
KBBT

KBBT (98.5 FM, "98.5 The Beat") is a Rhythmic Contemporary radio station serving the San Antonio, Texas area, but is licensed to Schertz. This station is owned by Univision Radio, a division of Univision Communications Inc. The station operates at 98.5 MHz with its studios located in Northwest San Antonio and the transmitter site located in the unincorporated Bexar County near Government Canyon Park.
Station history.
KBBT originally launched as country outlet KBOP-FM at 98.3 and licensed to Pleasanton, Texas, in 1968. They later changed call letters to KBUC in 1993 but kept the Country format intact. In 1998 Univision, seeking to tap into a unique Hispanic audience that was non-Spanish speaking, very contemporary and influenced by present-day trends, acquired KBUC and applied for a city of license change to Schertz and a frequency switch to 98.5 to cover the San Antonio Metropolitan area, which was approved in early April 2000.
On September 29, 2000, Univision officially launched KBBT, the company's first non-Spanish formatted outlet in San Antonio (outside of bilingual-speaking Tejano sister station KXTN-FM and later on, Active Rock turned Top 40 KLTO), where it shot up to number one in the ratings and has retained that position since its inception. From the beginning, KBBT's musical formula, which started under its first program director, J. D. Gonzalez, has centered on Hip-Hop/R&B hits, tailor-made for San Antonio and in particular its large mix of teens, females, young adults, and bilingual Hispanic audiences. This formula has also served as the catalyst for the demise of the first KTFM, and later on, KCJZ/KPWT. Another defunct station, KSJL-FM, played hip-hop and R&B under the urban contemporary format throughout the 1990s until it switched frequencies in 1998 and took a more adult direction as KSJL-AM.
In 2002, KBBT launched its own morning show, "The Xavier's World Morning Show", hosted by Xavier Castro and Biggie Paul.
In 2010, KBBT phased in Rhythmic pop tracks, but at the same time continues to stick to its hip-hop/r&b formula as it faces competition from Top 40/CHR rivals KXXM and a new version of KTFM. It also embraces EDM as well, launching a weekly program that airs late Saturday Night/Sunday Mornings.
On October 20, 2015, "The Xavier's World Morning Show" was taken off the air, ending their 13-year run. On November 9, 2015, a new morning show debuted on KBBT entitled "The Dana Cortez Show", hosted by Dana Cortez and Anthony A. The show later departed from KBBT and transferred to their Top 40/CHR rival, KTFM, on August 20, 2018. On August 23, 2018, syndicated morning radio show, The Breakfast Club launched on KBBT. The show was later taken off the air on August 3, 2020.
KBBT HD2.
In 2008, KBBT HD2 simulcasted (KLTO-FM) broadcasting a rock format on 97.7.
In 2011, KLTO changed the format to a Top 40/Dance station, branded as "Party 97.7".
In 2012, KBBT HD2 Then simulcasted a Rhythmic / Bilingual Top 40/CHR formatted station called "Radio H2O" In Dallas/Fort Worth (KESS-FM).