Contact KAUS Radio

18431 State Highway 105
Austin, MN 55912

Call: (507) 437-7666
Toll Free: 1-800-321-1480
Fax: (507) 437-7669

E-Mail:
News Director, John Wright - news@kaus.threeeagles.com
Sports Director, Dean DeBoer - sports@kaus.threeeagles.com
Director of Sales, Pat Kolar - pkolar@kaus.threeeagles.com
Three Eagles EVP/GM KAUS Radio
Bob Mithuen - rmithuen@kaus.threeeagles.com

KAUS AM 1480, Austin's first radio station, went "on the air" with its initial broadcast on May 30th, 1948. It lasted from 1 to 6 pm. A full-page feature was placed in the Austin Herald newspaper announcing the event. The station was established by six local area businessmen who formed The Cedar Valley Broadcasting Company. Recorded messages from well wishers included Minnesota Governor Luther Youngdahl, Congressman August Andresen and WCCO Radio personality Cedric Adams were part of that first brief broadcast made upon our airwaves. The next day was Memorial Day and KAUS AM was on the air from 5:00 am to midnight. The days programming highlight featured the Indianapolis 500.

When KAUS AM went on the air, the studios and offices were located in downtown Austin. The transmitter site was on Highway 105, 3 miles south of Austin. Expansion to the transmitter building in the early 1950's allowed the studios and offices to be moved there where operations continue today.

In 1953, The Cedar Valley Broadcasting Company started the first television station in Austin. The original call letters were KAUS-TV and it was located in the same building as KAUS Radio. In 1963, KAUS-FM went on the air at 99.9 MHz. The television call letters were changed to KAAL-TV in 1974 when the radio and television stations were sold to separate buyers.

In December 1978, stations KAUS AM and FM 100 were bought by Philip Nolan, then of Evanston, Illinois. KEEZ-FM, 99.1 MHz, in Mankato, Minnesota, was added to the Nolan Broadcast Group in January of 1993. The group was sold to Three Eagles Communications, Lincoln, Nebraska, in April of 2000.

AM 1480, at 1000 watts, maintains a commitment to local news, sports, weather, agri-news and community service and since 1978 has increased its emphasis on local programming making it the most listened to AM station in the area.

FM 100 began its country heritage in 1979 becoming the first 100,000 watt country station in the region, playing the best mix of classic and current hits while providing news, weather, farm news and community service.