View source for KNTU

{{Short description|Radio station at the University of North Texas}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{for-multi|the military airport in Virginia Beach, Virginia assigned the ICAO code KNTU|Naval Air Station Oceana|the university in [[Tehran]], [[Iran]], with abbreviation KNTU|K. N. Toosi University of Technology}}
{{coord|33.290059|-97.136540|type:landmark_region:US-TX|display=title}}

{{Infobox radio station
| name = KNTU
| logo = KNTU-logo.png
| city = [[McKinney, Texas]]
| area = [[Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex|Dallas/Fort Worth]]/[[Denton, Texas|Denton]]/[[McKinney, Texas|McKinney]]
| branding = ''88.1 Indie''
| frequency = 88.1 [[Megahertz|MHz]] {{HD Radio}}
| subchannels = HD2: [[Jazz music|Jazz]] "88.1 The One"<ref name="kntu2023">{{Cite web | url=https://class.unt.edu/news/unt-kntu-radio-adds-new-antenna-and-hd-equipment | title=UNT KNTU Radio Adds New Antenna and HD Equipment | date=2023-01-05 | publisher=University of North Texas}}</ref>
| airdate = October 31, [[1969 in radio|1969]] (at 88.5)
| format = [[Alternative rock|Alternative]]
| language = [[American English|English]] (primary)
| erp = 100,000 [[watt]]s
| haat = 135 meters
| class = C1
| facility_id = 69003
| coordinates = {{coord|33.290059| -97.136540|type:landmark}}
| callsign_meaning = '''N'''orth '''T'''exas State '''U'''niversity
| former_callsigns = 
| former_frequencies = 88.5 MHz (1969–1979)
| affiliations = <nowiki>24/7 News Network & NBC News Radio</nowiki> <small>(national news partnership)</small>
| owner = [[University of North Texas]]
| webcast = {{listenlive|https://streamdb4web.securenetsystems.net/cirruscontent/KNTU}}
| website = [http://www.881indie.com 881indie.com]<br />[https://www.kntu.com/ KNTU-JAZZ] (HD2)
| licensing_authority = [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]
}}

'''KNTU''' (88.1 [[FM broadcasting|FM]]) is the [[radio station]] owned and operated by the [[University of North Texas]]. The signal of the station covers much of the [[Dallas]] and [[Fort Worth]] [[Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex|Metroplex]] with an indie alternative format.

KNTU also produces the UNT [[North Texas Mean Green football|football]] and [[North Texas Mean Green men's basketball|men's]] basketball broadcast feeds for the [https://meangreensports.com/sports/2018/7/6/ot-mean-green-radio-network-html Mean Green Sports Network], a radio property of [[IMG College|Learfield]] for broadcast on 97.1 FM. UNT [[North Texas Mean Green women's basketball|women's]] basketball moved to streaming only on Learfield's [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-varsity-network/id1574519982 Varsity App] beginning with the 2022–23 season.

==History==
KNTU was founded in 1969 in part by [[Bill Mercer]], former voice of the [[Dallas Cowboys]], [[North Texas Mean Green]], and a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. Originally on the 88.5 FM frequency, the station officially went on the air on October 31, 1969. Along with music, Mean Green football game broadcasts were soon added, with Mercer providing play-by-play coverage and UNT students usually serving as his color commentators.

The station switched to a jazz format in 1981, while continuing to host public affairs shows and North Texas athletic events. While KNTU had no direct competitors, it shared audiences with [[KHKS|106.1]] from 1987 to 1992 and [[KMVK|107.5]] from 1992 to 2006 (both with the KOAI callsigns) as [[smooth jazz]]-formatted stations branded "The Oasis."

On July 29, 2022, KNTU switched to an alternative format, "88.1 indie," reflecting the station's independent status. The first song was "[[Icky Thump (song)|Icky Thump]]" by [[the White Stripes]]. The jazz format continues to stream online, and is broadcast on 88.1 HD-2.<ref>{{Cite web |title=KNTU Goes Indie |url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/235224/kntu-goes-indie/ |website=RadioInsight |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=Mark |date=July 29, 2022 |title=881 indie debuts on KNTU |url=https://www.kntu.com/2022/07/29/881-indie-debuts-on-kntu/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729221132/https://www.kntu.com/2022/07/29/881-indie-debuts-on-kntu/ |archive-date=2022-07-29 |website=kntu.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The latest format flip puts KNTU in competition with North Texas Public Broadcasting's [[Adult album alternative]]-formatted [[KKXT]] (91.7), [[Audacy, Inc.|Audacy]]-owned [[KVIL]] (Alt 103.7), iHeartMedia's active rock-formatted KEGL (97.1 The Eagle), and iHeartMedia-owned KEGL-HD2 (97.1 HD2 The Edge).

<!-- Commented out: [[File:KNTU Old.png|thumb|100px|This was a never used KNTU logo that was included in a template for a local music show that was never broadcast.{{deletable file-caption|Friday, 3 February 2023|PROD}}]] -->

==Signal==
Unlike most of the area's FM stations (like competitor KVIL) which transmit their signals from [[Cedar Hill, Texas|Cedar Hill]], KNTU transmits its signal from north Denton on land owned by UNT, which was a [[List of Nike missile sites#Texas|Nike Missile Base]]. Therefore, KNTU's signal is much stronger in the Northern parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex as well as the cities of Denton, [[Decatur, Texas|Decatur]], and [[McKinney, Texas|McKinney]]. The station installed a new antenna during the first week of November 2022.

==Notable former KNTU students==
* [[George Dunham]] ([[KTCK (AM)|KTCK]] The Ticket)
* [[Craig Miller (broadcaster)|Craig Miller]] (KTCK The Ticket)
* Sean Bass (Sports Director, KTCK The Ticket)
* [[Mark Followill]] (PxP [[Dallas Mavericks]], [[FC Dallas]])
* [[Dave Barnett]] (PxP [[Dallas Mavericks]], [[San Antonio Spurs]], [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]])
* [[Craig Way]] (Voice of the [[Texas Longhorns]])
* Tommy Bonk ([[LA Times]] writer who coined the phrase "[[Phi Slama Jama]]")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.881indie.881theone.com KNTU website]
*[http://www.mediaarts.unt.edu/ University of North Texas Department of Media Arts]
*{{FM station data|69003|KNTU}}
*[http://www.dfwretroplex.com  DFW Radio/TV History]

{{Dallas Fort Worth Radio}}
{{University of North Texas|studentlife}}
{{Texas college radio}}
{{Modern Rock Radio Stations in Texas}}

[[Category:University of North Texas mass media]]
[[Category:Radio stations in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex|NTU]]
[[Category:College radio stations in Texas|NTU]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1969]]
[[Category:1969 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Alternative rock radio stations in the United States]]