I read on the KS board that KOQL carried a "Jammin' Oldies" format for a bit? What's the entire history of the station pre-CHR Q 106.1?
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History of KOQL/Columbia
- Thread starter ksradiogeek
- Start date
106.1 was the original frequency for KBXR, and 102.3 was KOQL; the two stations traded frequencies in 1997. The AAA format went to 102.3, which at that time was only a 6kW Class A. I guess they could have run the "Jammin' Oldies" for a short while at the very end, but I remember them as a pretty straight ahead 55-72 Top 40 Oldies format for most of their run as "Kool 106.1." If Al Germond is out there, he can set me straight, as his company Premier Radio Group put the station on the air.
I responded to your post on the Kansas board. I was there from 2001 to 2004 and left right after Cumulus took over the stations.
By the way, here are a few personal side notes. I was the first person from Cumulus hired by Y-107. I was a role player at Premier/Cumulus and usually only did one or two airshifts a week. However, I had accepted a new full-time job and wanted to keep doing radio part-time. When I put in my notice at Cumulus, I was told the staff wanted me to stay, but a certain manager there would not allow it under any circumstance. I had already sent a tape to Zimmer, and I called them the next day and started a week after I left. Zimmer also fired me (and most of the rest of the weekend staff) 9 months later in a round of budget cuts. I received another offer from KLOZ/KQUL at the Lake of the Ozarks and worked there about three and a half years. Zimmer actually offered me my old job back a month after I started, but it was for less money. Although the owner and I frequently butted heads, it was a pretty good time that I remember fondly. All but two of the KLOZ/KQUL weekenders were fired on Inaguration Day after two of the company's biggest advertisers went under.
Also, I don't know if you read Tom Taylor's newsletter or if you'd remember it, but it was at Cumulus in Columbia/Jefferson City where one of my stories in "No Names Please" happened. It was the same manager who wouldn't allow me to hang around part-time after I put in my two weeks who decided my putting in my notice meant he didn't have to pay me anymore. As my new full-time job was working for the Department of Labor, it didn't take me much time to get my problem taken care of! By the way, the same manager still works there, but he's not a manager anymore. He's just an air talent at one of the stations and is probably making far less money!
By the way, here are a few personal side notes. I was the first person from Cumulus hired by Y-107. I was a role player at Premier/Cumulus and usually only did one or two airshifts a week. However, I had accepted a new full-time job and wanted to keep doing radio part-time. When I put in my notice at Cumulus, I was told the staff wanted me to stay, but a certain manager there would not allow it under any circumstance. I had already sent a tape to Zimmer, and I called them the next day and started a week after I left. Zimmer also fired me (and most of the rest of the weekend staff) 9 months later in a round of budget cuts. I received another offer from KLOZ/KQUL at the Lake of the Ozarks and worked there about three and a half years. Zimmer actually offered me my old job back a month after I started, but it was for less money. Although the owner and I frequently butted heads, it was a pretty good time that I remember fondly. All but two of the KLOZ/KQUL weekenders were fired on Inaguration Day after two of the company's biggest advertisers went under.
Also, I don't know if you read Tom Taylor's newsletter or if you'd remember it, but it was at Cumulus in Columbia/Jefferson City where one of my stories in "No Names Please" happened. It was the same manager who wouldn't allow me to hang around part-time after I put in my two weeks who decided my putting in my notice meant he didn't have to pay me anymore. As my new full-time job was working for the Department of Labor, it didn't take me much time to get my problem taken care of! By the way, the same manager still works there, but he's not a manager anymore. He's just an air talent at one of the stations and is probably making far less money!
ksradiogeek said:
Yes for a short period of time they were Jammin' Oldies...I remember it quite well, I was an avid listener. When I first caught "KOOL" it was by accident, looking for COOL 102.7 and I came across KOOL 106.1 which at the time both stations were just "oldies" no 80s or stuff like that.
Sometime after I had listened often, it switched to Jammin' Oldies and boy that was just fun. Plenty of classic disco and more.
I think it wasn't very long before the owners decided they could compete with Y-107 better on the 106.1 dial than the 104.1 dial they started in Jefferson City. So Q104.1 moved to Q106.1 and Kool died.
I believe they messed with 104.1 shortly after that by moving Classic Hits 100.1 to 104.1 to accept the new "Buzz" format which replaced 98.3 The Buzz that went dark.
104.1 has been a troubled station from the start...Classic Hits went to Oldies and bringing back the "Cool" name with "Cool 104.1" which then moved to 97.5 when they started that station. Now it's Jeff 104.1 country, I think somewhere in there they tried to do "KLIK 104.1" as well, a country format that didn't work. Somehow it's working now though...no idea why
I personally enjoyed Classic Hits 100.1 and Kool 106.1 and quit listening when they ditched them
However I do applaud their move to make "80s weekends" on KPLA, that is awesome!
johntherogger said:
The Jammin' Oldies format on KOQL started as a 7-midnight show hosted by JP, who was later known by her real first name of Janice. Janice went to KPLA in 2000 to host the "Soft Rock Sunset" after Dina left to co-host a morning show in Illinois and, last I heard, was one of their account executives now. She also spent a few years at Zimmer but was let go when Y-107 hired Cosmo & JC for mornings. KOOL 106.1 went to full-time Jammin' Oldies in either late 2000 or very early 2001. It lasted until either September 18 or September 20, 2001. 106.1 was originally slated to flip to top-40 on September 13, but it was pushed back following September 11.
While there's probably some truth to the notion that Premier was testing the waters with "Q-104," competing better against Y-107 really didn't have a whole lot to do with the move. KOOL 106.1 had two or three really bad books in-a-row. So, Premier decided they didn't need it anymore and could do better with something else. When I asked why the flip to CHR, I was told, "You don't become #1 by going after #5!"
Although this did indeed happen, your timing is off. KFMZ 98.3 was off-the-air for almost two years before 100.1 flipped to rock.
After KOQL took over the "Q" top-40 format, 104.1 became KLIK-FM "KLIK Country 104." KLIK Country did okay but not great in the slightly less than 2 years it was around. In July 2003, we got a new OM from WSM in Nashville who decided to take it new country as KBBM "B 104-1." It lasted 6 weeks. Speculation around the boards was that it was a stunt, but it was an abortion. The original plan was to flip KJMO to rock and leave 104.1 country, but that plan changed at the last minute. KJMO was kicked to 104.1 while rock launched, as planned, on 100.1. That, by the way, was in August 2003.
As for the switch of KJMO to Cool 104, that was one of the first moves Cumulus made after entering the market. They made a big to do in staff meetings about a research survey they were doing. I left before it was completed, but "the biggest survey ever done in this market" obviously gave them some really bad advice. They pretty much ignored common sense by taking KJMO oldies. Cool 104 never did much, and that was why Cumulus automated pretty much the whole day and moved it to 97.5. The country format was also a Cumulus thing, and Cumulus has always been heavily into country formats. So, the launch of "Jeff 104.1" wasn't much of a surprise.
Thanks for clearing that up...I was only like 14 I think while this was all going on so it's stretching my memory. Not to mention I was in and out of the lake at that age so it wasn't consistent in listening at that time.
I will say I really enjoyed Kool 106.1 as Jamming Oldies and Classic Hits 100.1....even Kiss 100.1 was good too but, all good things must come to an end (Or so they say)
I honestly don't listen to Q or the Buzz but when i'm in town i'll give Cool 97.5 a listen here and there. Nothing wrong with a little Scott Shannon from time to time right? lol
I will say I really enjoyed Kool 106.1 as Jamming Oldies and Classic Hits 100.1....even Kiss 100.1 was good too but, all good things must come to an end (Or so they say)
I honestly don't listen to Q or the Buzz but when i'm in town i'll give Cool 97.5 a listen here and there. Nothing wrong with a little Scott Shannon from time to time right? lol
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