KMPA is a terrestrial American radio station, licensed to Pittsburg, Texas, United States. The station serves the Longview-Marshall side of the market, and simulcasts KLJTJacksonville, Texas, which covers the Tyler-Jacksonville side of the Tyler-Longview market.
History
January 20, 1987, 103.1 went on the air as KXAL-FM. KXAL was owned by Gray Communications of Pittsburg, Texas. The transmitter site was next located on Highway 271 just north of Gilmer in the community of Midway. The tower was under 250 feet tall and the coverage of the station was very limited. 103.1 was running a rock format at that time. January 3, 2000, Gray Communications sold 103.1 to On-Air Family LLC. Under Hunt's ownership the transmitter site was completely rebuilt with a 750-foot tower, new antennas, and new transmitter on a 50-acre facility just north-east of Midway. The Hunt's also combined 103.1's broadcast operations with the 100.3 in Henderson, Texas. The Hunt's changed the call letters to KDVE on November 8, 2001. With this change, the format was also changed to classic country, under the moniker of "The Lonesome Dove". With both 103.1 and 100.3 simulcasting "The Lonesome Dove" format, the studios were moved to Longview at 3004 West Marshall. In July 2004, 103.1 KDVE changed its format to classic rock, with the moniker "Rock 103.1". 100.3 became KXAL sports with the ESPN satellite feed. On April 1, 2004, 103.1 and 100.3 began an LMA with Waller Broadcasting. 103.1 became a simulcast of KKUS the Ranch, and 100.3 became a simulcast of 96.7 KOYE. In 2006, Waller Media bought 103.1 and 100.3. 103.1 became the first FM talk station in East Texas, and 100.3 became "Brisa" a regional Spanish format. The FM talk was dropped after 6 months with little results, and a simulcast of 103.1 and 100.3 began again with the "Brisa" format. 103.1 changed its call sign to the current KMPA on July 30, 2010, and rebranded itself as KOMPA. KOMPA 103.1 was a highly successful Spanish format radio station in East Texas. On August 1, 2016, KMPA and sister stationsKFRO-FM, KLJT, and KZXM were taken off the air and the staff of those stations were let go and locked out without warning by Susie Waller, the daughter of the deceased owner of the station, Dudley Waller. The website has also been deleted. Since August 10, 2016, this station has been silent. On February 17, 2017, Waller Broadcasting filed for an extension of the Special Temporary Authority allowing KMPA and its three sisters to remain silent for an additional 180 days. The application also stated that a buyer had been found for the stations, and was expected to announce a deal to transfer the four stations licenses, pending F.C.C. approval, within the next 30 days. On July 4, 2017, KMPA returned to the air under a Lease Management Agreement between Waller Media, LLC. & East Texas Results Media, allowing the latter to operate the facility until the license transfer for the facility was granted & consummated. The Kompa branding for the station was dropped, although the Regional Mexican music remained, newly branded as "Super 103.1". On October 31, 2017, KMPA's license transfer to Paul Coates, d.b.a. East Texas Results Media, was granted. Consummaton of the deal that sent KMPA and its sister stations KFRO-FM, KZXM, and KLJT to the new company occurred on March 8, 2018. On June 10, 2019, East Texas Results Media filed to transfer the license of KMPA and its three sister stations to Educational Radio Foundation of East Texas, who in turn has applied to turn all four facilities non-commercial. The Foundation broadcasts Christian programming. "Super 103.1" left the air in mid-July 2019, pending transfer of the facility's license. The sale of KMPA, and its 3 sister stations was consummated on October 9, 2019, with ERFET officially taking control of the licenses and facilities. As part of the new acquisition, Educational Radio Foundation of East Texas announced at the time that they would launch a full service Spanish language Christian format on both KLJT and KMPA. Educational Radio Foundation launched the current Spanish language Christian format, branded as "Fuzíon 102.3 & 103.1" on January 17, 2020 at 7:00 pm. Between the two, the combined signals serve the majority of the Tyler-Longview rated market. KMPA previously featured a Regional Mexican format branded as Super 103.1 prior to the sale of the facility to Educational Radio Foundation of East Texas.
