690 AM in Tyler

[jd]

It's now official. The license has been canceled and the KZEY call letters have been deleted, as noted in today's FCC Daily Digest. Unfortunately there are a number of other stations owned by Jerry Russell that will never return to the air: http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=25717

 

[LABreeze]

That just goes to show you that every underhanded thing Jerry Russell did on all these stations and the violations that went with it, has finally caught up with him. A reliable source, and I'm not sure how true it is, informed that he is in bad health and believed to be bedridden (and probably bound for the nursing home). And it is exactly what the FCC article is saying. Russell is too sick to operate!! And the good people he ran off are probably waiting for his total demise from the face of the earth. I know that sounds mean, but after four years working at WBAD in Greenville, MS (and Russell does NOT own that, thank goodness) proves that I did get the last laugh after all.

Now that KZEY has been wiped off from the FCC, it means that the license is no good and he might as well hang it up. Russell has literally killed every radio station that he owned that had a legendary following. Nothing would bring any of that back. It is far impossible to resurrect a deleted station.

2008 would have been KZEY's 50th Anniversary. Unfortunately there was nothing to look back on and everything historical that was in the Lake Park Drive location is sadly gutted out and totally disrepaired. The same damage caused in the Pine Bluff, AR and the Mississippi stations.

I don't mean to sound blunt, but to be brutally honest Russell may be following the same fate that killed his mentor Frank Melton (which believed to be a heart attack) who knew how to run stations the right way. There's no telling as to when he will recover but if he doesn't make things right again (which is highly unlikely), then it's over. It may be jubilant to some of us, but those that missed the glory days of what KZEY used to be, we may not be able to see that happening soon.

I am, however suprised that KOFY-AM is still on....and of course legal. But for how long? We'll have to watch this space for that.

 

[600kogo]

This is the second time that KZEY's license has been deleted. Russell got it back once by using the excuse he a poor minority operator, and couldnt afford the license renewal. He could use the same excuse again! He didnt even have towers the last time he lost the license, and as all of you remember KOFY was DKOFY for over a year, and he kept it on the air with a dead carrier. He must have donkey pictures of someone REALLY high up that keeps saving him! He has 2 licenses left KOFY and KWRD how long before he looses them?? The clock is ticking he better sell them quick! Where is Jerry Hanzen's wallet to save Russell on those two?

 

[billyg]

KOFY sounds like its on life support, I wonder if they're making any money besides from the church programs. The sound quality has some very nasty digital distortion on the high end.

It's a damn shame what happened to all these stations. I'm afraid when he does die KOFY and any of the other stations he still has on the air could suffer the same fate.

 

[600kogo]

Nah once his stupidity is long gone then the banks he owes money to or his employees will take over and sell the licenses. He had an assistant named Gwen that I think he was living with she is a smart lady she will do something with them.

By the way speaking of KOFY sounding so bad I know that Russell had his gopher Henry call every engineer in east Texas to work on KOFY, and none would respond! He owes them all money, or wants them to run stations illegally (too high power, non directional, or high modulation).

 

[musicsweep]

Nah once his stupidity is long gone then the banks he owes money to or his employees will take over and sell the licenses. He had an assistant named Gwen that I think he was living with she is a smart lady she will do something with them.

By the way speaking of KOFY sounding so bad I know that Russell had his gopher Henry call every engineer in east Texas to work on KOFY, and none would respond! He owes them all money, or wants them to run stations illegally (too high power, non directional, or high modulation).

Do you even know how ownership rules in radio work? The station doesn't just get passed down to the employees, and if the creditors try to take it over, it goes off the air as all interested parties head to court and no one signs the checks for the payroll and utilities.

I hate what JR did to those stations, but I wouldn't wish those health problems on anyone.

 

[600kogo]

Actually I do know the rules, and no it wouldnt just sign off the air it goes to his heirs, or to the creditors maybe you should look into Texas Probate law because that is where the stations will go to! The FCC will not shot off a station because the president dies. If you look up the the actual license instead of making coments out of spite it says that Gwen is the VP of the stations and company! If the stations are not inheritted by his heirs then the Corporation that he founded MRS will vote in a new president, and yes it is legally a Corporation Russell only owned a piece (a majority piece) but only a piece! And yes he does have heirs, and knowing his relationship with Gwen she is probably one of them!

 

[600kogo]

If the creiditors take over it goes into "receivership" and they appoint a manager to run them until they can sell them!! They are never forced off the air by a court or the FCC. Infact in the case of KLMG in the midst of Chapter 7 their creditors were ordered to keep the signal on by the FCC!

 

[musicsweep]

Actually I do know the rules, and no it wouldnt just sign off the air it goes to his heirs, or to the creditors maybe you should look into Texas Probate law because that is where the stations will go to! The FCC will not shot off a station because the president dies. If you look up the the actual license instead of making coments out of spite it says that Gwen is the VP of the stations and company! If the stations are not inheritted by his heirs then the Corporation that he founded MRS will vote in a new president, and yes it is legally a Corporation Russell only owned a piece (a majority piece) but only a piece! And yes he does have heirs, and knowing his relationship with Gwen she is probably one of them!

On paper, this is true. But in reality, this goes nowhere. I know the people at MRS Ventures, and I'm telling you that if Russell were to pass away (Lord, please have mercy on him,) then what is left of his corporation would fall apart. The "M" passed away a couple of years ago, the "R" is suffering from poor health, and "S" was nowhere to be seen when I worked there.

Gwen is a nice lady, and would do a good job, but no Russell means no investment income, and no investment income means MRS folds and the stations leave the air. Plain and simple.

 

[musicsweep]

All this being said, I wish MRS Ventures, and Jerry Russell the best. I think 1060 needs to be on the air. As long as that happens, there is hope that it will once again hold a good format.

 

[jd]

This is a pitiful conclusion of a tragic story, a sad history of mismanagement, neglect and questionable business practices. The FCC canceled licenses of eleven stations owned by Jerry Russell, essentially all of which were silent, some fairly recently but most for a number of years.

Besides some of the smaller communities being denied any "local service" by Russell not keeping them on the air the FCC will not be allowing anyone to revive them anytime soon. While some procedural changes have been made it will still be a waiting game in the continuing battle against the bureaucracy. See this post from the Arkansas board, which is talking about the carnage in the Pine Bluff area: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=190209.msg1677597#msg1677597

 

[Limp73]

All this being said, I wish MRS Ventures, and Jerry Russell the best. I think 1060 needs to be on the air. As long as that happens, there is hope that it will once again hold a good format.

Sell KZEY to Radio Maria USA to air Catholic programming. RM USA currently owns KDEI in Port Arthur. Only major drawback is that the KZEY directional signal misses Dallas.

http://www.radiomaria.us

 

[jd]

Sell KZEY to Radio Maria USA to air Catholic programming. RM USA currently owns KDEI in Port Arthur. Only major drawback is that the KZEY directional signal misses Dallas.

http://www.radiomaria.us

KZEY isn't for sale. It doesn't exist anymore, physically or on paper, and what it used to be is referred to as "DKZEY" by the FCC (as in "deleted").

A new station on 690 in Tyler isn't even a remote possibility until the next AM filing window is announced by the FCC, applications are accepted (assuming there are any) and a construction permit is issued, and providing there is any interest at all in putting a new station on, there might be a long drawn own battle with mutually exclusive applicants. You're easily looking at possibly as long as ten years after the next filing window is announced and that might be years away. The last one happened in early 2004 and no real action was taken on most of the applications by the FCC for several years after that. For example, one such application was filed for an AM station on 1020 in Tyler but over seven years later the FCC hasn't issued a construction permit.

 

[w9wi]

A new station on 690 in Tyler isn't even a remote possibility until the next AM filing window is announced by the FCC, applications are accepted (assuming there are any) and a construction permit is issued, and providing there is any interest at all in putting a new station on, there might be a long drawn own battle with mutually exclusive applicants. You're easily looking at possibly as long as ten years after the next filing window is announced and that might be years away.

Even then, it may not be possible. KZEY was a Class D station -- and the FCC isn't issuing any more of those. IOW, if, next time a filing window comes along, someone else files an application using the same technical parameters KZEY was licensed for -- the FCC will dismiss the application as technically unacceptable.

I suppose if a new applicant can work out a tight enough directional pattern they might be able to make enough night power to make Class B. With El Paso and New Orleans and Coffeyville Kansas on the frequency, and the need to protect Mexico, it won't be easy and is likely simply not possible.

 

[jd]

With El Paso and New Orleans and Coffeyville Kansas on the frequency, and the need to protect Mexico, it won't be easy and is likely simply not possible.

You're probably right, and any talk about reviving 690 in Tyler is speculative at best. El Paso is likely the least of the concerns and Coffeyville is the main problem domestically. As for New Orleans, WIST is in the process of changing their nighttime pattern and reducing power so that might open things up a little, giving a proposed station the possibility of making the 250-watt threshold. Of course, Mexico is a different story, even with the continuing migration of AM stations to FM there. It could take years to see any kind of revised mutual protection agreement between the U.S. and Mexico, the same way the U.S. still has to consider Canadian stations that haven't existed for years.

Of course the bigger question, even if interference issues could be worked out, is whether it would be worth be the investment. Then again, AM radio in this country might be in the process of being officially phased out ten years from now, maybe sooner, so that could be a moot point.

 

[billyg]

Of course the bigger question, even if interference issues could be worked out, is whether it would be worth be the investment. Then again, AM radio in this country might be in the process of being officially phased out ten years from now, maybe sooner, so that could be a moot point.

It seems that way. The way things are going AM radio doesn't have a long time to live. The only way you could bring back KZEY is to buy another station and change the call letters.

 

[C414B]

His signature certainly doesn't have the swagger of days gone by. It's obvious to me the man is not healthy.

Speaking of KWRD, what's the status of that application? And what's been the big holdup?

 

[600kogo]

For KWRD there are 2 protests, One is from Phillip Burr that Russell was leasing the station to for like 10K a month and at the end of 2 years would own KWRD (rent to own). Russell instead wanted his money immediately and threw Burr out. On top of that the piece of crap EAS box that Russell had left there didnt work and no EAS had been done in months so KWRD got a fine and Russell blamed Burr.

Plus theres more!

KWRD's license transfer is being held up by another man that sold Russell an FM and owes him money for the transmitter! Now hes making payments on the transmitter (the former owner not Russell!)

 

[C414B]

For KWRD there are 2 protests, One is from Phillip Burr that Russell was leasing the station to for like 10K a month and at the end of 2 years would own KWRD (rent to own). Russell instead wanted his money immediately and threw Burr out. On top of that the piece of crap EAS box that Russell had left there didnt work and no EAS had been done in months so KWRD got a fine and Russell blamed Burr.

Plus theres more!

KWRD's license transfer is being held up by another man that sold Russell an FM and owes him money for the transmitter! Now hes making payments on the transmitter (the former owner not Russell!)

I feel bad for Phillip. I know his AM in Hemphill went dark (IIRC, XMTR/antenna troubles). To have this on top of that is not a pleasant situation, I'm sure.

That being said....

Knowing the investment that Hanszen has made into KWRD, I sure hope this doesn't come back to bite him in the butt.

 

[600kogo]

Hanzen now owns the KWRD building. And knowing how Hanzen operates you can be assured that he has an iron clad contract that not even Russell can weasel out of!! Jerry Hanzen is in it to win in the small East Texas markets. Got to give him credit!!!

With Burr he painted the tower himself and painted the connecting pieces!!! So that basically each section of the tower was isolated from the piece it was connected to!! So he was only radiating on a 20 foot piece of Rohn 25. He couldnt figure out why it didn't get out and he had high reflected on the transmitter!! I think I know why LOL