KATE officially commenced broadcasting on October 12, 1937. The station's launch was a major local event, preceded by a significant announcement in the Albert Lea Evening Tribune on October 11, which detailed the station's intent to serve as a primary news and entertainment source for the region.[4]
Throughout the mid-20th century, KATE functioned as a full-service station, providing local agricultural reports, news, and community programming. It was a long-time affiliate of the ABC Radio Network. In the early 1950s, its facilities at the transmitter site were expanded to accommodate the launch of a sister television station, KMMT (Channel 6), which began operations in the summer of 1953 before eventually moving to Austin and becoming KAAL-TV.[5]
KATE has seen several ownership changes, reflecting the broader trends of consolidation in Midwestern broadcasting. For many years, the station was locally owned by the Albert Lea Broadcasting Co. In the late 20th century, it was acquired by David Nolander, who operated the station alongside KCPI-FM.
In May 1999, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the sale of KATE and KCPI from Nolander to Three Eagles Broadcasting.[6] Three Eagles operated the station for over a decade before selling its Minnesota and Iowa clusters to Digity, LLC in 2014, which was subsequently acquired by Alpha Media in 2016.
Most recently, in May 2025, Alpha Media reached an agreement to sell its Upper Midwest stations, including KATE, to Connoisseur Media. The transaction involved a local marketing agreement (LMA) allowing Connoisseur to manage the station's operations immediately while awaiting final FCC approval.[7]
