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|---|---|
| Broadcast area | El Paso metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 96.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 96.3 K-Hey Country |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | August 1, 1974 (1974-08-01) (as KEZB) |
Former call signs | KEZB (1974–1981) |
Call sign meaning | "Hey!" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 65963 |
| Class | C |
| ERP |
|
| HAAT | 424 meters (1,391 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 31°47′49″N106°28′55″W / 31.797°N 106.482°W /31.797; -106.482 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | khey |
KHEY-FM (96.3MHz) is acommercial radio station inEl Paso, Texas. It airs acountry musicradio format and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. The station carries thesyndicatedBobby Bones Show on Monday through Saturday mornings, andAfter Midnight with Granger Smith overnight.[2] The rest of the weekday schedule features local DJs. The studios and offices are on North Mesa Street (Texas State Highway 20) in West Central El Paso.
KHEY-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 88,000 watts (100,000 withbeam tilt).[3] Thetransmitter is off Scenic Drive in theFranklin Mountains in El Paso.[4] The signal covers parts ofTexas,New Mexico and the Mexican state ofChihuahua, includingCiudad Juárez. KHEY-FM broadcasts in theHD Radio hybrid format; the HD2 subchannel formerly carried a 24 hour replay ofBobby Bones Country Top 30. The HD2 subchannel has since been turned off.
On August 1, 1974, the stationsigned on as KEZB.[5] It was the FM counterpart ofKHEY (690 AM). KEZB, as thecall sign indicated, playedeasy listening orbeautiful music, while KHEY playedcountry music.
KEZB and KHEY were owned by KHEY, Inc., with studios on North Piedras Street. KEZB was a rare radio station in that era, in having a female program director, Karen Linton.
As the 1970s ended, as more people were acquiring FM radios, management decided to extend the successful country format on the AM station over to the FM dial. In 1981, KEZB switched its call letters to KHEY-FM.[6] An FM station on 93.9 (todayKINT-FM) quickly picked up the KEZB call sign and beautiful music format.
The new KHEY-FMsimulcast some of the AM station's programming, but for most of the day, it was more music-intensive. KHEY (AM) carried world and national news each hour from theABC Information Radio Network, while KHEY-FM tried to minimize non-music elements. In addition, KHEY-FM had its own program director, and for most of the day, the station had different disc jockeys.
In 1990, KHEY-AM-FM were bought by U.S. Radio L.P. for $8,425,000.[7] U.S. Radio ended the overnight simulcast of Y-96, with KHEY (AM) airing separate programming from 24/7 Networks. KHEY (AM) also aired some sports, including University of Texas football.
In 1998, KHEY-AM-FM were sold again, this time toSan Antonio-basedClear Channel Communications. The price tag for the two stations was $10,500,000.[8] Clear Channel also ownedKTSM (1380 AM) andKTSM-FM. It switched the two AM stations, with KTSM and itstalk radio format going to 690 AM, while KHEY began broadcasting on 1380 AM, and became asports radio station. Clear Channel was renamediHeartMedia in 2014.
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