KMDL
title: "KMDL" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["country-radio-stations-in-louisiana", "townsquare-media-radio-stations", "1981-establishments-in-louisiana", "radio-stations-established-in-1981"] topic_path: "general/country-radio-stations-in-louisiana" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KMDL" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | KMDL |
| city | Kaplan, Louisiana |
| area | Lafayette metropolitan area |
| branding | 97.3 The Dawg |
| frequency | 97.3 MHz |
| airdate | |
| format | Country |
| erp | 38,000 watts |
| haat | 171 meters (561 ft) |
| class | C2 |
| facility_id | 59289 |
| callsign_meaning | K-Middle (original branding) |
| owner | Townsquare Media |
| licensee | Townsquare Media of Lafayette, LLC |
| affiliations | Compass Media Networks |
| New Orleans Saints Radio Network | |
| sister_stations | KFTE, KHXT, KPEL, KPEL-FM, KROF, KTDY |
| webcast | Listen Live |
| website | 973thedawg.com |
| licensing_authority | FCC |
| :: |
| name = KMDL | logo = | city = Kaplan, Louisiana | area = Lafayette metropolitan area | branding = 97.3 The Dawg | frequency = 97.3 MHz | airdate = | format = Country | erp = 38,000 watts | haat = 171 meters (561 ft) | class = C2 | facility_id = 59289 | callsign_meaning = K-Middle (original branding) | former_callsigns = | owner = Townsquare Media | licensee = Townsquare Media of Lafayette, LLC | affiliations = Compass Media Networks New Orleans Saints Radio Network | sister_stations = KFTE, KHXT, KPEL, KPEL-FM, KROF, KTDY | webcast = Listen Live | website = 973thedawg.com | licensing_authority= FCC
KMDL (97.3 FM, "97.3 The Dawg") is a commercial radio station in Lafayette, Louisiana. It airs a country music format and is owned by Townsquare Media. Its studios are located on Bertrand Road in Lafayette, and its transmitter is off Guillot Road in Youngsivlle.Radio-Locator.com/KMDL
The station is an affiliate of the New Orleans Saints Radio Network.
History
KMDL began broadcasting August 1, 1981, at 97.7 MHz. When it signed on, it had a 3,000 watt signal, a fraction of its current output. It concentrated on Kaplan-area listeners with a signal that was hard to hear in Lafayette. In 1991, in an effort to serve listeners in the more lucrative Lafayette radio market, KMDL upgraded to 40,000 watts and relocated to 97.5 MHz. The move lasted for a short time, however, as interference forced the station to return to 97.7 until it was found that the station could move to 97.3 interference-free.
KMDL has been playing country music since first signing on as "K-Middle," in reference to 97.7 appearing in the middle of the FM dial on an analog radio. After relocating to 97.3, KMDL dropped the "K-Middle" branding and identified only using its frequency and call letters. It later shifted from a traditional country format to a current hit-based country sound in September 1995. It began identifying as "the Dawg," a reference to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Bulldog mascot. (The university has since switched its sports teams' names to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.)
HD radio
An Ibiquity-licensed station, KMDL began broadcasting using HD Radio technology in November 2007. Currently, KMDL does not offer additional subchannel programming.
References
References
- "Saints Radio Network Stations". New Orleans Saints.
- Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::