Thanks a bunch, Chuck. What a fascinating account!
Of course, it strikes me as kind of a "doughnut" (or 45-RPM record?) account, heavy on the beginining and end of the story and little from the middle regarding the heyday of the station. But an interesting doughnut or record it is.
And, true confessions, there was a time in my own personal radio listening history when KNUZ was a "punch" for me, too! KENR was my first choice and KNUZ my second! Didn't last, and I wound up morphing back into a rock, pop and disco (yes, I admit it, disco) listener. But it was significant to me for a time. The one jock I remember hearing on that station was Arch Yancey. And, of course, I didn't use the word "punch" to describe KNUZ, but the description fit, loosely speaking. (Dial-twiddle might be a more literal description, FWIW.)
One more thing -- I take it Bob Scott is not to be confused with a DJ with the same name at a St. Louis radio station as (or after) it morphed from AC KMOX-FM to CHR KHTR in the latter half of 1982. (FWIW, after several years of big success as a CHR, that station later became "Oldies 103" KLOU. But that's a story for another board.)
> To set this ball in motion, I have to explain a few things
> about that time in Houston radio, which involved several
> stations. Actually there is more to all of this. I'm
> skimming some of the things that happened because this is
> going to be long.
>
> KENR came on the air around 1967 as a 5000watt daytime radio
> station on the U.S./Candian clear channel, AM 1070. (I
> remember in my youth, asking a KENR DJ, when would KENR go
> 24 hours.) He said never! 5 years later, it indeed went 24
> hours and with 10KW day and 5KW night. Early DJs on Keener
> Country were Eddie Kilroy, who would go on to Nashville as a
> record producer, Jacky Ward, who also left for Nashville to
> become a singer and was famous for the song, "Big Blue
> Diamond." KENR went through quite a few DJs while battling
> the well established KIKK. In 1972, things would begin to
> change.
>
> With KENR going 24/7, Leroy J. Gloger, the owner of KIKK was
> afraid it was all over for KIKK 650. Unfortunately, he did
> not have the foresight of what was to happen with 95.7 in
> it's near future. He sold it to Sonderling Broadcasting.
> Now, KIKK 650 was starting to slowly unwind. Dave Morris,
> who owned KNUZ/KQUE decided he had lost the Top 40 battle to
> KILT. Plus, 5000 watt 790 KULF was hurting KNUZ, as well.
> "Country Fresh Kay-news" was born in 1973. He persuaded Arch
> Yancey to leave KIKK and come over and program KNUZ. It
> would never beat KENR and Houston was discovering FM with
> its flat terrain and easy to listen, KIKK-FM was making
> inroads. KIKK-FM with 100KW and KENR with 10KW was killing
> KNUZ with it's kilowatt, day and 250 watts at night. Oh boy!
> KNUZ was at best, a "punch." In other words, if you didn't
> like what you heard on KIKK or KENR, you punched up KNUZ.
> However, I must state that KNUZ had some of the best country
> DJs in the city, as well. Alas, it was not going to help.
> When KILT-FM went country in 1981, KNUZ died. I was on the
> air at KNUZ, the night of the day FM100 made the change. The
> phones died. It was over. KNUZ would become the "Roots of
> Rock 'N Roll" soon after. Of course, this would also signal
> the beginning of the end for KENR.
>
> When both KILTs went country, KENR had become "Keener
> Country Gold." This would not last. KILT (both of them) and
> KIKK-FM were killing them. In 1982, the new management at
> Lake Huron changed KENR to "The Radio Magazine, KENR." It
> was newstalk with a lot of feature material. Former KNUZ
> morning jock, Joe Ford was tapped to do the morning show.
> Chuck Scott from KHTV-39 was doing the news along with New
> Yorker, Penny Crone, doing a lot of entertainment and fluff
> news. (She had a difficult time fitting in) John Greer and
> Mark Seegars were doing sports. Mike Shiloh was there as
> well. Actually, we had a pretty big staff. I joined KENR in
> the spring of 1982. When we weren't broadcasting news, we
> played music from SMN. The music was standards. I always
> wondered why they would do that, after all, 280,000 watt
> KQUE, 102.9 was playing that music. (YES! 280,000 watts.
> When KQUE came on, it was allowed, because there weren't
> many FMs on the air. However, when KQUE wanted to move up on
> a higher tower, the FCC, said, "Yes, but you have to go down
> to 100KW.") See what I mean, by involving several stations
> in this.
>
> Bob Scott, became the program director at KENR in August of
> 1982. At this time, the Magazine was on in the morning, but
> no other daypart. They wanted to evolve the station, instead
> of changing it all at once. Why? I don't know, but I sure
> liked that check. Bob filled the dayparts. Sarah Smith was
> on in the middays. I became the afternoon host of the
> Magazine, along wish Marsha Carter who did the news. George
> Lester was on from 7PM-midnight. The Astros were also on at
> night. We were still playing music at night and the
> overnight shift. Howard Reynolds was on from midnight to
> 4AM. The Bob Stephenson outdoor show was on at 4AM with the
> outdoor page. At 5, the morning page of the magazine began
> with Joe Ford.
>
> By November or so, the music changed to a light AC. By New
> Years 1983, The Radio Magazine KRBE had begun. While 1070
> was being altered constantly, you had to know that they were
> doing the same to the FM. They decided to put the Astros on
> 104, as well. The Astros were not happy with the signal of
> 1070. Simulcasting them on the FM would keep the Astros
> happy. This also was good for KKBQ who was now underway,
> quickly dismantling the prominence of the former "Superock."
> I was fired in the summer of '83. On the 1st week of June,
> management told me, the Magazine was through by the end of
> the week. "Chuck, we want you to stay. Would you like to do
> afternoons and play music?" I told them, yes. By Wednesday,
> I was told that they wanted me to do middays, as they would
> simulcast mornings and afternoons with 104. I said, okay.
> While I was on the air Thursday afternoon, a memo went out
> to the KENR news department to have a meeting. Since, I was
> now a DJ again, I did not attend. On Friday at 1:55PM, I was
> told it was my last show on KENR. I said, okay. (At this
> point nothing suprised me anymore, anyway) Around 3PM, I get
> a call from Howard Reynolds. "Chuck, they fired me last
> night. I couldn't do a last show."
>
> Howard told me since the KENR country library was still
> intact, would I go get Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and
> Shove It" and play the song when I went off as my last song.
> I felt it was a good request. At 2 minutes and 40 seconds to
> 6pm, I did my good-byes for Howard, the other staff and
> myself and dedicated the song to Lake Huron Broadcasting. Of
> course, I backtimed it perfectly to include the station ID
> and go straight into ABC News at 6pm.
>
> Monday morning, I went to get my check. I was told since, I
> had not attended the News meeting on Thursday, that I had
> quit. I told them, "Oh no. You fired me." They disagreed. I
> told them I would wait for my check. I sat in the lobby for
> a little while. They came and told me, if I did not leave,
> they would call the police. I said, "Please do. When they
> get here I will explain a little Texas law to you. When you
> fire somebody, you have to pay them. While we are waiting
> for the police, I will call the TV stations and let them
> know what's happening." As I ran my fingers through my
> beard, I said, "Hmmmmmm I can see it now, local DJ arrested
> at KRBE for attempting to collect his check. Thats gonna
> look real good, isn't guys?" They capitulated. I remember
> thinking to myself, "Carpetbaggers!" Don't mess with a
> Texan. LOL
>
> I would return to KNUZ, part-time and play the "Roots of
> Rock 'N Roll." By November 1984, I began a 13 year run at
> KILT. I was in radio heaven.
>
