KATZ (AM)

KATZ (1600 kHz, "Hallelujah 1600") is an commercial AM radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. It airs an urban gospel radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios are on Foundry Way near Interstate 64 in St. Louis.

By day, KATZ is powered at 6,000 watts. But at night, to protect other stations on 1600 AM from interference, power is reduced to 3,500 watts. It also uses a directional antenna with an eight-tower array. Its transmitter is on Rock Springs Road at McKinley Avenue in Washington Park, Illinois. Programming is also heard on 25-watt FM translator K227DS at 93.3 MHz. KATZ is licensed by the FCC to broadcast a HD digital (hybrid) signal.

History
KATZ signed on the air on January 3, 1955. It has always had the KATZ call sign. It was targeted at the African-American community in St. Louis, playing R&B and soul music. It was an affiliate of the Mutual Broadcasting System's Black Network. Broadcasters who worked at KATZ in the 1950s and 1960s include Gloria Pritchard, Dave Dixon, Jesse "Spider" Burks, Bernard Hayes, and Willie Mae Gracy.

In 1957, KATZ's ownership was transferred from the original owner, Bernice Schwartz, to Rollins Broadcasting. In 1960, Laclede Radio Inc. purchased the station. Laclede maintained control of the station until 1986. Inter Urban Broadcasting, a minority-owned and local company, purchased KATZ 1600 and its sister station KATZ-FM.

Clear Channel Communications acquired KATZ in 1999. Clear Channel changed its name to iHeartMedia in 2014.