KVET (AM)


KVET, branded as "AM 1300 / 103.1 The Zone", is an Austin, Texas, radio station. It is owned by iHeartMedia, and it carries a Sports radio format with both local sports shows and programming from Fox Sports Radio. KVET-AM can also be heard on FM at 103.1 K276EL.
KVET uses a directional antenna, broadcasting at 5,000 watts to the northwest over the Texas Hill Country during the daytime and 1,000 watts to the south over central Austin at night. The transmitter site is just a few miles north of downtown, on Metric Boulevard. KVET shares studios and offices with four other sister stations in the Penn Field complex in the South Congress district of south central Austin, within walking distance of St. Edward's University.
Programming is available on the iHeartRadio platform.

History

Austin's Third Radio Station

With the end of World War II, a group of Texas veterans pooled their resources to start a radio station in Austin. They chose a call sign that includes the word "Vet." KVET AM 1300 signed on the air on October 1, 1946. The owners included future Texas Governor John Connally and future Congressman Jake Pickle. KVET, Austin's third radio station, was a network affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, talk, cooking shows, soap operas and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio." Connally initially served as KVET's president and general manager.
Unusual for its day, KVET also included programming for Austin's minority communities. Spanish language news and music was heard on "Noche De Fiesta." Music and news for African American listeners was heard on "The Elmer Akins Gospel Train." In the 1950s, even more diversity was added to the lineup when Lavada Durst introduced Austin to R&B and "Jive Talk" on KVET's nighttime "Dr. Hepcat Show." Noche de Fiesta and Dr. Hepcat were phased out in the 1960s, but the Gospel Train was on the air on KVET for many years after.

The Country Giant

During most of the 1960s, KVET featured a full service middle of the road music format, with a strong emphasis on news and sports programming. The music of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Nat King Cole and Barbra Streisand, plus Paul Harvey commentary, the Joe Pyne show, and Houston Astros baseball were all part of the mix.
KVET switched formats on April 14, 1969, to country music, and the "Country Giant" was born. Popular celebrity DJs Arleigh Duff, Penny Reeves, Jerry Gee and Sammy Allred took KVET to the top of the local ratings during the 1970s. In the 80s, KVET aired country music, news and sports, including Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys football.

Switch to Talk, Sports

In 1990, KVET began to also simulcast on 98.1 FM, which had previously been the home of Top 40 KHFI-FM, which moved to 96.7. With the new signal came the creation of the Sammy Allred and Bob Cole Morning Call-In Show. When most of the country audience had moved over to the 100,000 watt KVET-FM signal, management decided to switch AM 1300 KVET to all talk programming in 1994. KVET Talk Radio was an ABC Information Network affiliate and also ran syndicated talk shows. In 1998, KVET-AM-FM and KASE were sold to Capstar Broadcasting, which would later merge into Clear Channel Communications, a forerunner of current owner iHeartMedia.
AM 590 KLBJ had already been Austin's well-established talk station. AM 1300 KVET had trouble challenging KLBJ in the talk radio field. So Capstar switched KVET to all-sports on October 2, 1998. Because iHeartMedia has a financial investment in the Fox Sports Radio Network, KVET began airing Fox Sports programming with some local shows and team coverage.

Translators

Local Programming and On-Air Staff