KLOU

KLOU (103.3 FM) is a radio station with a classic hits format in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in hits from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Its transmitter is located in Gravois, and operates from studios in St. Louis south of Forest Park. It is owned by iHeartMedia (previously Clear Channel Communications until September 16, 2014).

History

The station began broadcasting on February 12, 1962 as KMOX-FM, by playing an easy listening/standards format. The focus then shifted to an adult contemporary style of music by the 1970s. In the summer of 1981, KMOX-FM began gradually evolving its format toward Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) and adding more and more current hits to its rotation; by August 1982, the transition was complete, and the station's call letters were changed to KHTR, and went under the monikers "Hitradio 103" and "Hitter 103". KHTR, like sister stations WHTT in Boston and KKHR in Los Angeles, was modeled after programmer Mike Joseph's successful Hot Hits format, although unlike early Hot Hits stations, KHTR also played recurrent hits and oldies. KHTR was an almost immediate success, quickly becoming the #2 station in the demographic group 12 years old and over in the market, behind only sister KMOX. (1) The "Hot Hots" format led to the station sometimes being referred derisively as "Keep Hearing Those Repeats", a play on the stations call letters, KHTR.