For the radio station in Vancouver, Washington at 1480 AM known as KARO from 1980-1981, see KBMS. For the radio station in Caldwell, Idaho at 103.3 FM known as KARO from 1995-2000, see KSAS-FM.
This station received its original construction permit for a new 3,000 watt radio station broadcasting at 98.7 MHz from the Federal Communications Commission on December 5, 1989.[4] The new station was assigned the call letters KGZH by the FCC on February 21, 1990.[1] After a series of delays, extensions, a shift in transmitter site, and an upgrade in authorized power, KGZH finally received its license to cover as a 100,000 watt radio station from the FCC on April 23, 1998.[5]
In June 1998, Mason Broadcasting, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to First Western Inc. for a reported sale price of $49,400.[6] The deal was approved by the FCC on July 23, 1998, and the transaction was consummated on August 5, 1998.[7]
In January 2003, First Western Inc. (G.W. Gilbert, president/director) reached an agreement to sell this station to the Educational Media Foundation (Richard Jenkins, president) for a reported sale price of $1 million.[8] The deal was approved by the FCC on February 25, 2003, and the transaction was consummated on March 19, 2003.[9] At the time of the sale, KGZH aired a country music format.[8] The new owners had the FCC change the station's call letters to the current KARO on March 27, 2003.[1]
