KLOL Movie is FINALLY Here

[Holstead]

Last night, the *official/public* premiere was held at The Alamo Draft House in Katy. Two theaters, four screenings total, Q&A session with the filmmaker, and the KLOL brain trust. A very cool night. I posted a video and some photos on my Facebook page if you wanna go take a look.

 

[stan]

Now if only KLOL was finally here in its days of glory versus what it is presently.

 

[Deleted member 108832]

Now if only KLOL was finally here in its days of glory versus what it is presently.

It's been almost 20 years, Stan. You hold a grudge longer than a jilted ex-wife. 😂

Even if KLOL hadn't "learned to speak Spanish", as John Walton put it, on that fateful 12th day of November, there's absolutely no way it would still be a rock station today. Heck, you'd likely have "101.1 The Freak" down there in H-Town right now, had iHeart held on to it. You think KLOL in its current incarnation is bad? Just punch up our legacy rocker KEGL on your favorite streaming device and take a listen to how much worse it could have been for y'all.

Good for the former crew. Always nice to see old friends and reminisce.

 

[DrAkbar]

Eddie the Boner for President!

 

[Mediafrog+]

Even if KLOL hadn't "learned to speak Spanish", as John Walton put it, on that fateful 12th day of November, there's absolutely no way it would still be a rock station today.

There is a tendency to forget that, in its final decade, Rock 101 was a rotting, stinking carcass of what it had been during its 1970s-80s heyday. The Rock genre had mutated and split into disparate pieces, and the presentation sounded tired. Houston’s demographics had changed. It was time to pull the plug.

Mega 101 might have mediocre ratings, but it appears to be billing well. They are in a battle with KAMA which drags down the numbers for both.

It took almost a decade for all the “Bring back Rock 101” discussion to die off on this board. No point in starting it up again. Let it rest.

 

[Deleted member 108832]

There is a tendency to forget that, in its final decade, Rock 101 was a rotting, stinking carcass of what it had been during its 1970s-80s heyday. The Rock genre had mutated and split into disparate pieces, and the presentation sounded tired. Houston’s demographics had changed. It was time to pull the plug.

I remember it well, Mediafrog. The downward spiral of KLOL helped to facilitate the birth (and now nearly 30 year tenure) of The Buzz.

Mega 101 might have mediocre ratings, but it appears to be billing well. They are in a battle with KAMA which drags down the numbers for both.

It took almost a decade for all the “Bring back Rock 101” discussion to die off on this board. No point in starting it up again. Let it rest.

I was a fan of KLOL, and appreciate the various trails they blazed in their Montrose heyday. I agree wholeheartedly with you here. Like I said to Stan, it's been 20 years. KLOL lost its edge around the time Stevens & Pruett were let go. I've nothing but positive things to say about the likes of Wendy Miller and Outlaw Dave, but by the time they were cracking the mic at KLOL it was already a shell of itself, relying solely on living off the legacy brand that had been built over the first 25 years. Turning a nose up and refusing to get with the times by acknowledging the Seatte grunge explosion in the early 90's is really what did the station in. The goodwill and fond memories of what KLOL once was is the only reason it lasted clear up to 2004.

@DrAkbar only if Mr. Leonard is running as his VP.

 

[HTX]

I don’t know if anyone would be interested in a CD rip of this that I have. I assume it’s not copyrighted so just let me know. https://www.discogs.com/release/12948038-Stevens-Pruett-Rock-101-KLOL-The-Best-Of-Stevens-Pruett-95

 

[Mark Roberts]

As someone who worked at 510 Lovett (at KTRH) for a couple of years, I have a few observations. I plan to watch the film but haven't done so yet.

Jay (Jesse H. II) Jones had taken over in 1984 from his father, John T. Jones, and had something to prove. So both KTRH and KLOL were under more pressure to perform. I suspected he was more in tune with KLOL than KTRH, where Michael Packer had a free hand (unfortunately) with the newly-installed all-news format. Pat Fant was the GM of KLOL and had deep roots in the station. Even so, he was management by the mid-1980s. I suspect he spent more time in the Rusk Corporation offices than in the KLOL studios. As I recall, there was some turnover in air staff. In addition, ABC had come up with "97 Rock", KSRR. It was definitely head-to-head competition between the stations. The 510 Lovett restroom urinals sported 97 Rock bumper stickers, strategically placed. What I recall of KLOL by 1985 was that it was pretty much a standard-issue album-rock station, though it could be more adventurous than some on occasion and would play long versions of certain tunes from 12" singles.

Even though ABC sold KSRR to Malrite in 1986, which in turn flipped that station to CHR, KLOL didn't have the field to itself for long with the arrival of KZFX - if I recall the call letters correctly - and its classic format. In other words, there was always competition, and KLOL had to adapt.

When Stevens & Pruett were hired, there was always the suspicion among those of us at KTRH that cutbacks made about a year into the all-news format, ostensibly due to the collapse of the energy market and its consequent effects on ad sales, were really made in order to fund the KLOL morning team's salary, generous by Rusk standards.

If it had made it into the present day, KLOL probably would have been in the iHeart stable, and we all know what that means: cookie-cutter programming with minimal community connection. Some people like that sort of thing, but it wouldn't be KLOL as those nostalgic for the station remember it. Aside: the people who did remember "Mother" would now be in their 70s. KLOL might have made a little bit of a heritage play but I wouldn't see that as having much runway.