KMDL
KMDL (97.3 FM, "97.3 The Dawg") is a country music-formatted radio station in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is owned by Townsquare Media. Its studios are located on Bertrand Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is located south of Youngsville, Louisiana.
| City | Kaplan, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Lafayette metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 97.3 (MHz) (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 97-3 The Dawg |
| Programming | |
| Format | Country |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Townsquare Media (Townsquare Media of Lafayette, LLC) |
| KFTE, KHXT, KPEL, KPEL-FM, KROF, KTDY | |
| History | |
First air date | August 1, 1981 |
Call sign meaning | K-Middle (original branding) |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 59289 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 38,000 watts |
| HAAT | 171 meters |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 973thedawg.com |
The station is an affiliate of the New Orleans Saints radio network.[1]
History
KMDL began broadcasting August 1, 1981 with 3,000 watts at 97.7.[2] When KMDL signed on, it was a local Kaplan station with a marginal signal over the Lafayette market. In 1991, in an effort to better serve the market as a whole, KMDL upgraded to 40,000 watts and moved to 97.5. The move lasted for a short time, however, as interference forced the station to move back to 97.7 until it was found that the station could move to 97.3 interference-free.
KMDL has been in a country format since first signing on as "K-Middle," in reference to 97.7 appearing in the middle of the dial on an analog radio. After moving to 97.3, KMDL dropped the "K-Middle" branding and identified only using frequency and call letters until shifting from a traditional country format to a current hit-based country format in September 1995, at which it began identifying as "the Dawg," a reference to USL's then-Bulldog mascot.
HD radio
An Ibiquity-licensed station, KMDL began broadcasting HD Radio in November 2007. Currently, KMDL does not multicast.
References
- "Saints Radio Network Stations". New Orleans Saints. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
- Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
External links
- KMDL in the FCC FM station database
- KMDL on Radio-Locator
- KMDL in Nielsen Audio's FM station database