KCMT (92.1

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Green Valley, Arizona Green Valley is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Pima County, Arizona, Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 22,616 at the 2020 census. Geography Green Valley i ...

, and serving the

Tucson metropolitan area Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson metropolitan s ...

. It airs a

regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

radio format A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...

and is owned by

Lotus Communications Lotus Communications Corporation is a media company that owns numerous radio stations and a few TV stations, and is one of the largest privately owned radio station groups in the United States. Headquarters are located in Los Angeles, and the co ...

. Its studios are on North Commerce Drive in Tucson. KCMT is often the highest-rated

Spanish-language Spanish () or Castilian () is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that evolved from the Vulgar Latin spoken on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. Today, it is a world language, gl ...

radio station in the Nielsen ratings for Tucson, competing with 105.3

KZLZ KZLZ (105.3 FM broadcasting, FM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station city of license, licensed to Casas Adobes, Arizona, and serving the Tucson metropolitan area. It airs a Regional Mexican radio format and is owned by Bustos Media. ...

, owned by

Bustos Media Bustos Media L.L.C. is a media corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Bustos Media specializes in operating Spanish-language, and other ethnic, radio stations in the United States. Most of its stations broadcast in Spanish; however, two ...

. KCMT is a Class C2 FM station. It has an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 50,000

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s. The

transmitter In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...

is off Pima Mine Ranch Road in Tucson. KCMT broadcasts using

HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...

technology. Its HD2

digital subchannel In broadcasting, digital subchannels are a method of transmitting more than one independent program stream simultaneously from the same digital radio or television station on the same radio frequency channel. This is done by using data compress ...

carries a Spanish hot AC format as "Exito 93.3". It feeds a 200-watt

FM translator A broadcast relay station, also known as a satellite station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator (U.S.), re-broadcaster (Canada), repeater ( two-way radio) or complementary station (Mexico), is a broadcast transmitter which repeats (or tr ...

at 93.3 MHz. The main signal is also heard on a 240-watt FM translator at 95.7 MHz.

History

The station

signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...

the air on . Its original

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

was KFXX. It was a Class A FM station, limited to 3,000 watts of power, on a short

tower A tower is a tall Nonbuilding structure, structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from guyed mast, masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting ...

in Green Valley. It was barely audible in the city of Tucson. The station's class was later boosted to C2, allowing it to increase power to 50,000 watts. Its tower was relocated into the more lucrative Tucson

radio market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...

. In 1993, the station was acquired by

for $1.26 million.''Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010'' page D-60. Retrieved Oct. 25, 2023.
/ref> It played

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

KFMA KFMA (102.1 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial radio, commercial FM broadcasting, FM radio station city of license, licensed to Oro Valley, Arizona, and broadcasting to the Tucson metropolitan area. KFMA airs an active rock radio format, format and i ...

. Lotus already owned a

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

station on 102.1 MHz, KCMT. On March 21, 2014, Lotus switched the two stations. KCMT and its Regional Mexican format moved to 92.1 FM, while KFMA and its alternative rock sound moved to the 102.1 FM frequency.

References

External links

Official KCMT Website
* * {{Lotus Communications Mexican-American culture in Arizona CMT Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1983 1983 establishments in Arizona CMT Lotus Communications stations

History

See also

References

External links