By
Rachael Myer
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Decision helps remove confusion
The call letters for one of KUAT Communications Group's three radio stations has been changed to lessen confusion with another one of the group's stations.
KUAT-AM, 1550, will be now be known as KUAZ and the station will still be located on the same frequency.
Confusion has occurred because another one of the group's stations broadcasted the same programs - newsmagazines and mainstream jazz - on the FM dial at 89.1, called KUAZ-FM.
Edward Kupperstein, radio station manager, said calling both stations KUAZ will let listeners know they can turn on either station and hear the same programs.
"It's going to help people identify the format of that combination of material," Kupperstein said.
The AM station, 50,000 watts, broadcasts from sunrise to sunset in southern Arizona. The FM station, 3,000 watts, plays programs 5 a.m. to midnight in Tucson, and a translator broadcasts at 91.7 FM in Sierra Vista.
The third station is KUAT-FM, 90.5/89.7, which has played classical music since 1975.
About 100,000 people listen to the three stations a week, said Sarah Evans, the group's community relations manager.