KCLW 900 - Hamilton, Texas

[b-turner]

KCLW is a 250 watt AM on a great channel that has always given the station a coverage that seems way beyond what it should be. It has always been the voice of the community and from what I am told did quite well financially. I understand several years ago a new owner came in. I understand the community warmed up to him. It seems he had a couple of other stations that were bleeding money. It seems the station was sold to a ministry.

Looking at the KCLW website under the call letters and dial position it says "Bible reading, news, weather and sports". No mention of the country music format the station had for decades. It seems they still carry their buy, sell and trade program. At the bottom of the page is "we want to thank our advertisers". Only 3 are listed.

Can anyone say what KCLW, heard over a large area of Central Texas, is doing for a format. Does Hamilton still have their only local station?

 

[dx7]

The KCLW signal can be picked up with static in far northwest Austin at times and that's where I heard it a few months ago. It was playing some really old country music. I didn't listen long enough to hear any commercials. Many years ago KCLW was for sale (around 1998) and I actually explored buying it. It did indeed do well financially then. Charles Martin owned the station at the time and did a terrific job making it a bright spot in the community - and oh what a signal for 250 watts!

 

[b-turner]

I recall the station had a classic country format with live talent and a heavy spot load for such a small community. You could tell the station was likely at it's peak. I recall a station back in the 1980s that was running a talk format that had about one ten second commercial every couple of hours. I don't recall if that was KCOM 1550 in Comanche or KCLW 900 in Hamilton. It seems the station sold shortly after I heard the minimal commercial load and not for a bunch of money.

 

[Ryan Williams]

I've been down in South Texas or I would have got to this a couple of days ago.

I've had KCLW on for a couple of hours in my office in Downtown Waco (I can barely hear it, which is still incredible). I think they are still calling it KCLW AM 900, but it has been all Contemporary Christian music plus some local ads.

Classic Country is gone.

 

[b-turner]

At least they have some local ads. I really wonder how billing compares to back when they were classic country.

Given there are Contemporary Christian options on FM it seems like a poor programming choice. From what I can uncover, Christian radio listening is about 6.3% of radio listening with 58% opting for a music format, albeit, Contemporary Christian is the unrivaled favorite.

Given the choices on the dial, at best, KCLW might get 1% of radio listeners. In my mind any niche not covered well, such as classic country, would do much better and command a larger client base paying a much higher rate per commercial.

Might it be KCLW's operators have opted for a personal choice versus a business decision based on the community and area's wants and desires from a local radio station?

Is it financially possible to maintain a station with such a format long term and be viable to the community at large? In many cases operators tire of poor performance financially after a few years and sell at mostly fire sale prices.

Granted KCLW is an AM daytimer but I find when a community only has one local station,if it is on AM and even though it is a daytimer, locals will listen for the news, weather and other information exclusive to their area and advertisers will advertise although not in droves as it once was, but still ample to sustain a station and spin off a little profit. After all, this is the county's station hailing from the county seat in a community with a strong identity and sense of community. And Hamilton is the county's shopping hub.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Growing up in Austin in the 1960’s, I could hear KCLW with a weak but listenable signal. Our house was about 100 miles from their transmitter. Being on a somewhat lower AM frequency helped a bit. Was pretty much a typical small-town full service station back them.

Nowadays on visits to Austin I hear a fair to weak KREH on 900.

 

[SquonkHunter]

KCLW was the station of my youth. Spent lots of time with my Grandparents in the Hamilton area back in the '60s - early '70s. I regularly listened to KCLW from my home in Dallas County with ease. A very strong signal for just a little 250 w. station. Thanks for bringing back some pleasant memories from long ago.

 

[MarquisP4]

At least they have some local ads. I really wonder how billing compares to back when they were classic country.

Given there are Contemporary Christian options on FM it seems like a poor programming choice. From what I can uncover, Christian radio listening is about 6.3% of radio listening with 58% opting for a music format, albeit, Contemporary Christian is the unrivaled favorite.

Given the choices on the dial, at best, KCLW might get 1% of radio listeners. In my mind any niche not covered well, such as classic country, would do much better and command a larger client base paying a much higher rate per commercial.

Might it be KCLW's operators have opted for a personal choice versus a business decision based on the community and area's wants and desires from a local radio station?

Is it financially possible to maintain a station with such a format long term and be viable to the community at large? In many cases operators tire of poor performance financially after a few years and sell at mostly fire sale prices.

Granted KCLW is an AM daytimer but I find when a community only has one local station,if it is on AM and even though it is a daytimer, locals will listen for the news, weather and other information exclusive to their area and advertisers will advertise although not in droves as it once was, but still ample to sustain a station and spin off a little profit. After all, this is the county's station hailing from the county seat in a community with a strong identity and sense of community. And Hamilton is the county's shopping hub.

I was searching OnlineRadioBox and I saw KCLW 900 AM pop up while searching songs. I futher researched and I found that KCLW is under new management (Len Novin from Arizona) and in the past month flipped it back to the classic country format. Looks like the "old" KCLW is back and better than ever! Good story, given recent times.