Our History

Established in 1958, KUT is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to The University of Texas at Austin, which is governed by the University of Texas System Board of Regents, and operates as a service of the Moody College of Communication. The station is committed to supporting civic and cultural life in Central Texas through daily news coverage, high-quality documentary production, and exceptional music programming that reflects the Austin experience. KUT supports the mission of the University to educate and foster a more civil society, and provides public radio service to Central Texas via 90.5 FM in Austin and globally through http://www.kut.org/.

Formation
The actual start date of radio broadcasting at The University of Texas at Austin is uncertain, but the most reliable information indicates that the first radio license was issued to the University on March 22, 1921, and the call letters were 5XY, which existed primarily as a demonstration project for the physics department. A new license was issued in 1922 with the call letters WCM, and on October 30, 1925 a new license was issued with the call letters KUT. Eventually, the expense of operating the station became too great for the physics department, and the University decided to discontinue the station in 1927. The catalyst for the rebirth of radio at the University was Robert F. Schenkkan, who came to the University in 1955. Schenkkan saw that obtaining funding was an obstacle and set the stage for a station that would be partially funded by the University and community. KUT-FM went on the air in 1958, broadcasting at 90.7FM with an old transmitter built in 1939 and 4,100 watts of power, a 268-foot antenna, and total signal radius of 15 miles.

Growth
KUT 90.5 became a charter member of National Public Radio (NPR) in 1971, and carried the first-ever All Things Considered broadcast in May of that year. KUT also contributed the first of, what would become in time, 14 of the station’s employees to the NPR staff. In 1979, KUT carried the November inaugural broadcast of Morning Edition, helping launch what has become one of the most honored public radio programs. In 1982, KUT began broadcasting in stereo at 90.5 FM with 100,000 watts of power, a 1,595-foot antenna, and a total signal radius of 97 miles.

In partnership with The University of Texas’ Center for Mexican American Studies, and with support from The Ford Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, KUT launched the national radio series Latino USA in 1993 at a reception in Washington, D.C., with President Clinton, cabinet secretaries Henry Cisneros and Federico Peña, and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in attendance.

By the 1990s, KUT 90.5 was consistently being recognized as “Best Radio Station” in The Austin Chronicle readers’ polls.

In 2002, KUT 90.5 launched Central Texas’ first full-time public radio newsroom, KUT News.

By 2013 KUT 90.5, which had been a joint news and music service, became a full-time, 24-hour news service with local, national and international news. Music programming moved to KUTX 98.9, the Austin Music Experience. Named “Best Radio Station” in the Austin Music Awards poll 11 times (and counting!), KUTX 98.9 is the destination for music from local, national and international artists driving the sound of Austin and Texas today.

Innovation
In 2003, the station convened an advisory board whose inaugural members included Senator Ray Farabee, philanthropist Chris Mattsson, and the late civic and Lowell H. Lebermann, Jr. to assist with strategic planning and fundraising.

Get Involved, KUT’s community service program highlighting Central Texas non-profit organizations in need of volunteers, began broadcasting during the first week of each month in 2006. The following year, KUT launched HD channel KUT2, an all-news and public affairs programming channel, and KUT3, a mostly jazz channel. Additionally, KUT, NPR and 11 public radio stations launched an online music site, NPRmusic.org. In 2008, KUT launched an iPhone listening app designed to stream all three signals in HD, along with a fully functional mobile site. In 2009, the University of Texas Board of Regents approved the design and construction of the Belo Center for New Media (renamed the G.B. Dealey Center for New Media in 2021), including the new KUT Public Media Studios.

Today, both KUT New and KUTX 98.9 are among the best-performing public radio stations in the country, and routinely have the largest per-capita public radio listening audience among the top 200 cities in the nation. More than 250,000 people listen to KUT 90.5 in Central Texas each week. KUT News has earned hundreds of state, national and international awards since its 2002 launch.