• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

History of Alternative Rock/AAA radio around Louisiana.

F

Fieldtech1

This topic was discussed among some radio friends recently.
So far what I've come up with. Please help me fill in any blanks.

Shreveport
92.1 "The Buzz"

Alexandria
95.7 "Channel 957" (AAA)
104.3 "Red 104.3"

Monroe
No Commercial Stations

Baton Rouge
100.7 "The Tiger"
107.3 "The Tiger"
104.5/104.9 "X 1045/9"

Lafayette
96.5/105.1 "Planet Radio"
105.9 "X1059"
106.3 "Radio Lafayette" (AAA/Alternative)
106.7 "Planet Radio" (Classic Alternative)

Lake Charles
No Commercial Stations

New Orleans
106.1 "The Zephyr"
106.7 "The End"
94.9 "Xtreme Radio"(Skewed towards Active Rock)
106.1 "The Underground"
92.3 "Alt 92.3
 
LSU/Baton Rouge's WPRG/KLSU would like a word... (if I can correctly remember any of the dates).

1980 on the air as 10 watt WPRG, then roughly 1984 as 5 KW KLSU. Now 23 KW DA from the same Choppin Hall rooftop tower.
 
Loverofradio said:
I wonder who in north Louisiana, Shreveport or Monroe, has the courage to get the 25-54 males and do alternative/classic alternative. The demo is there, the money is too. A GM is just lacking courage
Click to expand...
Shreveport is dead of new rock as far as I know like Alexandria. As neither has a station playing these artist thar I'm Aware of.
Monroe has a mainstream Rocker in 106.1 that tends to play some of the newer stuff IMO.

Lake Charles I think gets new rock only from Big Dog 106 in nearby Beaumont.

I'm waiting to see what goes on here in Houma. There is a new non commercial with a CP here and it's parent company is from what I researched, is a broadcaster out of Miami that tends to play modern rock/Alternative with a Christian slant but is programmed like a commercial. Unless they are selling after being built, will be interesting .
 
I’d like to add an honorable mention for Shreveport: KTUX 98.9, “The Rebel Rocker 99X”

Around ‘97 and ‘98, KTUX had a strong alternative lean. Then in Fall ‘98, KTUX stunted with all-Led Zeppelin and shifted to a more uniform active rock format, “Real Rock Radio 99X,” similar to KEGL in Dallas. They even had the same imaging as KEGL. A bit of an alternative lean returned before Clear Channel bought the station in Fall ‘99 and shifted it to a classic-leaning mainstream rock format as “Rock 99,” which evolved back to active rock and eventually rebranded as “99X.”

I remember listening to The Buzz in Shreveport and hearing liners saying “Finally alternative music has returned to Shreveport/Bossier” that seem to acknowledge KTUX’s past.
 
Fieldtech1 said:
This topic was discussed among some radio friends recently.
So far what I've come up with. Please help me fill in any blanks.

Shreveport
92.1 "The Buzz"

Alexandria
95.7 "Channel 957" (AAA)
Click to expand...
Not sure KROK really applies as an Alexandria station since it doesn't provide a primary contour there. Previously, the AAA format was on 92.1 DeRidder as "92.1 the Wave" before 92.1 was re-engineered into the Lake Charles market.
Fieldtech1 said:
104.3 "Red 104.3"

Monroe
No Commercial Stations

Baton Rouge
100.7 "The Tiger"
107.3 "The Tiger"
104.5/104.9 "X 1045/9"

Lafayette
96.5/105.1 "Planet Radio"
105.9 "X1059"
106.3 "Radio Lafayette" (AAA/Alternative)
106.7 "Planet Radio" (Classic Alternative)

Lake Charles
No Commercial Stations
Click to expand...
106.1 "New Rock 106-1, K106"

At the time, KIOC 106.1 Orange's legal ID included Lake Charles ("KIOC Orange-Beaumont-Port Arthur-Lake Charles"). In 1996, KIOC shifted from rock-leaning "Power Hits K106" to a top 40/modern hybrid "106-1 K106" to evolving all the way to modern rock as "New Rock 106-1, K106" for a little while.

It flipped to rhythmic top 40 "Hot 106" in early 1997 (and dropped Lake Charles from the ID list) before flipping to the present day "Big Dog 106" later that year.

Fieldtech1 said:
New Orleans
106.1 "The Zephyr"
106.7 "The End"
94.9 "Xtreme Radio"(Skewed towards Active Rock)
106.1 "The Underground"
92.3 "Alt 92.3
Click to expand...
For a while, 105.3 was modern AC WKZN "105-3 the Zone" circa 2001.

Somewhere I think I have a March 2010 tape of KXOR 106.3 running a briefly lived modern rock format as "106-3 K-Rock"
 
Jay S said:
I’d like to add an honorable mention for Shreveport: KTUX 98.9, “The Rebel Rocker 99X”

Around ‘97 and ‘98, KTUX had a strong alternative lean. Then in Fall ‘98, KTUX stunted with all-Led Zeppelin and shifted to a more uniform active rock format, “Real Rock Radio 99X,” similar to KEGL in Dallas. They even had the same imaging as KEGL. A bit of an alternative lean returned before Clear Channel bought the station in Fall ‘99 and shifted it to a classic-leaning mainstream rock format as “Rock 99,” which evolved back to active rock and eventually rebranded as “99X.”

I remember listening to The Buzz in Shreveport and hearing liners saying “Finally alternative music has returned to Shreveport/Bossier” that seem to acknowledge KTUX’s past.
Click to expand...

99X was more of an active rocker -- certainly a lot of alternative, but was still mixing in Leg Zeppelin, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, etc.
Radio This Week Back Then #29: August 4-10 has an aircheck I digitized off cassette of them from that era with a song log. It was a fairly decent rock station at that time. (The other Shreveport aircheck in the link is from the soft launch of "Big Dog 94-5", for those interested).
 
Fieldtech1 said:
New Orleans
Click to expand...
Here's an early one for you kids: WWOM, "Mother Radio" at 98.5 back in 1970. DJ's included Judas, a-k-a John Larroquette. Yes, that John Larroquette. Station didn't last long, moved to Slidell's WVSL at 105.3 the next year, where I first DX'd them from up in Jackson, MS. Now known as lil' old WWL-FM.
 
Doctor_Technical said:
Here's an early one for you kids: WWOM, "Mother Radio" at 98.5 back in 1970. DJ's included Judas, a-k-a John Larroquette. Yes, that John Larroquette. Station didn't last long, moved to Slidell's WVSL at 105.3 the next year, where I first DX'd them from up in Jackson, MS. Now known as lil' old WWL-FM.
Click to expand...

I guess we could toss in "Loose Radio" WJBO-FM 102.5 Baton Rouge as well if early progressive rockers are eligible...
 
Yes KXOR became more of a active rock/modern rock for a brief time when it was owned by a group out of Texas. (Was K-ROK as still see some of the bumper stickers occasionally). But the Texas group , they destroyed Bayou radio for dollar bills.
They sold 107.5 to klove and re-engineered it to new orleans, they took AC 96.7 out of Morgan City and put it in Gray as kcil, they sold off 106.3 to klove. About only one they didnt/couldn't touch was KJIN as its now the only Full power station licensed to Houma now.

I was gonna add what about 90.9? I thought it was AAA done by SLU in Hammond?
Also if I remember KNSU 91.5 in Thibodaux used to be a college alternative Rocker but now is free-form.

94.9 in New Orleans was a hot talk/hot rock format like some stations like in Orlando that do talk and back fill with hard rock. Format if I remember was canned after Sex for Sam was aired over the station. Forgot what it became, but was sold and flipped to classic country where it's been usually the top or near top radio stations on Bayou.
 
RFLA said:
Yes KXOR became more of a active rock/modern rock for a brief time when it was owned by a group out of Texas. (Was K-ROK as still see some of the bumper stickers occasionally). But the Texas group , they destroyed Bayou radio for dollar bills.
They sold 107.5 to klove and re-engineered it to new orleans, they took AC 96.7 out of Morgan City and put it in Gray as kcil, they sold off 106.3 to klove. About only one they didnt/couldn't touch was KJIN as its now the only Full power station licensed to Houma now.

I was gonna add what about 90.9? I thought it was AAA done by SLU in Hammond?
Also if I remember KNSU 91.5 in Thibodaux used to be a college alternative Rocker but now is free-form.

94.9 in New Orleans was a hot talk/hot rock format like some stations like in Orlando that do talk and back fill with hard rock. Format if I remember was canned after Sex for Sam was aired over the station. Forgot what it became, but was sold and flipped to classic country where it's been usually the top or near top radio stations on Bayou.I have
Click to expand...

txchipk said:
Not sure KROK really applies as an Alexandria station since it doesn't provide a primary contour there. Previously, the AAA format was on 92.1 DeRidder as "92.1 the Wave" before 92.1 was re-engineered into the Lake Charles market.

106.1 "New Rock 106-1, K106"

At the time, KIOC 106.1 Orange's legal ID included Lake Charles ("KIOC Orange-Beaumont-Port Arthur-Lake Charles"). In 1996, KIOC shifted from rock-leaning "Power Hits K106" to a top 40/modern hybrid "106-1 K106" to evolving all the way to modern rock as "New Rock 106-1, K106" for a little while.

It flipped to rhythmic top 40 "Hot 106" in early 1997 (and dropped Lake Charles from the ID list) before flipping to the present day "Big Dog 106" later that year.


For a while, 105.3 was modern AC WKZN "105-3 the Zone" circa 2001.

Somewhere I think I have a March 2010 tape of KXOR 106.3 running a briefly lived modern rock format as "106-3 K-Rock"
Click to expand...
The Wikipedia page for 106.9 in Alexandria list it as having been modern rock, but I haven't been able to confirm that.
 
Fieldtech1 said:
The Wikipedia page for 106.9 in Alexandria list it as having been modern rock, but I haven't been able to confirm that.
Click to expand...
You would think with the KEDG calls it was an "Edge," but the only history I could find was that it signed on via a LMA with KQID and it came on with R&B "Kiss 106.9" in January 2000. The FCC shows the license for cover didn't occur until 2000, but it can lag behind. If it did actually sign on earlier with modern rock, it had to have been a very short time before it was leased out.
 
txchipk said:
99X was more of an active rocker -- certainly a lot of alternative, but was still mixing in Leg Zeppelin, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, etc.
Radio This Week Back Then #29: August 4-10 has an aircheck I digitized off cassette of them from that era with a song log. It was a fairly decent rock station at that time. (The other Shreveport aircheck in the link is from the soft launch of "Big Dog 94-5", for those interested).
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link, Chip! I enjoyed listening to that aircheck among others. I just started listening to 99X a couple months before then. That aircheck blew me away. I don’t remember hearing classic rock on the station until they relaunched as “Real Rock Radio.” Although I did hear new “classic rock” releases from Rush and John Cougar Mellencamp. I was very young and still new to rock music. So a combination of unfamiliarity and listening mainly in the evenings and on weekends (when the playlist may have been different) might have caused me not to notice the older music.

I remember 99X being a little more harder-edged back then and then focusing more on alternative around ‘97 and ‘98 (although still as an active rocker). I got into alternative the following year and familiarized myself more with the different styles of rock.

By the way, I really enjoyed that 100000watts.com website you had back in the day. Thank you for your hard work in putting it together.
 
I would like to add KSCL in Shreveport. KSCL was owned by Centenary College and had an alternative format. Red River Radio bought them last year and programs AAA via the XPoNential Radio network on KSCL and the HD4 subchannels of all their stations. For Louisiana, that would be KDAQ 89.9 in Shreveport, KLSA 90.7 in Alexandria. They also have KBSA 90.9 in El Dorado, AR; KLDN 88.9 in Lufkin, TX, and KTYK 100.7 in Tyler/Longview, TX. There’s also a translator on 90.7 in Grambling, LA; but I don’t think it would be broadcasting in HD.
 
Jay S said:
Thank you for the link, Chip! I enjoyed listening to that aircheck among others. I just started listening to 99X a couple months before then. That aircheck blew me away. I don’t remember hearing classic rock on the station until they relaunched as “Real Rock Radio.” Although I did hear new “classic rock” releases from Rush and John Cougar Mellencamp. I was very young and still new to rock music. So a combination of unfamiliarity and listening mainly in the evenings and on weekends (when the playlist may have been different) might have caused me not to notice the older music.

I remember 99X being a little more harder-edged back then and then focusing more on alternative around ‘97 and ‘98 (although still as an active rocker). I got into alternative the following year and familiarized myself more with the different styles of rock.

By the way, I really enjoyed that 100000watts.com website you had back in the day. Thank you for your hard work in putting it together.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words. I have 18 airchecks of KTUX -- 4 from the top 40 days (one of those from 1992 under Radio This Week Back Then: Week Ending February 24), 4 from the classic rock/pop-ish "Tux 99 Rocks" era after that, and 9 from the "99X, Rebel Rocker" days. I actually liked all the versions which is why I recorded them frequently....eventually I will get them digitized as I work through the boxes of tapes.
 
Jay S said:
I would like to add KSCL in Shreveport. KSCL was owned by Centenary College and had an alternative format. Red River Radio bought them last year and programs AAA via the XPoNential Radio network on KSCL and the HD4 subchannels of all their stations. For Louisiana, that would be KDAQ 89.9 in Shreveport, KLSA 90.7 in Alexandria. They also have KBSA 90.9 in El Dorado, AR; KLDN 88.9 in Lufkin, TX, and KTYK 100.7 in Tyler/Longview, TX. There’s also a translator on 90.7 in Grambling, LA; but I don’t think it would be broadcasting in HD.
Click to expand...
I'm running the KSCL station locally now. The canned music from XPoNential wasn't all it was cracked up to be. I'd like to find some like minded folks to help carve out some new songs for the playlist and some input on the current playlist. Know anyone interested in a phone/zoom/lunch chat?
-Troy J.
 


Back
Top Bottom