KASE-FM

Programming

Weekday mornings, The Bobby Bones Show from Nashville is heard on KASE-FM. It is syndicated by Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, KASE-FM features "The Best of Bobby Bones." Overnight, KASE-FM carries After MidNite with Granger Smith. The rest of the schedule is staffed by voice-tracked DJs from outside Austin.

In Austin, iHeartMedia owns two country stations. 98.1 KVET-FM plays of mix of current, recent and classic country, while KASE-FM concentrates on more contemporary country titles.

History

Beautiful music

KASE-FM first signed on the air on March 30, 1969, playing an automated beautiful music format. It was co-owned with AM 1300 KVET, a popular AM country station. KASE-FM transmitted with an effective radiated power of 26,500 watts, a quarter of its current power.

Switch to country

After a little over a decade on the air, management saw an opening for a new country format in Austin. While KVET would continue to play an older, personality style of country and western music, KASE was designed to appeal to younger country fans.

Bill Mayne, KASE Program Director at the time, recalled in a 2010 interview, the Friday afternoon in September 1981 when KASE "came out of Mantovani and went into the Waylon Jennings song "Are You Ready for the Country" and had every dentist's office, nursing home and doctor's office in the city of Austin calling to complain."

The "Continuous Country" format became a hit with Austin listeners and has consistently been voted by radio general managers as one of the top twenty "Most Admired Stations" in America. It was the first station to win the "Station of the Year" award from the Country Music Association four times and was given its second Billboard Magazine "Station of the Year" award in 1997.

In 1990, KVET (AM) began simulcasting on 98.1 MHz. KASE continued to target adults in the 18-34 and 18-49 demographics, while KVET-FM targeted the 25-54-year-old demographic.

Change in ownership

In 1998, KVET, Inc., which owned KVET-AM-FM and KASE-FM, sold its stations to Capstar, Inc. Capstar was later merged into Clear Channel Communications, which is known today as iHeartMedia.

KVET and KASE have historically been Austin's top country stations, staving off many competitors over the decades. KASE-FM has also been nominated for the Country Music Association (CMA) "Large Market Station of the Year" Award numerous times.

2024 rebrand

On March 11, 2024, after using the brand "KASE 101" since its launch in 1981, KASE rebranded as "KASE 100.7", referencing its actual frequency.

KASE-FM HD2/K248CU

KASE-FM HD2 launched an LGBT-oriented dance format via translator K248CU (97.5 FM) on January 12, 2016. The format lasted until January 26, 2018, when it changed to its current Alternative Rock format as "Alt 97.5". In 2021, KASE-FM-HD2/K248CU was named as Austin FC's English-language radio broadcaster.

Previous logo

References

References

1. [https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&call=Kase&nav=&x=0&y=0 Radio-Locator.com/KASE-FM]
2. "Stations".
3. [https://kase101.iheart.com/schedule/ KASE101.iheart.com/schedule]
4. (March 30, 1969). "KASE...A New Sound on the FM Band". Austin American-Statesman.
5. Louis Hau, "The Billboard Q&A: Bill Mayne, ''Billboard'', January 5, 2010, Vol. 122 Issue 17, p. 17.
6. (December 22, 1997). "Capstar Broadcasting Partners to Acquire Radio Stations KASE-FM and KVET-AM/FM".
7. [https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/2000/D-Radio-NE-TER-BC-YB-2000-2.pdf Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2000 page D-246]
8. "StationRatings.com/Austin".
9. [https://radioinsight.com/headlines/265958/kase-shows-its-frequency/ KASE Shows Its Frequency] Radioinsight - March 11, 2024
10. [https://radioinsight.com/headlines/95888/pride-radio-debuts-in-austin/ Pride Radio Debuts in Austin]
11. [https://radioinsight.com/headlines/122713/iheartmedia-launches-alt-97-5-austin/ iHeartMedia Launches Alt 97.5 Austin]
12. (March 31, 2021). "Austin FC Names iHeartMedia's ALT 97.5 FM Official Flagship English- Language Radio Broadcast Partner". AustinFC.com.