| Broadcast area | Lafayette metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 97.3MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 97.3 The Dawg |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Affiliations | Compass Media Networks New Orleans Saints Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KFTE,KHXT,KPEL,KPEL-FM,KROF,KTDY | |
| History | |
First air date | August 1, 1981; 44 years ago (1981-08-01) |
Call sign meaning | K-Middle (original branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 59289 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 38,000watts |
| HAAT | 171 meters (561 ft) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 973thedawg.com |
KMDL (97.3FM, "97.3 The Dawg") is acommercialradio station inLafayette, Louisiana. It airs acountry musicformat and is owned byTownsquare Media. Its studios are located on Bertrand Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is off Guillot Road inYoungsivlle.[2]
The station is anaffiliate of theNew Orleans Saints Radio Network.[3]
KMDL began broadcasting August 1, 1981, at 97.7 MHz.[4] When itsigned on, it had a 3,000 watt signal, a fraction of its current output. It concentrated on Kaplan-area listeners with a signal that was hard to hear in Lafayette. In 1991, in an effort to serve listeners in the more lucrative Lafayetteradio market, KMDL upgraded to 40,000 watts and relocated to 97.5 MHz. The move lasted for a short time, however, as interference forced the station to return to 97.7 until it was found that the station could move to 97.3 interference-free.
KMDL has been playing country music since first signing on as "K-Middle," in reference to 97.7 appearing in the middle of the FM dial on an analog radio. After relocating to 97.3, KMDL dropped the "K-Middle" branding and identified only using its frequency and call letters. It later shifted from a traditional country format to a current hit-based country sound in September 1995. It began identifying as "the Dawg," a reference toUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette'sBulldogmascot. (The university has since switched its sports teams' names to theLouisiana Ragin' Cajuns.)
AnIbiquity-licensed station, KMDL began broadcasting usingHD Radio technology in November 2007. Currently, KMDL does not offer additionalsubchannel programming.
30°02′56″N91°59′49″W / 30.049°N 91.997°W /30.049; -91.997