KDIS, 99.5FM

[interested bystander]

I read in Linda Haymes column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that Disney Media Services is planning on selling several of their stations, including KDIS, 99.5 FM in Little Rock. I wonder who may put in a bid to purchase this station?

 

[rgseark2009]

There was actual media news in the AD-G?

Not sure of whom would purchase 99.5. Its the second smallest coverage signal in Central AR, but at least its not a rimshot.

 

[MN Maniac]

Despite being a Class A, 99.5's central transmitter location provides a good signal over all of Little Rock. However, it doesn't get a usable signal into Conway. This is a problem since Conway is now part of the Little Rock market.

 

[swoody86]

It looks like Radio Disney is gone in LR. KDIS-FM 99.5 is now silent. The Little Rock station was one of the stations that Disney was selling. As of now there appears to be no buyer because the station is off the air.

 

[younglee981]

Foxy 99.5 coming back

 

[ftballfan]

It looks like Radio Disney is gone in LR. KDIS-FM 99.5 is now silent. The Little Rock station was one of the stations that Disney was selling. As of now there appears to be no buyer because the station is off the air.

I bet the DXers in Little Rock are loving having 99.5 off.

 

[swoody86]

Looks like the previous owner of 99.5 before Disney bought it is reportedly trying to purchase it back and prelaunch Foxy 99.5. For those who have forgotten it was an Urban AC station, similar to KOKY-FM 102.1. The previous owner's name is Loretta Lever.

 

[rgseark2009]

Forget the DXing angle, this is turning into quite a soap-opera. Is anyone at the (alleged) History Channel taking notes for a "reality" series ;D

 

[mikl73]

A little competition is always good.

 

[flytrap]

Bring back K-Pal 1380. BTW what is the history of K-pal. I used to hear it while passing through Little Rock. Was it local or syndicated? If I remember correctly it was Radio Ahhs for a while, and later Disney if I'm not mistaken. Seems like childrens radio has been around for quite a while in Little Rock. Most Kids stations don't seem to last long. Whats on 1380 now?

 

[Rich Moellers]

All I know is that with that adjacency gone (at least for the time being), my rock station Sharpe 99.3 is booming into Conway. I listened to it all the way to SW LR Friday - got pretty hashy at times, but I could still hear it pretty well.

 

[rgseark2009]

Having 99.5 open here in the middle of SEARK opens up some interesting listening. Besides the AC station at Hamburg/Crossett (KHMB aka "Q-Lite 99.5") which can be nulled out, I heard the past couple of days KMTB Murfreesboro, and another UNid country station--likely out of state). Rich, I've heard "Sharpe" downstate on occasion (usually very weak), but usually KPCH ("99.3 The Peach"--oldies) Ruston LA dominates.

Speaking of stations off the air in Central AR, I've noticed KOLL 106.3 (Spanish) off the air all weekend and this morning/evening.

 

[justgohogs]

Bring back K-Pal 1380. BTW what is the history of K-pal. I used to hear it while passing through Little Rock. Was it local or syndicated? If I remember correctly it was Radio Ahhs for a while, and later Disney if I'm not mistaken. Seems like childrens radio has been around for quite a while in Little Rock. Most Kids stations don't seem to last long. Whats on 1380 now?

K-PAL was local, although I believe they were a Disney affiliate. But, all of their talent was local to LR.

 

[rgseark2009]

Bring back K-Pal 1380. BTW what is the history of K-pal. I used to hear it while passing through Little Rock. Was it local or syndicated? If I remember correctly it was Radio Ahhs for a while, and later Disney if I'm not mistaken. Seems like childrens radio has been around for quite a while in Little Rock. Most Kids stations don't seem to last long. Whats on 1380 now?

I can't answer for much before 1997 when 1380 was put back on the air by Citadel (after a long period of being silent), first as a news only station (w/ bird fed fare), then sports talk as Sporting News radio (and the first Jim Rome affiliate in Central AR, then Radio Disney, then ESPN Radio a couple of times with a short stint as progressive talk, ESPN Radio again, then off the air then conservative talk, then finally Hispanic. Not sure if that covers all the formats. I do know that the 1380 signal at night has poor coverage in parts of metro LR.

 

[Lancer]

Should be easier to hear WMC Memphis on 99.7.

 

[rgseark2009]

Should be easier to hear WMC Memphis on 99.7.

You're not missing anything that you can't hear on "B98.5", etc. I can hear 'em much of the time downstate (with a weak signal, if WJMI Jackson MS isn't coming in). But some car radios and most modern home receivers have poor selectivity. There are a few exceptions, though. The Sangean HDT-1 (discontinued) has outstanding adjacent channel rejection, built-in RDS text decoding, and the ability to receive the monstrosity called "HD Radio" (IBOC).

These are the Memphis-area stations that are common catches in the Star City area (outdoor antenna/rotor and mentioned Sangean rx) during tropo enhancement.

WQOX 88.5 (possible because of "local" KOYR [Smile FM] being off the air) R&B, NC
WYPL 89.3 BBC WS, radio reading, WMC-TV news audio
WXMX 98.1 (co-channel QRM sometimes w/ KTAL Texarkana) mainstream rock "The Max"
WKIM 98.9 (co-channel QRM sometimes w/ KTUX Carthage TX) talk
WMC-FM 99.7 (co-channel QRM some w/WJMI Jackson (MS) AC "FM 100"
KJMS 101.1 (co-ch QRM some w/ KZTS LR, KRMD Shreveport) Adult urban "V 101"
WEGR 102.7 (co-ch QRM some w/ K274BX Stuttgart, KWLT North Crossett) "Rock 103"
WRBO 103.5 urban R&B/oldies "Soul Classics 103.5"

The ones that are blocked by locals/semi locals

91.1 WKNO-FM (logged occasionally with heavy tropo and/or KANX off the air)
94.1 WKQK (KKPT on freq, WKQK never logged here) Classic hits
95.7 WHAL-FM (KSSN on freq, WHAL never logged here) urban Gospel
97.1 WHRK (Semi-distant KAMD-FM on freq, logged during strong tropo only)
104.5 WRVR (KTRN White Hall on frequency, logged last Decemeber during severe ducting)
105.9 WGKX (KLAZ Hot Springs on freq, logged last Dec 2012 when KLAZ off air)

 

[TVJunkie12]

Speaking of stations off the air in Central AR, I've noticed KOLL 106.3 (Spanish) off the air all weekend and this morning/evening.

I noticed yesterday KOLL is back on, unfortunately. All that first adjacent hash of their serious over modulation hurts 106.1 KFFB (which is a station that's actually worth listening to as opposed to KOLL even before they were Spanish) in some places where they overlap.

 

[rgseark2009]

Speaking of stations off the air in Central AR, I've noticed KOLL 106.3 (Spanish) off the air all weekend and this morning/evening.

I noticed yesterday KOLL is back on, unfortunately. All that first adjacent hash of their serious over modulation hurts 106.1 KFFB (which is a station that's actually worth listening to as opposed to KOLL even before they were Spanish) in some places where they overlap.

KOLL is the king of overprocessed audio in Central AR since 96.5 (KHTE) went conservative talk. Runner up is KZTS 101.1 (Streetz). Seems audio quality on FM has taken a dive the past 20+ years.

 

[branda1979]

So Kaylor, that KDIS-FM will return to the air in early-November as the first commercial-free
BBC Radio station outside the UK, this time it will be preschool as "CBeebies Radio 99.5"!!!

 

[Kent]

Funny you mention that. The announcement that KDIS-FM 99.5 is being purchased by Salem Communications was literally just released within the last hour or two. Salem will be paying $2 million for it and KRDY 1160 in San Antonio. Teaching-and-preaching is still Salem's bread-and-butter. So, I'd look for that on 99.5, though I suppose it's possible they could go to conservative talk since they have their own network of talk shows, and Hannity will be available in Little Rock, though it seems to me like Little Rock is oversaturated with conservative talk as it is.