austin radio history

[radioeye]

I found the following in the FCC bulletin that indicates that the "Texas Highway Bulletin" was the owner of record for KFQM which was on 1120kHz at 268watts. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/assemble?docno=2407

The San Antonio station that moved to Austin which according to FCC records was KGDR was at 1249kHz at 240watts. I think that this was the English Brothers who put the station at the Driskill Hotel and the KTRH at the Rice Hotel in Houston. That where everything gets confusing.

I'm just putting up the info as I find it.

I forgot the second FCC link
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/assemble?docno=2612

 

[hrhwebmaster]

Re: Austin AM History

This is a great article about WCM, KUT, KNOW, KEYU, KMOW and KFON

http://houstonradiohistory.blogspot.com/2007/06/1929-part-1-k-rice-hotel.html

I subscribe to the WCM, KUT and KNOW school of thought.

You missed the update article: http://houstonradiohistory.blogspot.com/2007/07/wcm-kut-ktrh-update.html

The government subscribes to the WCM/KUT/KTRH school of thought (and subsequently also the KGDR/KUT/KNOW school of thought).

The Frost book, published in the late 30s, includes a chapter on WCM and should be at the University libraries.

 

[hrhwebmaster]

I found the following in the FCC bulletin that indicates that the "Texas Highway Bulletin" was the owner of record for KFQM which was on 1120kHz at 268watts. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/assemble?docno=2407

The San Antonio station that moved to Austin which according to FCC records was KGDR was at 1249kHz at 240watts. I think that this was the English Brothers who put the station at the Driskill Hotel and the KTRH at the Rice Hotel in Houston. That where everything gets confusing.

I'm just putting up the info as I find it.

My understanding is that the Englishes moved the station out of the Driskill. I guess I should have mentioned in the articles since it wouldn't be apparent to non-Houstonians that Jesse Jones owned the Rice Hotel, the licensee for KTRH.

 

[radioeye]

I found the following in the FCC bulletin that indicates that the "Texas Highway Bulletin" was the owner of record for KFQM which was on 1120kHz at 268watts. http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/assemble?docno=2407

The San Antonio station that moved to Austin which according to FCC records was KGDR was at 1249kHz at 240watts. I think that this was the English Brothers who put the station at the Driskill Hotel and the KTRH at the Rice Hotel in Houston. That where everything gets confusing.

I'm just putting up the info as I find it.

My understanding is that the Englishes moved the station out of the Driskill. I guess I should have mentioned in the articles since it wouldn't be apparent to non-Houstonians that Jesse Jones owned the Rice Hotel, the licensee for KTRH.

FCC records show that KUT first came to UT in the November 2, 2005 on 1300kHz. Does this make KVET also in line for Austin's oldest station?
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/assemble?docno=2511

None of what I can find show much continuity of Calls or frequencies. Everybody, seems to tie the WCM/KUT Call Sign together to establish who was here first. But it seems more logical to tie Austin to Austin and Houston to Houston, even if the dots do not tie together.

 

[Horns]

92.5 KKLB/KXXS is also missing, and KOOL 99 was originally on 99.1 in Lampasas, I can't remember the old calls.

KOOL's original call letters as a Lampasas station was KLTD. It started as a rare AC station in Central Texas in the 70s. In the 80s it went Urban (one of the first I ever heard) and targeted the large minority population at Fort Hood. It actually did ok in the Killeen/Temple book for a few years in spite of poor management and a weak signal. Then it was moved to Austin and the KOOL Oldies began.

The pre-Austin move of 93.3 from Killeen is listed correctly. As KLEN-FM it was running less than 1,000 watts and did simulcast with 1050 am. But when it became KIXS and went to 100,000 watts with a tower near Nolanville, the AM became KIIZ and ran a (daytime only) AC format. They called themselves "The Only Station You'll Ever Need" which always seemed strange because it was a daytime only AM...???

Hey, didn't KIIZ started on 1050 back in 1979 as a urban station because I looked up on recnet.com and it said that KIIZ started in '79 on AM 1050 then switched over to 92.3FM in 1991. And wasn't KIIZ urban during that period of time ('79-'91)?

KIIZ 1050 AM in Killeen started as AC when the simulcast ended with KIXS-FM 93.3 in 1979. I was working in the market at the time and knew folks at KIXS-FM/KIIZ-AM, including their crazy chief engineer at the time, Jerry White.

I'm not sure when 1050 AM Killeen first went on the air, but it was a very bad KLEN AM/FM for years then new owners started a kick-ass Top 40 station in the 70s as KIXS-AM/FM. When the FM got 100,000 watts, the AM was no longer needed and switched to AC as KIIZ in 79.

 

[radioeye]

More on Jesse Jones.....

The FCC Bulletin show on June 1, 1922 show The Houston Chronicle aka Jesse Jones with WFAL and the University of Texas with WCM.
All stations operated at 833kHz.
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/Mass...collection/radio_service_bulletins/220601.pdf
Hmmm

 

[radioeye]

Still More on KTRH

The FCC Bulletin for March 31, 1930 shows a new station KTRH at the Rice Hotel operating at 500watts on 1120. KUT was also operating in Austin during this same time period.

http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/Mass...collection/radio_service_bulletins/300331.pdf

I'm Bored, and get motivated every once in a while. I'm getting more and more convinced that WCM, KTRH and KUT were not really connected in any way other than ownership. Two of the three owned by the University of Texas and Two of the three owned by the English Brothers. But, it doesn't seem that WCM and KTRH have any direct connection.

But I could be wrong... Once I get bored again, I hunt for more details.

 

[captex]

several month's ago i did read about wcm, kut, know history came about , i have read before on the houston board i would also like to say thanks again to all have that have posted on other radio stations pasts, call letters and interesting stories about radio in and around austin . hopefully i didn't leave anything out. suggestions and comments always welcome. thanks captex.