KYAT

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KYAT

Gallup, New Mexico
Frequency	94.5 MHz
Branding	Ya'a'te'eh Diné
Programming
Language(s)	Navajo
Format	Country
Ownership
Owner	Millennium Media (Millennium Media, Inc.)
Sister stations	KXXI, KYVA, KYVA-FM
History
First air date	October 19, 1974 (1974-10-19)
Former call signs	KGLP (1974–1977) KOVO (1977–1986) KKOR (1986–2010)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	35028
Class	C0
ERP	100 kW
HAAT	420 meters (1,380 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	35°36′22.08″N 108°41′28.31″W
Translator(s)	K235BR (94.9 FM) Gallup East
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	gallupradio.com

KYAT is a radio station on 94.5 FM in Gallup, New Mexico, United States. Owned and operated by Millennium Media, the station broadcasts a country music format in the Navajo language known as Ya'a'te'eh Diné (Navajo Country).

History

94.5 FM was launched as KGLP on October 19, 1974, airing a country format.[2] It was co-owned with KYVA (1230 AM),[3] which had previously mixed Top 40 and country tunes, much to the chagrin of its air staff; the new country outlet allowed the two formats to be split.[4] Both stations were sold to Road Runner Radio, Inc., owned by Russell Carpenter and George Malti,[5] for $500,000 in 1977, and the FM's call letters were changed to KOVO on October 24.[6] The station flipped to adult contemporary in 1986 and adopted the call letters KKOR.[7]

In 2010, the call letters were changed to KYAT as the station began broadcasting full-time in the Navajo language, the first FM station to do so.[8] Some program features remained in English, including news bulletins three times a day from the Navajo Times newspaper.[8] Coverage was extended to Navajo-language play-by-play of high school basketball games in January 2017.[9]

George Malti died in 2016 after owning KYVA and KYAT for 39 years.[10]

References

1. "Facility Technical Data for KYAT". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
2. "KGLP Will Begin This Saturday". Gallup Independent. October 16, 1974. p. 11. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
3. "KGLP(FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1976. p. C-128 (382). Retrieved August 2, 2020.
4. "Gallup's four radio stations informative". Navajo Times. October 5, 1978. pp. B-13, B-14. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
5. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 4, 1977. p. 61. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
6. "History Cards for KYAT". Federal Communications Commission. (Guide to reading History Cards)
7. "KKOR(FM)" (PDF). Broadcasting Yearbook. 1987. p. B-188. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
8. Zah, Erny (October 17, 2011). "KYAT-FM offers 24-hour Navajo language". Navajo Times. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
9. Velasco, Dee (January 20, 2017). "KYAT launches local sports coverage program". Gallup Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
10. Dotson, Bernie (May 20, 2016). "Media mogul George Malti dies in Sedona, Ariz". Gallup Sun. Retrieved August 2, 2020.

External links

• Facility details for Facility ID 35028 (KYAT) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• KYAT in Nielsen Audio's FM station database