I would like to know the history behind KGOT

[icycool7227]

I was wondering...has 101.3 KGOT always been CHR? It says on 100000watts.com it began operation in 1975. Is that true? What is the history behind this station? I would love to know. Another thing I've been wondering has it ever been pronounced as "K-Got"?

 

[AZJoe]

Yes, back in 1975 KGOT came on the air, and it was basically a top 40 current hits format, there were not too many other FMs on the air at that time either. Lets see, KNIK 105.3 ( now 105.7) an uptempo AC/Oldies format), KAMU/KJZZ 102.1 (Jazz), KHAR fm ( MOR) 103.9 which morphed into KKLV (KLOVE 104 soft rock then Top 40) and later into 104.1 KBRJ the country fm outlet. After a couple years of a top 40 format, KGOT and yes it was called K-GOT, ( got rock!) got a harder edge to it, and under went "construction/remodeling". It became more album rock with some pop sound still in the playlist. in the 80s 102.1 became Power 102, a top 40 CHR format, and KGOT was looking for its niche. It went back to the Top 40/CHR sound back in the late 80s or so as it is today. So for 33 years KGOT has been rockin Anchorage in one form or another....never being a country, jazz, or heavy metal outlet.

 

[akradiozjs]

Huh - I never knew that 102.1 was jazz, interesting! 102.1 did go through a time as KRKN - an AOR station that was soundly defeated by KWHL before they became KPXR - Power 102....bad-ass and way better than KGOT has ever been!!! Ah, the good ole days...

 

[dinosaur]

KGOT went on the air in the fall of '75 as an automated t-40 station using a tape service out of the Boston area. Did something like a 13 share in its first book, as might be expected of the first pop station on FM in Anchorage. (KHAR and KNIK were beautiful music, KJZZ was playing jazz out of its fourth street location.) Larry Wayne was the first PD. After a few months, Larry convinced Bob Fleming to let the station go AOR. It did and the format was homegrown for about a year. Played everything from mainline artists such as the Doobie Bros, the Stones etc. to local bands like Dr. Schultz. Mr. Whitekeys did a weekly show, the Easy Woodlin Music Hour. The station had a wide playlist, but not enough in the way of billings. The station was still automated during this period, with a number of local guys voicetracking dayparts. For most of its run, Wayne did afternoons and Jim Tighe did mornings.
Eventually Big Country brought in Drake-Chennault, with Jeff Pollack as the consultant and the station tightenend up considerably. Even though it signed on as a Top 40 (CHR hadn't been coined yet) it's first few years was as an album rocker.

 

[dinosaur]

Should also mention the station was put on the air by Big Country Radio, owners of KYAK and KIAK in Fairbanks, and was co-located at the Dowling Road site. Studios and offices were all in the building which I see is still there as a xmtr building. At one time everything...offices, studios, etc....were located there. KYAK's 50kw Continental xmtr helped heat the building.

 

[mightymoose]

........and most everyone who worked at KYAK/KGOT called the building The Dowling Dump and it was! After years in Alaska Larry Wayne is in Sacramento now and is a nationally known voice-over guy.

 

[Huff]

KGOT went on the air in the fall of '75 as an automated t-40 station using a tape service out of the Boston area. Did something like a 13 share in its first book, as might be expected of the first pop station on FM in Anchorage.

KGOT scored a 13.7 among Persons 12+ in the Oct/Nov 1975 Arbitron survey, placing it 3rd in its first book behind KENI (18.0) and KFQD (17.6)
The station fell to a 7.2 in the following survey, and 6.2 a year later. The arrivals of KANC and KKLV helped knock KGOT back down to single digit shares.

 

[larryl29]

I think that 17.4 rating for KGOT's first book is a little conservative. I seem to recall a 26.4 number for our first book! It wasn't all that tuff to get as there was only a classical music and an mor station on fm at the time...maybe npr was on at that time. But as the market grew and choices increased for listeners, yes our numbers began to drop.

We were running a terribly maintained syndicated personality top 40 format out of Boston at first. But I was able to convince the original owner of KGOT, Bob Fleming, to let me "roll our own". It was the first time I had ever done that and it was a kick. Using a Schaeffer (state of the art at the time) reel to reel system with even spots on automatically cueing reels!!. We recorded our own reels! It was one of the most fun gigs I ever had. We got superb album service because Mike Harrison (aor editor at the time) at RnR wanted an Alaska reporting station on their list. The music selection was very wide, and eventually proved to be our downfall. We introduced two albums tracked during the day...the Poor Peoples Concert at 9pm, and the Nooner at noon. I still have a small selection of id's from that time - they are embarrassing and creative at the same time.

Eventually Drake Chenault took over and made us a tight CHR and Big Country Radio sold it and the AM/FM in Fbx (KIAK/KQRZ) and the AM giant that started it all in Anchorage, KYAK.. I moved on to other Anchorage gigs...my last on air program was on 98.9 Magic FM doing afternoons. My family has migrated to the warm CA sun, where I now live (Rocklin) and do a thriving vo free lance business. Plus I'm on the K-LOVE radio network at night. In Anchorage and Fbx at 88.5. Probably over 400 stations around the country!
www.klove.com

Life is good!

larry wayne
original KGOT pd

 

[Huff]

I think that 17.4 rating for KGOT's first book is a little conservative. I seem to recall a 26.4 number for our first book! It wasn't all that tuff to get as there was only a classical music and an mor station on fm at the time...maybe npr was on at that time. But as the market grew and choices increased for listeners, yes our numbers began to drop.

I'm sure that your re-collections are correct, but that 26.4 was probably for a more narrow demo that KGOT was targetting (eg. Persons 18-34 or 18-49)
The numbers I have posted are the Persons 12+ numbers for the Oct/Nov 1975 survey, I don't have any demos beyond that for that time frame.

ANCHORAGE Persons 12+
OCT/NOV 1975
1. KENI (Top 40) 18.0
2. KFQD (Pop Adult) 17.6
3. KGOT (Rock) 13.7
4. KYAK (Country) 12.0
5. KHAR (Easy) 10.3

 

[AZJoe]

Larry- its good to hear from you again!! I go way back to listening to you in Alaska, from your AFRN days (from Elmendorf) in 69, thru KENI, KGOT and Magic 98.9!!! I also drop by and listen to your K-Love broadcasts now & then today!! Thanks for the great memories and times you gave us all in Alaska. I still vividly recall those old KGOT liners, " please pardon the dust while we remodel".... KGOT brought us in Anchorage our first rockin' FM, but I still recall our " leader Larry Wayne" from years before that!! Again, thanks and God Bless you & your family always, happy New Years!!

 

[dinosaur]

Hey, Larry...about those IDs. Am I correct in thinking like "KGOT Anchorage...and new lemon fresh Anchorage." Good hearing from you not long ago. This thread just brings back a load of memories. I can recall sitting in those prod studios, making those two Scullys do things they were not meant to do. I also remember when the Schafer crashed and we went live for awhile. And I got to do double duty on KY', where those guys thought of us as heathen communists. Got in trouble one night over there with a adlib commercial tag. There was some country night club that ran a lot of night schedules with us, and one night after cops had been to the place for about the fourth shooting incident, I tagged the commercial with "...and flak vests will be handed out at the door." Those were the days! Was back in Anchorage about a year ago and drove out to the Dowling Dump. Well named!