The station first signed on the air on in 1960. Its call sign was KTBC-FM, sister station to KTBC 590 AM (now KLBJ). The radio stations were part of the Johnson family's broadcasting holdings.[3] In 1943, the future First Lady, known as Claudia T. "Lady Bird" Johnson, invested an inheritance of $17,000 to purchase KTBC (AM). She improved the station by hiring new on-air talent, found commercial sponsors, kept all the financial accounts, and maintained the facility. Using her formal name, Mrs. Johnson served as manager and then as the first chairwoman of what later came to be known as KLBJ, for some four decades.[4] (In later years, the president and Lady Bird's children ran the radio stations, while she remained chairman.) Because the stations were owned by Claudia Johnson, Lyndon Johnson did not have to consider divesting the media company, even when he was Senator, Vice President or President.
The Johnson family put Austin's first TV station on the air in 1952, KTBC-TV. The co-owned FM station signed on the air in 1960. In 1972, KTBC-FM switched to a freeform rock format, with a progressive rock sound that was emerging on the FM dial in many cities in America.[5] Until then, the only rock commonly heard on the radio were a few songs that crossed over onto the Top 40 charts.
Change in ownership
In 1973, the Johnsons sold KTBC-TV to the Times Mirror Company, a newspaper and broadcasting company that published the Los Angeles Times and the Dallas Times Herald. Times Mirror kept the KTBC call sign for the TV station, while the radio stations became KLBJ AM-FM to reflect the initials of President Johnson, who had died earlier that year.[6] (Currently, KTBC-TV is owned by Fox Television Stations.)
In 1997, KLBJ-FM and KLBJ came under the ownership of the LBJS Corporation.[7] The new company was a merger of LBJ Broadcasting, which by this point also owned KAJZ, with Sinclair Telecable's two stations in the market: KROX-FM and KGSR.[8] KLBJ (AM) had already shifted from MOR to a talk radio format, while KLBJ-FM transformed into an album rock format, concentrating on a playlist from the best-selling records.
At the time, Sinclair Telecable Inc. was a minority stakeholder in the stations, with LBJ Holdings Co. as the 51-percent controlling stakeholder. In 2003, the Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications acquired the controlling stake in the stations;[9] the $150 million sale, completed on July 1, marked the Johnson family's exit from broadcasting.[10] Emmis had radio stations in several large markets around the U.S., including New York City and Los Angeles.
In June 2019, Emmis announced that it would sell its controlling stake in the Austin cluster back to Sinclair Telecable for $39.3 million. KLBJ-AM-FM operate under the licensee name "Waterloo Media."[9]
When Dale Dudley decided to step down, the morning show was renamed "Mornings with Matt and Bob." Producer Eric "Chuy" Alderete is also featured.
Discography
KLBJ-FM has produced a number of albums, focusing mainly on local Austin music. Its "local licks live" series started in 1989 and has showcased dozens of popular Austin musicians.
