The broadcast schedule consists of classical music programs with local hosts, as well as nationally syndicated broadcasts. A weekly program is provided by the School of Music at the University of Texas-Austin and from the Austin Symphony Orchestra.
In the mid-1960s, Austin lost its commercial FM classical music station. A group of listeners wanted to keep fine arts programming on the air in the capital of Texas. They formed a group to seek a non-commercial radio license. Noyes Willett was the unpaid chief engineer who helped get the station built. Leonard Masters was KMFA’s first announcer and program director. Studios were set up in the Perry Brooks Building.
The station signed on the air on January 29, 1967; 57 years ago (January 29, 1967).[3] Masters was at the controls when KMFA began. The first piece of music was the rousing "William Tell Overture" composed by Gioachino Rossini. At first, KMFA was only powered at 1,300 watts, a fraction of its current output.
In 2020, KMFA completed construction on a state-of-the-art permanent facility in East Austin, funded entirely by community gifts. The total price tag was $10.5 Million. The complex includes the 130-seat "Draylen Mason Music Studio," as well as on-air and production booths, an interactive educational gallery, and public gathering spaces. Live concerts and broadcasts are regularly held there, along with social events and youth camps.
