KBYU-FM

Classical music radio station in Salt Lake City

KBYU FM (89.1 MHz) is a classical music radio station run by Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It is known on air as Classical 89. It is a production of BYU Radio. It transmits at an effective radiated power of 32 kW. Its transmitting tower is located on a peak of the Oquirrh Mountains northwest of the university campus, and southwest of Salt Lake City. The station previously broadcast at a frequency of 88.9 MHz (during which time its nickname was Classical 88). The frequency was shifted in 1988 by directive of the FCC, to alleviate interference for nearby frequencies used for aerial navigation, and to allow for a new full power station to be built on 99.5 in the Salt Lake market. Classical 89 also has the following translators: 89.5 FM K208BZ Spanish Fork, 106.9 FM K295BW Nephi, 96.1 FM K241BV Milford, 100.3 FM K262BM Cedar City, 100.7 FM K264BM Ivins.

KBYU began as a student run carrier current station at 660 AM in 1946. T. Earl Pardoe, a professor at Brigham Young University, suggested to student Owen S. Rich that the university should have its own radio station. Using his experience as a radio and radar technical during World War II, it became available across Provo and the surrounding area in 1948 by using the city's power lines as an antenna. After the FM license was granted, the programming shifted to classical music. Students requested the programming be switched to Broadway show tunes, jazz, rock, and student talk shows. After negotiations to get the KBYU calls from a liberty ship, the call letters changed to KBYU on November 9, 1960. Most of its on air staff consists of professionals, although students do cover some weeknight and weekend on air shifts. Students also play a key role in behind the scenes functions. On October 23, 2017, Brigham Young University announced that KBYU FM and KBYU TV would drop their existing programming and become full time outlets for BYU Radio and BYUtv respectively. The planned flip of KBYU FM was met with criticism from listeners, as it was the only terrestrial radio station in the market devoted to classical music. On April 26, 2018, the university announced that it would instead purchase 107.9 KUMT to use as a full time outlet for BYU Radio, allowing it to maintain KBYU FM's classical format.

KBYU FM carries a classical music format, as well as BYU devotionals and forums. In addition to carriage on FM radio, the station is also available online.