In 1960, public television station
KERA-TV was launched. Channel 13 had already been set aside by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for non-commercial broadcasting in Dallas. The call sign is said to represent a "new
era in broadcasting." The
Dallas Independent School District joined with the Area Educational Television Foundation to start the TV station. This group evolved into North Texas Public Broadcasting. In the early 1970s, the organization applied for a
construction permit to start a non-commercial FM station. It was given a call sign of KZAG but it took the television station's call letters by the time it debuted. KERA signed on the air on July 11, 1974. In its early years, it played
classical music with news and discussion shows. It became a member station of NPR and began adding the network's programs to its schedule. The station later expanded its reach into other North Texas communities using rebroadcasters: Wichita Falls (88.3), Tyler (100.1), and Sherman (99.3). In the late 1990s and 2000s, KERA gradually scaled back its music programs. It then switched to an all-news and information format full-time in 2009 with any remaining music programming moved to sister
adult album alternative station
KKXT 91.7. In 2014, KERA expanded its news department, leading to increased local reporting. Since this expansion, hundreds of KERA stories have been broadcast nationally and internationally by NPR, PRI and the BBC. Prior to the launch of KKXT 91.7 FM, KERA aired a locally produced Sunday evening music program,
90.1 at Night, hosted by Paul Slavens. The program was moved to KKXT and was renamed
The Paul Slavens Show. KERA was rebroadcast on the
public, educational, and government access (PEG)
cable TV channel, Irving Community Television Network during its off-air times prior to 2009. From 2012 until April 2018, KERA has enjoyed a news partnership with
NBC-owned television station
KXAS Channel 5 in
Fort Worth. This was a part of a larger partnership effort between all NBC
owned-and-operated stations and nonprofit news organizations in their communities, a byproduct of the
Comcast-
NBCUniversal merger which took place in 2011. The content has since then moved to
Audacy-owned news station
KRLD 1080 AM. North Texas Public Broadcasting is a
non-profit corporation registered in the state of
Texas. While there is
cross-promotion between the group's stations, KERA, KKXT, WRR and KERA-TV operate their own
pledge drives. == Programming ==