Broadcast area San Antonio, Texas Frequency 104.5 MHz Format Classic rock Area San Antonio | Language(s) English City of license San Antonio Owner iHeartMedia Inc Branding Hot 104.5 | |
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Translator(s) 93.3 K227BH (San Antonio, relays HD3) First air date 104.5: October 1, 1966 as KITE
(August 8, 2014 as "Hot 104.5")
93.3: March 16, 2015 Audience share 104.5: 1.8
HD3/93.3: 0.4 (January 2017, Nielsen Audio[1]) ERP 104.5: 100,000 watts
93.3: 250 watts Slogan Today's Rhythm and the Best Throwbacks | ||
KZEP-FM (104.5 FM) is a rhythmic contemporary radio station broadcasting in and around San Antonio, Texas, United States. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc., formerly known as Clear Channel Communications until September 2014. Its studios are located on Interstate 10 in Northwest San Antonio near Wonderland of the Americas Mall, and the transmitter site is atop Tower of the Americas downtown.
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History
KZEP signed on as KITE-FM on 104.5 FM with a "beautiful music" format in 1966. Toward the end of the 1960s, KITE-FM began experimenting with a multi-formatted station, i.e., beautiful music during the day and album rock after 11 PM. The underground rock segment was known as "Now Sounds." The Album Underground Rock format began after the classical music segment. Disc jockey Alan Grimm broadcast a different length show every night, sometimes until 6 AM. Underground rock artists included: It's A Beautiful Day, Bubble Puppy, The 13th Floor Elevators, Procol Harum, Ten Years After, Jefferson Airplane, Savoy Brown, The Who, The Grateful Dead, Love, Pink Floyd, Josefus, etc. KITE-FM evolved into a full-time rocker as KEXL in the 1970s. In 1986, the station became known as KZEP-FM, and continued to broadcast classic rock at 104.5 FM.
On August 8, 2014, at approximately 12 noon (CDT), KZEP's classic rock format moved to broadcast at 93.3 K227BH and KZEP's HD2 channel, as KZEP-FM flipped to a classic-leaning Rhythmic CHR format known as "Hot 104.5.". Clear Channel refers to the classic rock station as KZEP-HD and on-air promotions still use the name KZEP.
The flip had been expected to give rival Rhythmic KBBT a serious competitor, as they have dominated the San Antonio Nielsen Audio ratings since its 2000 sign on, which has seen the last four Rhythmic competitors who have tried to take KBBT out within the past decade come and go.
On June 24, 2015, translator 93.3 K227BH switched to a simulcast of KZEP's HD3 subchannel (a simulcast of classic country-formatted KRPT ("K-Buc Country"), ending KZEP's classic rock nearly 30-year run over the air in San Antonio.
KZEP-HD2 programming
KZEP-HD2 currently airs the classic rock format formerly broadcast on both 93.3 and the main signal of KZEP before that. The KZEP-HD2 classic rock format also continues to broadcast online at the website.
KZEP plays two songs back to back from the same artist every Tuesday calling it "Two for Tuesday". KZEP also airs a classic disc at midnight, playing an album's worth of music from the same artist. The album usually ties in with an event that occurred on said day (for instance, a Rolling Stones album on Mick Jagger's birthday). Weeknights, the station airs the Sixx Sense rock radio show. On Sunday mornings it airs the nationally syndicated show Flashback.