KEYH

KEYH
City	Houston, Texas
Broadcast area	Greater Houston
Frequency	850 kHz
Branding	"La Raza 98.5 y 101.7 FM"
Programming
Format	Regional Mexican (KTJM simulcast)
Ownership
Owner	Estrella Media ; (Estrella Radio License of Houston LLC)
Sister stations	Radio: KJOJ-FM, KNTE, KQQK, KTJM; TV: KZJL
History
First air date	1974 (47 years ago)
Last air date	December 31, 2020 (12 months ago); under licensed parameters
Call sign meaning	The KEY to Houston (original branding)
Technical information
Facility ID	2911
Class	D
Power	Licensed: 10 kilowatts (day); 185 watts (night); current: 100 watts (daytime only; under Special Temporary Authority)
Transmitter coordinates	29°39′19″N 95°40′19″W / 29.65528°N 95.67194°W
Links
Website	[1]

KEYH (850 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Houston, Texas, under Special Temporary Authority from the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast at 100 watts from a temporary longwire antenna, on a tower located in Northline, North Houston.

After the loss of its main transmitter site, due to the sale of the land the array sat upon, KEYH went silent from December 31, 2020 until December 27, 2021. KEYH's previous format, prior to going silent, was Regional Mexican, with sports programming interspersed. KEYH is owned by Estrella Media and is temporarily rebroadcasting Estrella Media sister station "La Raza" 98.5 KTJM.

Under normal operations, KEYH is licensed to broadcast with 10,000 watts; because AM 850 is a clear-channel frequency reserved for 50,000 watt Class A KOA in Denver, Colorado, KEYH was required to reduce power at night to 185 watts. The former transmitter location was near Denver Miller Road in Sugar Land, Texas.^[1]

History[]

In 1974, KEYH first signed on as a daytimer, required to be off the air between sunset and sunrise.^[2] It was owned by Artlite Broadcasting and aired an all-news format, affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Associated Press. The all-news format did not generate many listeners so talk shows were added.

KEYH's slogan was "The Key to Houston" and featured a long key with the station's 850 dial setting and call sign featured in its logo. KEYH struggled to gain footing in the market and began airing Mexican music on weekends, while continuing the news/talk format weekdays. With Houston's growing Mexican-American population, the Spanish-language music featured on the weekends proved popular. By the end of the 1970s, KEYH went full-time Regional Mexican, and became direct competition to the original Spanish-language station in Houston, AM 1480 KLVL.

KEYH has gone through several owners and variations of formats since then, including the current incarnation of "La Ranchera" which marks the third time KEYH has used the name (both in conjunction with 101.7 KNTE Bay City and as a standalone). In 2003, Liberman Broadcasting, based in Burbank, California, purchased KEYH for $5.7 million.^[3]

References[]

External links[]

KEYH in the FCC AM station database
KEYH on Radio-Locator
KEYH in Nielsen Audio's AM station database

FCC History Cards for KEYH

This article about a radio station in Texas is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

[1] Radio-Locator.com/KEYH

[2] Broadcasting Yearbook 1977 page C-206

[3] Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 2010 page D-529

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[3]

v t Spanish-language radio stations in the state of Texas
Stations	KABA – Louise KAIQ – Wolfforth KAMA – El Paso KAMA-FM – Deer Park KBDR – Mirando City KBEX - Dalhart KBIB – Marion KBIC – Raymondville KBNA-FM – El Paso KBNL – Laredo KBNR – Brownsville KBOC – Bridgeport KBRZ-FM – Victoria KCHX – Odessa KCOT – Cotulla KCZO – Carrizo Springs KDFM – Falfurrias KDFT – Ferris KDRN – Del Rio KDXX – Lewisville KEPI – Eagle Pass KEPX – Eagle Pass KESS-FM – Benbrook KEWP – Uvalde Estates KEYH – Houston KFLC – Fort Worth KFTG – Pasadena KFZO – Denton KGBT – Harlingen KGBT-FM – McAllen KGVL – Greenville KHHL – Karnes City KHID – McAllen KHRO – El Paso KIBL – Beeville KINE – Kingsville KINT – El Paso KIRT – Mission KJAV - Alamo KJJF – Harlingen KJOJ-FM – Freeport KJOZ - Conroe KLAR – Laredo KLAT – Houston KLBD – Premont KLDS – Falfurrias KLEY-FM – Jourdanton KLIT – Ranchitos Las Lomas KLJA – Georgetown KLJT – Jacksonville KLOL – Houston KLQB – Taylor KLTD - Temple KLTN – Houston KLVL – Pasadena KLZT – Bastrop KMFR – Pearsall KMPA – Pittsburgh KMVK – Fort Worth KMXO – Merkel KMYO - Comfort KNOR – Krum KNTE – Bay City KNVO-FM – Port Isabel KOIR – Edinburg KOPY - Alice KOVE-FM – Galveston KOYE – Frankston KPCO-FM – Cooper KPMB – Plainview KQBO – Rio Grande City KQFX - Borger/Amarillo KQLM – Odessa KQQK – Beaumont KQUE – Houston KRCM – Shenandoah KRGE – Weslaco KRGX – Rio Grande City KRIO – McAllen KRIO-FM – Roma KROB – Robstown KROM – San Antonio KRVA – Cockrell Hill KSAH – Universal City KSAH-FM – Pearsall KSJT-FM – San Angelo KSML-FM – Huntington KSTV – Stephenville KSVE – El Paso KTAM – Bryan KTJM – Port Arthur KTLH – Hallsville KTNO – Plano KTNZ – Amarillo KTTU-FM – Brownfield KTXC – Lamesa KTXZ – West Lake Hills KTYR – Trinity KUBR – San Juan KUNO – Corpus Christi KUVA – Uvalde KVER – El Paso KVIV – El Paso KVJM – Hearne KVJY – Pharr KVLL-FM – Wells KVOZ – Del Mar Hills KVVO-LP – Abilene KVVT – Sulphur Springs KWEL – Midland KWMF – Pleasanton KWOW – Clifton KWRA-LP – Waco KXBJ – El Campo KXOI – Crane KXPL – El Paso KXTN – San Antonio KXVR-LP – Corpus Christi KXZY-LP – Waco KYST – Texas City KZAM – Pleasant Valley KZDC – San Antonio KZEP-FM - San Antonio KZIP - Amarillo KZMP - University Park KZNX – Creedmoor KZZA – Muenster
Defunct	KERB-FM – Kermit KJNZ – Hereford KMUL – Farwell KOZA – Odessa KPDB – Big Lake
See also adult contemporary classic hits college country news/talk NPR oldies religious rock sports top 40 urban other radio stations in Texas See also Classical Jazz Religious Spanish Smooth Jazz Other

v t Estrella Media
LBI Radio	KBOC KBUA KBUE KEBN KEYH KJOJ-FM KNOR KNTE KQQK KRQB KTJM KVNR KWIZ KZMP KZMP-FM KZZA
Television stations	KETD KRCA KSDX-LD KVPA-LD KZJL WASA-LD WESV-LD WGEN-TV WVFW-LD
Television networks	Estrella TV
Other assets	Liberman Broadcasting tower (Era, Texas)
Website: estrellamedia.com