KYAT

KYAT is a radio station on 94.5 FM in Gallup, New Mexico, United States. Owned and operated by Millennium Media, the station broadcasts a country music format in the Navajo language known as Ya'a'te'eh Diné (Navajo Country).

For the currency of Myanmar, see Burmese kyat.
KYAT
Frequency94.5 MHz
BrandingYa'a'te'eh Diné
Programming
Language(s)Navajo
FormatCountry
Ownership
Owner
  • Millennium Media
  • (Millennium Media, Inc.)
KXXI, KYVA, KYVA-FM
History
First air date
October 19, 1974 (1974-10-19)
Former call signs
  • KGLP (1974–1977)
  • KOVO (1977–1986)
  • KKOR (1986–2010)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID35028
ClassC0
ERP100 kW
HAAT420 meters (1,380 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
35°36′22.08″N 108°41′28.31″W
Translator(s)K235BR (94.9 FM) Gallup East
Links
Public license information
Websitegallupradio.com

History

94.5 FM was launched as KGLP on October 19, 1974, airing a country format.[2] It was co-owned with KYVA (1230 AM),[3] which had previously mixed Top 40 and country tunes, much to the chagrin of its air staff; the new country outlet allowed the two formats to be split.[4] Both stations were sold to Road Runner Radio, Inc., owned by Russell Carpenter and George Malti,[5] for $500,000 in 1977, and the FM's call letters were changed to KOVO on October 24.[6] The station flipped to adult contemporary in 1986 and adopted the call letters KKOR.[7]

In 2010, the call letters were changed to KYAT as the station began broadcasting full-time in the Navajo language, the first FM station to do so.[8] Some program features remained in English, including news bulletins three times a day from the Navajo Times newspaper.[8] Coverage was extended to Navajo-language play-by-play of high school basketball games in January 2017.[9]

George Malti died in 2016 after owning KYVA and KYAT for 39 years.[10]

References
  1. "Facility Technical Data for KYAT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. "KGLP Will Begin This Saturday". Gallup Independent. October 16, 1974. p. 11. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. "KGLP(FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1976. p. C-128 (382). Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  4. "Gallup's four radio stations informative". Navajo Times. October 5, 1978. pp. B-13, B-14. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  5. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 4, 1977. p. 61. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  6. FCC History Cards for KYAT
  7. "KKOR(FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1987. p. B-188. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  8. Zah, Erny (October 17, 2011). "KYAT-FM offers 24-hour Navajo language". Navajo Times. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  9. Velasco, Dee (January 20, 2017). "KYAT launches local sports coverage program". Gallup Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  10. Dotson, Bernie (May 20, 2016). "Media mogul George Malti dies in Sedona, Ariz". Gallup Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
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