[2] Early support for a college radio station at Texas Tech was expressed in 1949 in the editorial pages of the campus newspaper.

Such a station was considered a "necessity" for the education of students in the growing field of broadcasting, and as a means of staying competitive against other colleges.

Signal reception was limited to receivers either plugged directly into the building's electrical system or placed close enough to the power lines which would act as a leaky feeder.

Texas Tech's first campus radio station, MD2 (Men's Dorm II), operates from the social director's office in the basement of Sneed Hall.

Initial programming consists of broadcasting music from records donated by students from Sneed Hall, and from local commercial station KSEL.

[13][14][15] By March 1951, additional cabling is installed which expands the signal to seven of Texas Tech's then eight dormitories, Drane Hall being the exception as its student census was very low at the time.

[17] One major advantage that carrier-current stations had over their licensed counterparts was the ability to change operating frequencies to suit the needs of the moment, something that KTTC did with some regularity in its early years.

KTTC would then begin its evening programming on 1460 at 7pm, in effect "carrying over" KVSP's campus audience without them having to change the dial on the radio.

In the late 1960s or early 1970s, the station applied for and received a construction permit for an increase to 18,500 watts at 340 feet (100 m), proposing the KTXT tower.

In late 1978, the station relocated to the 98th and University tower owned by Ray Moran interests (101.1 KTEZ in those days, now ch 34 KJTV).

In the early 1980s, KTXT-FM offered an eclectic mix of alternative programming ranging from oldies, new wave-80s, and reggae to house/trance, rock, country and indie.

As with all college radio during the 1980s, KTXT-FM was responsible for expanding the minds and opening the ears to the sounds of up-and-coming bands like REM, U2 and The Clash.

Among the earliest broadcast equipment used included a 5,000-watt Gates FM-5H2 transmitter donated by Pat Patillo (old and longtime chief engineer of KTXT-TV), new feed line, and an eight-bay antenna.

When Texas Tech assumed control of the KOHM-FM broadcast license from the Lubbock Independent School District, it too moved to the campus.

KTXT-FM's faculty adviser, Dr. Clive Kinghorn, retired in the fall of 2001, and control of the station was transferred to Student Media that September.

Student Media retained control of the studios, using them as offices, while the bulk of the broadcast equipment would be transferred to Texas Tech's other FM radio station, KOHM.

(Former Business Administration Building) KTXT-FM is owned and licensed to Texas Tech University and as of March 1, 2013 is student operated, and controlled by the College of Media and Communication.,[29] and is no longer controlled by Texas Tech Student Media, The Department of Continuing Education, KOHM-FM (now KTTZ-FM), or the Office of the Provost.

From December 2008 until March 2011, KTXT-FM was run in conjunction with KOHM-FM and reported to the Texas Tech University Office of the Provost.

A small studio for KTXT-FM was set up in the basement of the Mass Communications building, and the Fall semester of 2011 saw the first real return of students to 88.1.

In January 2012, the call letters for both KOHM-FM and KTXT-TV were changed to KTTZ-FM and KTTZ-TV respectively, leaving KTXT-FM with the university's oldest original call-letters still in use.

In August 2012, KTXT-FM, along with the College of Mass Communications, relocated to the newly renovated Business Administration building located at 15th Street and Flint Avenue.

Originally created by Craig Crafton (aka "3C") in 1988 Shockwaves featured a variety of then cutting edge techno, trance, rave, ragga, electro, ambient and house music.

This show was full of antics, great alternative music, call-ins, prizes and even an early-morning pizza delivery to one lucky listener.

Some of the one-liners used by many of KTXT's DJs include: "Lubbock's Only Alternative", "The Couch", "Keep it locked to the left" and "Music your parents warned you about!"