KMFA (89.5

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

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, listener-supported,

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 ...

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. It airs a

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

format and is owned by Capitol Broadcasting Association, Inc. The studios and offices are on Navasota Street in Austin. KMFA is a Class C1 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 40,000

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 Toro Canyon Road in the West Austin Antenna Farm. KMFA is licensed to broadcast a digital hybrid

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 ...

signal.

Programming

The broadcast schedule consists of classical music programs with local hosts, as well as nationally syndicated broadcasts. A weekly program is provided by the School of Music at the

University of Texas-Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

and from the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Weekly national shows from NPR and other public radio networks include the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

during its season, the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...

, the Chamber Music Society of

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

and " Performance Today". Also heard are " From the Top" showcasing young classical musicians, " Pipedreams" featuring pipe organ performances and " Sunday Baroque".

History

In the mid-1960s, Austin lost its commercial FM classical music station. A group of listeners wanted to keep fine arts programming on the air in the capital of Texas. They formed a group to seek a non-commercial radio license. Noyes Willett was the unpaid chief engineer who helped get the station built. Leonard Masters was KMFA's first announcer and program director. Studios were set up in the Perry Brooks Building. The station signed on the air on .''Broadcasting Yearbook 1970'' page B-192. Retrieved Dec. 3, 2024.
/ref> Masters was at the controls when KMFA began. The first piece of music was the rousing "

William Tell Overture The ''William Tell'' Overture is the overture to the opera '' William Tell'' (original French title ''Guillaume Tell''), composed by Gioachino Rossini. ''William Tell'' premiered in 1829 and was the last of Rossini's 39 operas, after which he w ...

" composed by

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

. At first, KMFA was only powered at 1,300 watts, a fraction of its current output. In 2020, KMFA completed construction on a state-of-the-art permanent facility in East Austin, funded entirely by community gifts. The total price tag was $10.5 Million. The complex includes the 130-seat "Draylen Mason Music Studio", as well as on-air and production booths, an interactive educational gallery, and public gathering spaces. Live concerts and broadcasts are regularly held there, along with social events and youth camps.

Hosts

* Emilio Alvarez * Jeffrey Blair * Guillermo Delgado * Dianne Donovan * Ryan Kelly * Judlyne Lilly-Gibson * Carla McElhaney * Anton Nel * Sara Schneider

References

External links

Official website
MFA Classical music radio stations in the United States Texas classical music Radio stations established in 1967 {{Texas-radio-station-stub