KUT 90.5

Public Radio Broadcastingkut.org

KUT 90.5 is Austin's NPR member public radio station, operated by the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication, broadcasting news, talk, and music programming on FM, HD radio, digital streaming, and podcasts to more than 250,000 weekly listeners across Central Texas.

Company typePrivate
Founded1958
HeadquartersAustin, United States
Headcount—
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What KUT 90.5 does

KUT 90.5 is a listener-supported public radio station licensed by the FCC to the University of Texas at Austin and operated as a service of the Moody College of Communication. The station broadcasts at 90.5 FM with 100,000 watts of power through a 1,595-foot antenna providing a 97-mile signal radius across Central Texas, and operates sister station KUTX 98.9 (Austin Music Experience) along with HD Radio channels KUT2 (all-news and public affairs) and KUT3 (mostly jazz). Beyond terrestrial radio, KUT distributes content through online streaming at kut.org, mobile applications launched in 2008, smart speaker integration, and an extensive podcast portfolio (Austin Signal, ATXplained, Pause/Play, Two Guys on Your Head, Texas Standard, and others) delivered via PRX and publicfeeds.net. Editorial operations include Central Texas' first full-time public radio newsroom (KUT News, launched 2002), investigative verticals (Austin Signal, The Long View), and audience-driven projects such as ATXplained and the annual KUT Festival.

KUT's business model is a nonprofit listener-supported structure. Revenue streams include individual memberships (annual and monthly sustaining donations), corporate giving through Business Circle and Leadership Circle tiers, program sponsorships (including SponsorKUTX), planned giving and estate gifts, federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and institutional support from the University of Texas at Austin. The station is governed by the UT System Board of Regents with advisory support from a community Advisory Board, and is editorially independent in its journalism decisions. It serves two primary segments: the general Central Texas public (with 250,000+ weekly listeners) and the UT Austin academic community, with secondary audiences for the Austin music and arts scene. KUT is a charter NPR member since 1971 and participates in The Texas Newsroom collaborative network with KERA, Houston Public Media, Texas Public Radio, and others.

KUT 90.5 firmographics

Firmographics

Name: KUT 90.5
Legal name: KUT Public Media
Website: https://kut.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1958
Operating status: Operating
Short description: KUT 90.5 is Austin's NPR member public radio station, operated by the University of Texas at Austin's Moody College of Communication, broadcasting news, talk, and music programming on FM, HD radio, digital streaming, and podcasts to more than 250,000 weekly listeners across Central Texas.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

KUT 90.5 industry classification

Industry

Product category: Public Radio Broadcasting
NAICS: Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)
SIC: Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)
akta.pro primary industry: Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates) (MPABACAF)
akta.pro secondary industries: University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV) (MPABACAH), Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only) (MPAIAEAE)

Keywords

Public radio broadcasting
News journalism
Music programming
Podcast production
Community media

Where KUT 90.5 is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Austin
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

KUT 90.5 business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Listener Membership and Donations: Listener-supported public media model where individuals become members through annual donations, with sustaining membership options available on a monthly basis. Includes thank-you gifts for donors.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Funding: Federal funding through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as a public radio station
Program Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships of specific programs through SponsorKUTX program
University of Texas Support: Institutional support from The University of Texas at Austin through the Moody College of Communication
Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Legacy planning and planned giving programs for major donors
Business Circle and Leadership Circle: Corporate membership programs offering different tiers of station support and recognition

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	Sustaining Members - Monthly recurring donors
Subscription	Annual	Leadership Circle - Major donor program
Subscription	Annual	Business Circle - Corporate membership

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

KUT 90.5 product offering

Product offering

Core offering

KUT 90.5 is a listener-supported public radio station serving Central Texas. It broadcasts news, talk, and cultural programming at 90.5 FM with 100,000 watts of power and a 97-mile signal radius, while also operating sister station KUTX 98.9 (Austin Music Experience). The station produces local journalism through KUT News and distributes content via HD radio channels, mobile applications, online streaming, and an extensive podcast portfolio.

Product overview

KUT 90.5 is a public radio station and part of Austin Public Media (alongside sister station KUTX 98.9). The offering consists of a unified platform with multiple broadcast and digital products: KUT 90.5 FM serves as the core news/talk radio station, KUTX 98.9 FM (Austin Music Experience) provides music programming, and KUT News delivers local journalism. These are supplemented by the Austin Signal deep-dive reporting vertical, the Texas Standard statewide news program, and an extensive podcast portfolio (ATXplained, Austin Signal, Pause/Play, and others). Digital distribution includes HD radio channels (KUT HD2 for news, HD3 for music streaming), mobile applications, smart speaker integration, and the annual KUT Festival community event. Revenue is generated through listener membership, program sponsorships, and planned giving.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Austin Signal: A newsletter and news vertical covering Austin politics, policy, and city news
ATXplained
KUT Festival

Products and services

KUT 90.5 FM Primary public radio station broadcasting news, talk shows, and cultural programming at 90.5 FM in Austin, Texas, serving as an NPR affiliate.
KUTX 98.9 FM

Quantifiable outcome

250,000+ weekly listeners in Central Texas
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use KUT 90.5

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

KUT 90.5 technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

KUT 90.5 partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

NPR (National Public Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUT became a charter member of National Public Radio in 1971 and carried the first-ever All Things Considered broadcast in May of that year. KUT also contributed the first of 14 employees to the NPR staff. In 1979, KUT carried the inaugural broadcast of Morning Edition.
The University of Texas at Austin - Moody College of CommunicationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUT operates as a service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, licensed by the FCC to the university and governed by the UT System Board of Regents.
The Texas NewsroomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative public radio network including NPR, KERA in North Texas, Houston Public Media, KUT News in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and other stations across the state. Collaborated with FRONTLINE on the 'After the Flood' podcast.
H-E-BminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting the ATXplained community journalism project through the Texas-based grocery chain's community investment program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

KUT 90.5 competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

WBUR (Boston University): WBUR is a university-licensed NPR member station with award-winning local journalism and a major-market footprint, directly comparable to KUT in operating model, content quality, and audience scale.
Houston Public Media: Houston Public Media is a Texas NPR member station partnering with KUT in The Texas Newsroom collaborative, offering a directly comparable public radio news/talk and music operation in another major Texas metro.
WAMU 88.5 (American University Radio): WAMU is a university-licensed NPR affiliate (American University) operating a news/talk format with deep local journalism, closely mirroring KUT's UT Austin-affiliated model and content mix.
KCRW (Santa Monica): KCRW is a Santa Monica College-licensed public radio station offering an NPR news/talk format alongside a distinctive music programming brand, mirroring KUT's combined news (KUT) and music (KUTX) sister-station strategy.
Texas Public Radio (San Antonio): Texas Public Radio is an NPR affiliate serving San Antonio and a partner in The Texas Newsroom, with a comparable listener-supported model and local journalism focus analogous to KUT's Central Texas footprint.
WNYC (New York Public Radio): WNYC is a large-market NPR member station with award-winning local journalism, podcasts, and listener-supported membership programs, comparable to KUT in editorial quality and nonprofit public radio operations.
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB): OPB is a statewide NPR member organization producing local journalism, podcasts, and digital content on a nonprofit listener-supported model, structurally analogous to KUT Public Media's multi-platform approach.
WFAE (Charlotte): WFAE is an NPR member station serving the Charlotte region with local journalism, talk programming, and a listener-supported model that parallels KUT's community-led operating approach.
KERA (North Texas): KERA is a fellow Texas NPR member station and a direct collaborator through The Texas Newsroom, serving the Dallas-Fort Worth market with comparable news, talk, and music programming on a listener-supported model.

Broad incumbents

Minnesota Public Radio / APM Reports: Minnesota Public Radio is one of the largest U.S. public radio networks with a multi-station footprint and national programming (APM Reports), representing a broader incumbent in the same public radio space as KUT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

KUT 90.5 financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

KUT 90.5 leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

KUT 90.5 subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries3 records

KUT 90.5 funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

KUT 90.5 M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KUT 90.5

What does KUT 90.5 do?

Is KUT 90.5 a public or private company?

KUT 90.5 is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was KUT 90.5 founded?

KUT 90.5 was founded in 1958.

Where is KUT 90.5 based?

KUT 90.5 is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.

How does KUT 90.5 make money?

Six revenue lines are on record. Listener Membership and Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Funding, program Sponsorships, university of Texas Support, planned Giving and Estate Gifts and business Circle and Leadership Circle.

Who are KUT 90.5's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are WBUR (Boston University), Houston Public Media, WAMU 88.5 (American University Radio), KCRW (Santa Monica), Texas Public Radio (San Antonio), WNYC (New York Public Radio), Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), WFAE (Charlotte) and KERA (North Texas). Minnesota Public Radio / APM Reports is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does KUT 90.5 have an API?

No public API is recorded for KUT 90.5.

What industry is KUT 90.5 in?

KUT 90.5's product category is Public Radio Broadcasting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABACAF, Network-Affiliated Local Radio Stations (News/Talk/Sports Syndication Affiliates), with a secondary code of MPABACAH, University/Educational Local Stations (College Radio, Campus TV). Its NAICS code is 51611 and its SIC code is 4832.