KPEZ, known on-air as "102.3 The Beat", is a radio station licensed to and serving Austin

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, operating a Hip Hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 format. The station broadcasts with an ERP of 26,000 watts from a transmitter

Transmitter

In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...

 site near Sunset Valley, TX and is owned by Clear Channel

Clear channel

A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...

 Radio.

Station history

This frequency was originally occupied by Austin's first full-time Spanish language FM radio station, KMXX. However, KMXX existed for just over a year before the call-letters were changed to KPEZ and the format became Easy Listening "EZ 102". Later, KPEZ switched formats to Classic Rock "Z 102". KPEZ became "Channel 102-3" under a classic-leaning "AAA" format (dubbed "World Class Rock") in the fall of 2004, retaining most of its airstaff. Ironically, the change to the current Christian format (and subsequent dismissal of most on-air employess) came in December 2005, just five days before Christmas.

Due to the privatizing of Clear Channel in 2010, FCC ownership regulations required that the Austin cluster spin off one license. There were plans underway to sell ownership of the KFMK (105.9) license to Aloha Trust LLC

Aloha Station Trust, LLC

Aloha Station Trust, LLC is a privately owned trust company that owns radio and television stations previously owned by Clear Channel Communications....

 http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts?context=25&appn=101191305&formid=314&fac_num=500, but on May 21, 2010 Clear Channel announced that it planned to move KFMK's format to the 102.3 frequency, taking advantage of better coverage and a more powerful signal, beginning May 31, 2010. The Christian Contemporary format, which resided at the 102.3 frequency, moved to 105.9 and would be purchased by Crista Ministries

Crista Ministries

CRISTA Ministries is a collection of Christian ministries located in the Richmond Highlands neighborhood of Shoreline, Washington, just north of Seattle...

. 105.9 would become contemporary Christian-formatted "Spirit 105.9" in April 2010.

Personalities

Current:

• Zannie K
• JoJo
• Frankie V.
• DJ 2DQ
• Anne Hudson
  Anne Hudson
  Anne Hudson is a television host on Music and Entertainment Television, the afternoon traffic reporter for Clear Channel Austin Cluster , and the Mid-Day show host on Gap Broadcasting station KIXS 108 in Victoria, Texas. Anne hosted Music Fest Host in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in Steamboat Springs, CO...
  
   - Traffic Reporter

Former:

• Ryan Seacrest (Syndicated/ Premiere Radio Networks
  Premiere Radio Networks
  Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
  
  )
• Jose Brown
• Dustin Drew
• Robin Flores
• Johnny Goyen
• Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
  Kidd Kraddick in the Morning
  Kidd Kraddick in the Morning is an American morning radio show hosted by Kidd Kraddick on Cumulus Media Networks...
  
   (Syndicated / Citadel Interactive (formerly ABC Radio Networks))
• Drew Longoria
• Rachel Marisay
• Don Miller - Traffic Reporter
• Rudy Ramos
• Deana Romero
• Shalonn
• Chuckie T
• Steve Thomas
• Mical Trejo
• Jennifer Washington

Studio location

3601 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704

The Clear Channel Radio Austin studios are in an industrial, yet trendy business complex in "SoCo" south central Austin within walking distance of St. Edward's University

St. Edward's University

St. Edward's University is a private Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located south of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. The university offers a liberal arts education and its campus is located on a hill overlooking the city of Austin. The campus's most notable landmark is Main...

. The complex, Penn Field, was Austin's first military air base. The Clear Channel Radio studios are located in the former hangar building.

KPEZ shares a building with sister stations KASE-FM

KASE-FM

KASE-FM is an Austin, Texas radio station operating a Country format. It is licensed to Austin, Texas with an ERP of 100,000 Watts at 100.7 MHz from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, TX, and is owned by Clear Channel Radio....

, KHFI-FM

KHFI-FM

KHFI-FM is an Austin, Texas radio station playing Top 40 and licensed to Georgetown, Texas, with an ERP of 100,000 Watts from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, Texas.-History:...

, KVET, and KVET-FM

KVET-FM

KVET-FM is an Austin, Texas radio station operating a Country format. It is licensed to Austin, Texas with an ERP of 49,800 watts from a transmitter site near West Lake Hills, TX, and is owned by Clear Channel Radio....

.

External links

• 102.3 The Beat Website