When KLTY — Dallas-Fort Worth's beloved Christian music station for nearly 40 years — flipped to K-LOVE in February 2025, longtime listeners were left without a local voice.^1 Enter The Light DFW, a streaming-only Christian radio station built by the man who started it all: Marcos A. Rodriguez, who originally founded KLTY back in 1987 and owned it through 1999.^2
The Light streams free Christian music 24/7 through its app and website, mixing today's hits from artists like Lauren Daigle, TobyMac, and for KING + COUNTRY with throwback favorites from MercyMe, Third Day, and Casting Crowns. What sets it apart is its hyper-local DFW focus — a 30-person team of familiar voices hosts the day, including Scott Wilder & Lauren Lintner (mornings), Tracy Leek (mid-days), Don Burns (afternoons), Linda O'Brian (drive time), Laurie Lynn (evenings), and Jonathan Courtney (overnights), with Ron Taylor, William Ryan, and Larry Thompson rounding out weekends and operations.^3 Listeners can message DJs directly through the app, set show reminders, and switch between English and Spanish.
The website brands The Light as "North Texas' only commercial Christian music media" — "commercial" meaning it runs on advertising, not donations, and explicitly does not compete with the local church for giving.^3 Rodriguez's on-air slogan captures the strategy: "Your favorite music of the past and present on the radio station of the future."^9
The Founder's StoryMarcos A. Rodriguez (born July 22, 1958) is a Cuban-American broadcaster and entrepreneur.^6 His father, Marcos Rodriguez Sr., was a radio salesman in Holguín, Cuba, until Castro's revolution nationalized the stations and demoted him to reading propaganda on the air. The family fled to Miami in August 1962, eventually settling in Texas, where Rodriguez Sr. became the first Hispanic owner of an all-Spanish radio station in the state.^6 His son took over those stations in 1992 and went on to found, own, and program KLTY, KESS, KICK, KMRT, KTCY, and TV31 across Dallas-Fort Worth during the 1980s and 1990s.^6 He also owns Aspen Real Estate Company and TV Aspen in Colorado.^6
Rodriguez told HisAir at launch: "We got the band back together — 30 of us! With the absence of a commercial, Christian music radio station in the #1 market DFW, we have a huge opportunity."^9 Programming and talent advisors include industry veterans Jon Rivers, John Frost, and Tommy Kramer.^2
Why Christians Love It"I feel blessed when I turn on The Light! It's amazing how they play the right music at the right time. I could be going through the valley or be on top of the mountain, and the song that is playing is the perfect song that I needed to hear." — App Store review^4
"I love The Light DFW! I moved away from Texas years ago, and I have always missed my favorite Christian radio station from there, but with The Light app, I can listen to it here in New Mexico." — Google Play review^5
"This station is truly an act of love, being built upon the talents of several legendary DFW Christian air personalities. If you are a fan of Christian music, I highly recommend this app!" — App Store review^4
Notable- Streams via the app, website, iHeart, Live365, and radio.net — listeners can tune in from anywhere^3^8
- Free, ad-supported, no donations solicited — operated by Rodriguez Capital Holdings, LLC, based in Dallas, TX^3
- Active social presence on X (@TheLightDFW), Pinterest, and LinkedIn with daily "Now Playing" updates^3
- Available on iOS and Android with English, French, Korean, and Spanish language support^3
- App is built and maintained by The Mediasite UK LTD, a white-label radio app developer used by stations worldwide^4
