KFRO-FM (99.7

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

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 ...

Cuney, Texas Cuney is a town located in northwestern Cherokee County, Texas, United States. With a population of 116 at the 2020 U.S. census, Cuney was the only "wet" town in Cherokee County from the mid-1980s until 2009, when voters in Rusk came out in fa ...

, and serving the Tyler- Longview area. It is owned by RCA Broadcasting of Longview, Texas. Until May 24, 2024, the station operated as KVUT, a

public radio Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive ...

station, under ownership of University of Texas at Tyler. KFRO-FM is a Class A 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 1,600

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 on Bois D Arc Drive at Hilltop Trail in Bullard, Texas. Spending its first years broadcasting as a non-commercial license, the station now operates with a commercial Classic Hits format.

History

Construction and sign-on

KVUT was initially proposed by New Wavo Communications Group, owners of co-channel KVST in

Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. Its population was 45,941 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the center of the Huntsville United States micropolitan area, micropolitan area ...

. New Wavo filed a short form application with the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...

, which was granted on November 6, 2015. The facility's transmission site was proposed to be constructed near the small town of Cuney, giving the community its first licensed broadcast service. The

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

was granted the

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 ...

KSOC on October 18, 2017. The proposed facility was permitted to operate, once licensed, at 100

s, from an elevation of in

height above average terrain Height above average terrain (HAAT), or (less popularly) effective height above average terrain (EHAAT), is the vertical position of an antenna site above the surrounding landscape. HAAT is used extensively in FM radio and television, as it is ...

(HAAT). Before it was built, New Wavo sold the construction permit for the facility to North Texas Radio Group, L.P. on August 14, 2017. The facility call sign was changed to KOEE on September 18, 2018, inheriting the call letters from its

sister station In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement. Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...

Tipton, Oklahoma Tipton is a town in the western part of Tillman County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 847 at the United States 2010 census, a 31.6 percent decline from 1,238 in 2000. Tipton also is home to Tipton Home, originally called Tipton Or ...

, which in turn, became KSOC. The KSOC call sign was long utilized by

Urban One Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One) is an American media conglomerate based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Founded in 1980 by Cathy Hughes, the company primarily operates media properties targeting African Americans. It is the largest African-Ame ...

urban adult contemporary Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...

station

KZMJ KZMJ (94.5 FM) is a radio station serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. The station airs an urban adult contemporary format. The station is licensed to Gainesville and is owned by Urban One. Co-owned with KBFB and Reach Media, i ...

in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, as "K-Soul 94.5". The station received an initial "License to Cover" from the

. It

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 October 10, 2018.

University ownership

The station changed its call sign to KVUT on December 19, 2019. On June 16, 2020, North Texas Radio Group, LP filed to transfer the license of KVUT to

The University of Texas at Tyler The University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) is a public research university in Tyler, Texas, United States. Founded in 1971, it is a part of the University of Texas System. UT Tyler consists of six professional colleges and one traditional coll ...

, after a deal was reached to sell the station to the University for $120,000. The station began broadcasting in "soft launch" mode - testing programming - on May 13, 2021. A public event was held to celebrate the station's arrival in the fall of 2021. During this soft launch, the station carried public radio news programs such as ''

Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...

'', ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'', '' Here and Now'', and ''

Marketplace A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from ...

'' in the day. At night, jazz music from the UT Tyler Jazz Ensemble at night. KVUT officially

the air on . Local programming consists of news and public affairs, with more local content to be added over time. The transmitter and

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 ...

were set up at a university-owned site in Bullard, where it operates with 1,600 watts @ 154 meters. The better power and antenna height helped the station to add the communities of Tyler and

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

to its expanded coverage area. Studios for the station were located on the main campus of The University of Texas at Tyler, 3900 University Blvd. in Tyler. KVUT broadcasts from within the R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center (otherwise known as the Cowan Center). KVUT was the first local public media outlet in East Texas. For public television, the area's

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

service is still provided only on

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

via

KERA-TV KERA-TV (channel 13) is a PBS member television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Owned by North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc., it is sister to NPR member station KERA (90.1 FM), adul ...

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

or KLTS-TV in

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, part of the

Louisiana Public Broadcasting Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a state network of Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) member television stations serving the U.S. state of Louisiana. The stations are operated by the Louisiana Educational Television Authority, an agency c ...

network. In early April 2022, KVUT changed its website domain name to kvut.org. It was originally uttr.org (short for "UT-Tyler Radio").

KVUT goes silent

At 5pm on May 24, 2024, at the end of school year, KVUT ceased operations and went off the air.KVUT Ceases Operations
Radioinsight - May 24, 2024 UT Tyler College of Arts and Sciences Dean Neil Gray thanked the station's staff, volunteers and donors, but said the university's resources could be used for other projects to train students in the communications industry. The station was purchased with the intent to broadcast programming from

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

(NPR) along with local news, weather, and community information. During evenings and overnight, KVUT aired

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

music from the PubJazz network. The station was purchased with the intent to broadcast programming from

(NPR) along with local news, weather, and community information. The station, like most nonprofits, sought donations on the air and on its website. In September 2024, Scottie Rice’s RCA Broadcasting, owner of KFRO in Longview, announced that it would purchase KVUT for $100,000. RCA will revert the station to commercial operation as a simulcast of Longview AM station 1370/94.1 KFRO's classic hits format and returning the KFRO-FM call sign to the dial. The KFRO-FM call sign was utilized by 95.3

KWLL KELW (95.3 FM) and KGLY (91.3 FM) are a pair of terrestrial American radio stations, licensed to Gilmer and Tyler, Texas, United States, respectively, and broadcasting in a simulcast Contemporary worship music format as "Lift Worship". The st ...

for the majority of the last 30 years.

Keep Forever Rolling On

On November 22, 2024, the sale of the station was granted, with 99.7 returning to the air, using a stunt format of television and movie themes. On December 5, 2024, stunting ended after the closing of the deal between the University and new owner, with a direct simulcast of KFRO 1370/94.1 Longview beginning at 2:00 pm. 99.7, 94.1, and 1370 were broadcasting Christmas music for the season, with regular classic hits programming beginning for 99.7, and returning to 94.1 and 1370. December 26, 2024, the KFRO stations returned to the "Classic Hits" format at 12:05am. The KFRO stations play the top hits of the disco era into the early 2000s.

References

External links

{{Classic Hits Radio Stations in Texas VUT Cherokee County, Texas Radio stations established in 2018 2018 establishments in Texas