610" from 4pm-7pm. Lord and Hand also alternated hosting the locally produced Astros 10th Inning Shows on 610 from 1995–97. Usually, Lord hosted after home games and Hand after road games. KILT has been the top-rated sports-talk format many times since its inception, with only a few brief exceptions. KILT's main competition is, as it has historically been, 790 AM (now KBME), which has also aired Sports Talk programming since 2004. Before KBME moved from Adult Standards, KILT was the only sports station in the Houston market and was the radio home for the Houston Rockets, Texans, and Comets franchises. In recent years, KILT lost the rights to air Houston Rockets basketball games to KBME, and the WNBA Comets folded; however, KILT still outperforms KBME in most dayparts and in overall demographic ratings.

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom.[4] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on the 17th.[5][6]