KCTA

KCTA (1030 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Corpus Christi, Texas. It airs a Christian talk and teaching radio format and is owned by the Broadcasting Corporation of the Southwest. National religious leaders heard on KCTA include Alistair Begg, Jim Daly, Charles Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, John MacArthur, Adrian Rogers and Erwin Lutzer. KCTA's studios and offices are on South Brownlee Boulevard in Corpus Christi.

KCTA is a daytimer station. It is powered at 50,000 watts non-directional, the maximum for commercial AM stations. But because 1030 AM is a clear channel frequency reserved for Class A station WBZ Boston, KCTA must go off the air at night to avoid interference. The station holds an unusual "limited time" license (see FCC regulation 73.1725) which would allow operation at night during hours not used by WBZ. Since WBZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, there is in practice no difference between KCTA's "limited time" license and a traditional "daytime only" license. (See FCC regulation 73.1720.) The transmitter is on Grace Lane in Gregory, Texas.

History
The station signed on the air in June 1944. Its original call sign was KWBU and it broadcast in the daytime on 1010 kilocycles. The station was co-owned by Baylor University and Carr P. Collins, which later formed the Century Broadcasting Company. Its studios were in the White Plaza Hotel.

The station moved to 1030 kHz in 1945 under a series of Special Service Authorizations (SSAs). Two years later, Baylor University bought back the station. It attempted to move KWBU to Houston in a docket that was dismissed in 1949. As the FCC continued to grant the station SSAs to operate, KWBU's license and ownership was transferred to the Baptist General Convention of Texas in 1950. It would not be until 1954 that KWBU was properly licensed.

On January 1, 1957, concurrent with the sale of the station to Broadcasters, Inc., KWBU became KATR. On November 2, 1959, following a sale to Broadcasting Corporation of the Southwest, KATR became KCTA. For most of its history, KCTA has been a Christian radio station.