KPRT
Encyclopedia
KPRT is an Urban Gospel music formatted radio station
that broadcasts from Kansas City
. It is owned by Carter Broadcasting Group, owner of sister station and flagship KPRS
("Hot 103 Jamz").
although it was still owned by former Kansas
governor, Alf Landon. KPRS, 1590, debuted as a 500-watt daytimer with a playlist that consisted of R&B and soul
. In 1951, KPRS opened its first studio at 12th and Walnut street, Kansas City, Missouri. By 1952, Carter and Ed and Psyche Pate became business partners and purchased the station for $40,000 from the Johnson County Broadcasting Corporation. They moved KPRS to a new site at 2814 East 23rd Street in Kansas City
.
In 1969, the Carters had controlling interest in the station. In 1971, KPRS-AM moved its programming to the 103.3 frequency on the FM
dial and became KPRS-FM, "Hot 103 Jamz" and the 1590 frequency became KPRT-AM, "Gospel 1590, The Gospel Source" an urban gospel-formatted station. The studios and offices moved to the Crown Center
and the Carters moved to Florida to open a new corporate headquarters. Four years later in 1975, KPRS Broadcasting Corporation, later renamed Carter Broadcasting Group, became one of the first fully automated radio stations in the Midwest. Now as KPRT, the station's playlist mostly consists of contemporary gospel
music 24 hours a day.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
that broadcasts from Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. It is owned by Carter Broadcasting Group, owner of sister station and flagship KPRS
KPRS
KPRS is an Urban contemporary radio station that broadcasts on the 103.3 MHz frequency licensed to Kansas City. The station's playlist consists of hip-hop, R&B, soul, jazz, and gospel music...
("Hot 103 Jamz").
History
KPRT began operations as KPRS in 1950. Andrew "Skip" Carter began operating KPRS as the nation's first Black radio station west of the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
although it was still owned by former Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
governor, Alf Landon. KPRS, 1590, debuted as a 500-watt daytimer with a playlist that consisted of R&B and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. In 1951, KPRS opened its first studio at 12th and Walnut street, Kansas City, Missouri. By 1952, Carter and Ed and Psyche Pate became business partners and purchased the station for $40,000 from the Johnson County Broadcasting Corporation. They moved KPRS to a new site at 2814 East 23rd Street in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
.
In 1969, the Carters had controlling interest in the station. In 1971, KPRS-AM moved its programming to the 103.3 frequency on the FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
dial and became KPRS-FM, "Hot 103 Jamz" and the 1590 frequency became KPRT-AM, "Gospel 1590, The Gospel Source" an urban gospel-formatted station. The studios and offices moved to the Crown Center
Crown Center
Crown Center is a commercial complex and neighborhood located near Downtown Kansas City, Missouri located between Gillham Road and Grand Boulevard to the east and west, and between Pershing Boulevard and Union Hill to the north and south. The shopping center is anchored by Halls, a department store...
and the Carters moved to Florida to open a new corporate headquarters. Four years later in 1975, KPRS Broadcasting Corporation, later renamed Carter Broadcasting Group, became one of the first fully automated radio stations in the Midwest. Now as KPRT, the station's playlist mostly consists of contemporary gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
music 24 hours a day.