KZMP (AM)

Infobox Radio station
name = KZMP


city = University Park, Texas
area = Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
branding = "Radio Saalam Namaste"
slogan =
airdate = 1949 as KCUL
frequency = 1540 kHz
format = Spanish
power = 35,000 Watts (day)
750 Watts (night)
class = B
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = KCUL (1949-1967), KBUY (1967-1976), KRXV (1976-1978), KMZK (1978-1979), KTIA (1979-1983), KUQQ (1983-1985), KMIA (1985-1988), KSVZ (1988-1989), KSGB (1989-1993), KTNO (1993-1997), KPAD (1997)
owner = Liberman Broadcasting
licensee = Liberman Broadcasting of Dallas Licensee, LLC
webcast =
website =
affiliations =
sister_stations = KBOC, KNOR, KTCY, KZMP-FM, KZZA
"Also part of the Liberman cluster: TV Station KMPX"

KZMP (1540 AM) is a radio station that serves the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and is owned by Liberman Broadcasting. The station is a simulcast of the main KZMP-FM "Radio Saalam Namaste" station, except for during games of the FC Dallas team of Major League Soccer, at which point the AM station broadcasts the game separately.

History

This station began as KCUL in 1949 with a Variety format through the 1950s with its licensed broadcasts in Fort Worth, Texas. The station was named after investor investor A. B. Culbertson, but other sources say there's a connection with Fort Worth-area optometrist L. H. Luck, thus KCUL was "Luck" spelled backwards. In the mid 50s, KCUL has switched to a country music format with blocks of spanish language programming in 1958. On New Year's Day in 1967, KCUL-AM and its FM sister station were sold by East-West Broadcasting to John Walton and was rebranded "Classical Country" KBUY while maintaining its Country format with Western music added. It has become the first station in the Dallas/Fort Worth area to become a full-time Country/Western station, and the format adjustment was noted to be "an 'uptown' version of its predecessor, KCUL." In 1972 the station changed its format to Ethnic/Spanish programing.

In 1976, the station is once again rebranded as KRXV (callsign derived from roman numerals XV {15} and their then-branding "Radio 15"), this time with an All-News format that only lasted for a year and 2 months, then formats quickly change to beautiful music as "Radio 15". It was a joint operation between actor James "Jimmy" Stewart and Oklahoma News Network owner William Schuller. In 1978, the callsign was changed to KMZK (calls were an acronym of sorts for "muzik."), but the easy-listening format and branding remained the same.

Between 1979 and 1983, the station was revamped as KTIA with a Spanish format and again as KUQQ, but the station went dark for almost a year after that. THe callsign KMIA was established on June 25, 1985, but the station didn't sign on until 3 months later. Their format from that period until 1986 was Spanish, Tropical, and Carribean music, then formats changed to urban contemporary gospel with some Spanish religious programming mixed in (callsign to have stood for Ministry In Action) as "Faith 1540".

From 1988 to 1993, formats were bounced from Religious to Spanish as KSVZ (1988), KSGB (1989), and KTNO (1993). Then in 1997, it was rebranded as KPAD with a Motivational format, airing syndicated programming from the Personal Achievement Radio service (callsign to have stood for Personal Achievement in Dallas). But the motivation format didn't last ling as the callsign was changed to KZMP as a simulcast of KTCY until 2003, along the way, KTCY-FM and KZMP-FM swapped calls.

External links

*AMQ|KZMP
*AML|KZMP
*AMARB|KZMP
* [http://www.knus99.com/amlist DFW Radio History - AM Stations]
* [http://www.dfwradioarchives.com DFW Radio Archives]