The original application for the UHF channel 51 license was filed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on September 15, 1998 under the callsign K51FR;[2] the FCC granted an application on July 5, 2000 to have the station's callsign changed to KOPE-LP.
On July 8, 2008, the station launched as a Spanishindependent station under the callsign KXAP-LP; the station signed on with the intent to run locally produced programs for half of its daily schedule. The station also began carrying two local newscasts each weekday, an hour-long morning news program Buenos Dias Oklahoma and an hour-long newscast each weeknight at 6 p.m.[3] The station was originally scheduled to debut on July 4, 2008, but its sign-on was delayed due to technical issues.[4]
On July 19, 2010, KXAP-LD became an affiliate of Liberman Broadcasting's Spanish-language broadcast network Estrella TV.[5]
On September 1, 2011, KXAP-LD filed an application with the FCC to change its digital channel allocation from UHF channel 51 to channel 38; if granted, the station will use PSIP to display KXAP-LD's virtual channel as "51.1".[7]
