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. ==References==