KAJA (FM)

KAJA (97.3 MHz "KJ97") is a commercial FM radio station licensed to San Antonio, Texas. It airs a country music radio format and is owned by locally based iHeartMedia, Inc. The station's studios and offices are located in the Stone Oak neighborhood in Far North San Antonio.

KAJA

San Antonio, Texas United States
Broadcast area	Greater San Antonio
Frequency	97.3 MHz (HD Radio)
Branding	KJ97
Programming
Language	English
Format	Country music
Affiliations	Premiere Networks
Ownership
Owner	iHeartMedia, Inc. (iHM Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	KXXM, KQXT-FM, KRPT, KZEP-FM, KTKR, WOAI
History
First air date	1951; 74 years ago (1951)
Former call signs	KITE-FM (1951–1957) KENN-FM (1957–1958) KEEZ (1958–1978) WOAI-FM (1978–1981)
Call sign meaning	Kay Jay
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	11919
Class	C0
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	300 meters (980 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	29°31′26.0″N 98°43′26.0″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live (via iHeartRadio)
Website	kj97.iheart.com

KAJA has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000 watts, the maximum for non-grandfathered FM stations.^[2] Its transmitter site is off Galm Road in San Antonio's Far West Side neighborhood, near Government Canyon State Natural Area.

History

The station signed on as KITE-FM in 1951.^[3] It simulcast co-owned AM 930 KITE (now KLUP). Because KITE was a daytimer at the time, KITE-FM was able to continue its programming into the night. KITE-AM-FM were owned by Charles W. Balthrope. KITE-FM transmitted with 6,200 watts, a fraction of its current output.

A few years later, the station flipped to a beautiful music format. Its call sign switched to KEEZ in 1958, to reflect easy listening music. In 1960, KEEZ and KITE were acquired by the Townsend U.S. International Growth Fund.^[4] The station's power increased to 17,500 watts, covering San Antonio and its suburbs in that era.

KEEZ was sold to San Antonio Broadcasting Company in 1975. SABC was owned by Lowry Mays, Red McCombs, and Paul Schaffer. A year later the same owners acquired WOAI, and owing to WOAI operating as a 50,000-watt clear-channel station, named their company Clear Channel Communications. In the late 70s SABC and Clear Channel were merged into a new Clear Channel, which went on to own more than 1,000 radio stations.

KEEZ became WOAI-FM from 1978-1981, and adopted the KAJA call letters and country format in 1981.

On October 18, 2010, KAJA won the 2010 Country Music Association (CMA) Large Market Radio Station of the Year award. This was the station's first CMA award win. The staff accepted the award at the show in November.^[5]