KZER

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Radio station in Santa Barbara, California

title: "KZER" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-stations-in-california", "radio-stations-established-in-1937", "1937-establishments-in-california", "regional-mexican-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "spanish-language-radio-stations-in-california"] description: "Radio station in Santa Barbara, California" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZER" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Radio station in Santa Barbara, California ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox radio station"]

Field	Value
name	KZER
city	Santa Barbara, California
country	US
airdate
frequency	1250 kHz
translator	106.5 K293CK (Santa Barbara)
format	Regional Mexican
language	Spanish
power
branding	Radio Lazer 106.5 FM y 1250 AM
class	B
facility_id	3156
coordinates
callsign_meaning	Lazer
former_callsigns
former_frequencies	1220 kHz (1937–1941)
webcast	Listen Live
website
owner	Lazer Media
licensee	Lazer Licenses, LLC
licensing_authority	FCC
::

KZER (1250 AM, "Radio Lazer") is a commercial radio station located in Santa Barbara, California. Owned by Lazer Media, the station airs a regional Mexican music format. KZER is simulcast on FM translator K293CK (106.5 FM) in Santa Barbara.

History

KTMS

The station at the 1250 kHz frequency in Santa Barbara first signed on October 31, 1937 as KTMS, originally at 1220 kHz and powered at 500 watts. It was founded by Santa Barbara News-Press publisher Thomas More Storke (hence the station call sign). KTMS was an NBC Blue Network affiliate, carrying its schedule of dramas, comedies, news, sports, game shows, soap operas, and big band broadcasts during the Golden Age of Radio. Among the programs produced at the station was 1-2-5 Club, which debuted in 1937 and was hosted by disc jockey Bob Ruth for many years.

In 1941, KTMS moved to the 1250 AM frequency, where the call letters would stay for 57 years. The move was coupled with a power increase to 1,000 watts. When the Blue Network became ABC in 1945, KTMS maintained its affiliation while also carrying shows from the Mutual Broadcasting System and the Don Lee Network. On December 1, 1956, KTMS replaced KDB as the Santa Barbara affiliate of Don Lee.

In March 1964, Storke sold News-Press Publishing to Robert McLean, owner of the Philadelphia Bulletin, for an undisclosed amount; the radio station was valued at $350,000. The new owner of KTMS acquired KRCW (97.5 FM) the following year and changed its call sign to KTMS-FM. At first the FM station mostly simulcast programs heard on 1250 AM but later became separately programmed with a beautiful music format. In 1985, KTMS-FM became top 40 outlet KHTY. News-Press Publishing's cross-ownership of KTMS-AM-FM predated the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 1975 rules prohibiting a person or entity from owning both a newspaper and a radio or television station in the same media market. The company's mix of media outlets was allowed to remain intact.

KTMS adopted a middle of the road music format in the mid-1970s. By 1983, the station became a full-time news/talk outlet.

On July 12, 1985, News-Press Publishing sold KTMS and its FM counterpart, then known as KKOO-FM, to F&M Broadcasting for $2 million. This transaction marked the end of KTMS' common ownership with the News-Press after nearly five decades.

In January 1996, Engles Enterprises, Inc. purchased KTMS and KHTY for $2 million.

KEYT

In September 1998, Engles sold KTMS for $1.6 million to Smith Broadcasting, owner of the local ABC television affiliate KEYT-TV (channel 3). Smith immediately launched an all-news format on 1250 AM with new call letters KEYT to match those of its new TV sister. "KEYT 1250" featured news reports from the Associated Press and simulcasts of KEYT-TV newscasts. Meanwhile, the KTMS call sign and news/talk format moved to 990 AM.

KZER

KEYT 1250 was a financial drain on Smith Broadcasting from the beginning, losing $1 million over five years. In 2003, Smith sold the station to Lazer Broadcasting. Lazer changed the station's call letters to KZER and its format to regional Mexican.

References

(October 31, 1937). "KTMS advertisement". Santa Barbara News-Press.
(July 8, 1937). "Directional Antenna For KTMS Radio Plant". Santa Barbara News-Press.
(1942). "Directory of Broadcasting Stations of the United States".
(November 12, 1956). "KTMS Joins Don Lee".
(March 9, 1964). "Changing hands". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(July 20, 2006). "Letters 7-20-2006". Santa Barbara Independent.
(May 24, 1965). "For The Record". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(July 19, 1965). "For The Record". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(October 11, 1985). "Street Talk".
(October 27, 2017). "Consumer Guide: FCC Broadcast Ownership Rules". [[Federal Communications Commission]].
(1977). "Directory of Radio Stations of the United States and Canada". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(1983). "Directory of Radio Stations of the United States and Canada". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(July 22, 1985). "For The Record". Broadcasting Publications Inc..
(January 26, 1996). "Remaining Douglas Stations Go To ... Douglas". Radio & Records.
(September 4, 1998). "Chancellor Becomes The Biggest With Capstar Buy". Radio & Records.
Savage, Sam. (July 5, 2005). "KZSB News-Press Radio Heralds Return of Community News and Talk". redorbit.com.

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