KSMB began broadcasting in 1964 as Lafayette's first FM station.

[2] Its call letters stand for Southland Music Broadcasting, the station's original owner.

Through the 1960s it featured a strictly Cajun, swamp pop and zydeco Americana format.

By the 1970s, the station had established an AOR format as "K94 The Stereo Rock".

In late 1984, the format was gradually shifted to top 40 as "HitRadio 94½", a process completed by October.