The station began broadcasting on April 10, 1976,[4] as KMCS in Gatesville.[1] It originally aired country and easy listening music and was owned by George W. McClarin alongside KCLW (900 AM).[4][1] After a 1978 sale attempt to Lowell Duncan was not consummated,[1] McClarin found his buyer in Monarch Communications Systems, which purchased the station for $115,000, plus $10,000 for a non-compete agreement.[5][1]
By 1981, Monarch was more than $100,000 in debt to McClarin for the purchase of the station, prompting McClarin to seek a default judgment against Monarch in Hamilton County court. The station went off air February 2, 1982, six days before its assets were confiscated.[6] Monarch had filed to change the call letters to KPEP during this time.[2] A receiver was appointed; in September, broadcasting resumed.[7] KPEP aired the same country format as KMCS-FM had.[8][9] In 1983, the station was sold to C.D.L.R. Communications for $150,000.[10]
In 1989, the station was sold to Gaylon W. Christie for $50,000,[12] and on July 13, 1989, its call sign was changed to KRYL.[2] The station returned to airing a country format.[13] In 1991, it was sold to LDR Broadcasting for $125,000.[14] KRYL adopted a classic rock format in 1998.[15] In 1999, the station was sold to Capstar,[16][17] and on September 17, 1999, its call sign was changed to KASZ.[2] The station continued to air a classic rock format.[18][19]
In 2003, the station was sold to Educational Media Foundation for $100,000, and on March 21, 2003 its call sign was changed to KVLZ.[20][2] It adopted a Christian contemporary format, as an affiliate of K-Love.[21][22] On February 15, 2006, the station's call sign was changed to KYAR, and it became an affiliate of Air1.[23][2] In 2010, the station's city of license was changed to Lorena, Texas and its transmitter was moved to a location between Lorena and Hewitt, Texas.[24][25][26]
In 2016, KYAR was sold to Red-C Apostolate for $495,000, and it adopted a Catholic format.[27][28]
