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KFWD 102.1 HISTORY QUESTION DEBATE HELP

T

thebeach33445

Hey Guys:

I was discussing with a friend about FM Top 40's in Dallas. Could anybody tell me was KFWD a top 40 as 102 Stereo first and then an AOR as FM 102 and when?

Thanks
T.J.
 
KFWD in 1974 or so, was a Top 40 FM station in DFW. That is, the music was Top 40, but the "presentation" was that of a "progressive" station. They would segue 3 in a row and then stop to back sell what you "just heard" and do their PSA, Liner or whatever and either play spots or start another 3 in a row.

This was during the time that KNUS 99 FM was going strong as a Top 40 with a far superior presentation that included air personalities (Ken Dowe, Kevin McCarthy, Beau Weaver, Christopher Haze to name a few), high profile promotions (Fantasy Park, High-Low, Cash Clock, Rear Window Sticker, ...), top notch news (Jack Hines and others)....

KLIF was still in the Top 40 fight as well on AM, and although they had a slight resurgence in 1975, their days were clearly numbered.

KVIL in 1974 was just under new management and coming on strong with Chapman, Gardner, Schell, Selden, Major Tom and promotions that nobody could touch...
In those days, KVIL wasn't "Adult Contemporary", that name hadn't been invented yet, but they were basically Top 40 without the heavy R&B, Rock product and teeny bopper stuff. Indeed, most of the time it was hard to tell they weren't Top 40!
.... and we know how that all worked out...
 
Exactly, but the Top 40 format dates to a few months earlier, in 1973, and I've even heard it as 1972. I do know for a fact that, when I got my first FM radio in Sept 1973, KFWD was playing the Top 40 format that Eberhart described. The backsell was, "Stereo Fort Worth-Dallas, KFWD music. During the last few minutes we've heard (artist) (song,)..." times three. The late Randy Coffey was the jock I heard the most. Their jingle package was "Regalogos" from PAMS, which was a drastic departure from PAMS' usual "happy" jingles...these were done in minor keys and had a serious tone to them...although they couldn't resist dragging out the Sonovox for added effect on a few. The flip to Album Rock came in 1975; the KFWD calls came around in 1971. I believe the original 1971 format was MOR (based on hearing their entire Regalogos set, which was edited down later for use in a Top 40 environment.)
 
Mike, your time-line is correct as far as I can recall. But here's something that I'm not sure anyone will remember. One weekend while the station was still MOR, presumably in 1971, it was supposedly "taken over" by the jocks. At least that's the impression that was created; word had it that the program director owner was out of town and owner Stanley Marsh 3 was in Amarillo. That particular weekend 102.1 played in your face Top 40 with high-energy presentation. One name stands out, a guy called China Blue, who did evenings. On Monday it was back to the easy listening stuff, with the same jocks, although China Blue didn't use that name again.
 
I was a senior in high school in 73-74. We did articles on Dallas/Fort Worth Radio for the school newspaper. I knew Randy Coffey and visited the mobile home at the airport when Randy was on the air. Mike Shannon has it exactly right. Breaks were at :60, :10, :20, :30, :40 and :50.

Top of the hour was news headlines every other hour (every 30 minutes overnight through morning drive) otherwise top and bottom of the hour was time, temp and ID. Back announcing the last 3 songs played was at :10, :20, :40 and :50 with weather added at the :40 break.

Maximum 2 units (30s or 60s) followed by a jingle into music at :10, :20, :40 and :50.

All songs were currents except for oldies on the top and bottom of the hour. I hated their rotation because the jocks got a list of songs to play at a certain time. I bet "Those Were The Days" by Mary Hopkins was played at 6:30pm once or twice a week and "Nights In White Satin" including poem, by the Moody Blues aired at 8:30pm once or twice a week. Simply put, the specific oldie played at exactly the same time every time it played.

Randy described the format as top 40 without the hard edge presented in a beautiful music style (assuming the beautiful music stations back announced...ie: KXXK as in the "Music for Groovy Grownups" days that were in the pre-KOAX days).

KFWD has been KFWT, a beautiful music leaning MOR station with jingles (and they owned TV 21 in Ft. Worth) but went bankrupt. The calls switched to KFWD but the MOR format remained until late 1972 or early 1973. I recall KFWD went about 6 to 8 months without a commercial when they started as a top 40.

KFWD went to album rock in 1975. Later they changed to KTXQ. This was after they began eating KZEW's lunch.

To put this into perspective, KAFM was still album rock, KNUS was top dog top 40, KVIL had a stranglehold on AC, beautiful music was still on 104.1 as KIXL's FM station (KEZT). KWXI 97.1 was a couple of years away from switching to Z-97. KFAD had become KAMC, dropped country and was album rock (really freeform) and was about to evolve into Progressive Country about 6 months prior to KAFM in late 1974. KSCS hard recently changed to Soft Country Hits from Beautiful Music as WBAP; WFAA was in the process of dropping the beautiful music format for Album Rock as KZEW 98 FM (my Mom griped that I had changed the dial setting on her clock radio when that switch happened). KXOL FM was about to become KPLX and was in the final months of oldies during the day and a simulcast of KXOL 1360's Top 40 format at night (which I liked better than KLIF, KNUS and KFJZ when they were top 40).

The only station that was much like KFWD at the time was a relatively new FM in Ardmore, Oklahoma, KKAJ. They played Top 40, back announcing every two songs with weather at :30 and 90 seconds of UPI Network news at :60. I actually liked them a tiny bit more than KFWD because they had a larger playlist and went on songs faster.

I may be completely wrong about this, but if I recall correctly, KFWD did not have a real short rotation on the hits. It seems about 3.5 hours or so and I swear I don't remember seeing a hot clock in the studio, just a stack of about 30+ singles with songs played from the top of the stack.
 
I should add that KVIL, what we would call adult contemporary today, was simply a lighter side of top 40...perhaps they were a pioneer in the AC format.

KFWD was Top 40. You wouldn't hear Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple on KVIL, but KFWD played it.

Randy said KFWD didn't make it financially, although they made it to #2 or #3 in the market, because the ad agencies didn't understand the format (or was it a poorly performing sales staff). I think he said KFWD reached #2 or #3 12+ 6a-12M at one point.

Speaking of KVIL, it was a thrill to find them in 1969 as I had moved from Kansas City to Dallas. In Kansas City, I listened to KBIL 1140, another pioneer adult contemporary station (no Hendrix, Cream, Iron Butterfly, etc) with Pop Hits like For What Its Worth by Buffalo Springfield and Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees.

It sort of amazed me that my favorite station in Kansas City was 1140 KBIL and in Dallas it was essentially the very same format on 1150 KVIL...and both were daytimers!
 
I think the PAMS Regallogos was an MOR/Beautiful Music package. You might search YouTube. I think a few of them are on there.
 
bturner said:
... beautiful music was still on 104.1 as KIXL's FM station (KEZT)...
Click to expand...
I think KIXL-FM was 104.5 mhz, but great recollection of radio related events!

I remember the KIXL slogan "104 on both dials" as they occupied 1040 AM and 104.5 FM. When I was a kid my father had KIXL-FM playing in his office, and always had the car radio on it.
 
You're right! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9tGRx4v1l0

Those were from Ron Harper, former KFWD jock who was once married to Celeste Matthews at Young Country. I believe he's in Cincinnati radio nowadays.

That set of jingles was used only on the 'beautiful music' version of KFWD, IIRC. Others within the same package (mostly harder-edged) were used on the Top 40 version.

Bturner's recollection of commercial breaks fits my memory...and those breaks were always on the mark...and it was the same jingle played at the same time each hour. The one at :30 was always, "Stay with 102...KF...W...D" (the PAMS Sonovox had been edited out from the full-length version.)

The rotation was fairly limited, as Bturner said. I remember Steve Miller's "The Joker" being heard VERY often, for one. I even started logging their playlist for a while (hey, 3rd grader then...nothing else better to do while being ENTHRALLED with the 'new' FM band) but those notes are LONG gone.

Along with the full set of Regalogos, I also have an 8-sec clip of a KFWD backsell I recorded in 1974, that has the jock (Mike Early?) announcing, "During the last few minutes we've heard Carl Douglas with 'Kung Fu Fighting.'" Yeah, "Kung Fu Fighting" on the eventual Q-102. Kinda surreal.

And great recollections from all...thanks for that. To an outsider, I'm sure some of these minute details are boring and useless, but to us, they're very much interesting and intriguing!!
 
I was in high school when KFWD was top 40 and turned to Album Rock. I remember working almost 40 hours a week, mostly alone at the Fish & Chips place in the food court in Town East Mall. By '75 I was at the Fish & Chips in the food court at Valley View, opening the store with coffee and donuts at 9 and working solo until 4pm. Listened to lots of radio in those days. I was running my 100mw. then and not many months would go by before I got a Midnight to 3 Wednesday Night/Thursday morning volunteer shift at KCHU, then 90.9 FM. I have stories to tell about Ka-Choo.
 
Such details are boring to some but my objective is to get a feel of what it was like behind the board at these stations. From my 'on air' days, I have a vivid memory of lining up the commercials, planning things out in accordance to the hot clock and all the backtiming to network news. I love descriptions that make for a written version of an unscoped aircheck.

I fact, the toughest to me was KSEO 750 in Durant: UPI News :60, UPI Sports :15, :45 and Oklahoma News Network at :30. Mix in weather at :20 & :40 and squeeze in the commercials. Those brain cells got a workout.
 
Excellent thread. Great reading. Almost feel that I shouldn't jump into this. I have nothing to add about 102.1.

A couple of notes about other stations mentioned:

KIXL was 1040am/104.5fm. There must be something out there that says 104.1, but it was 104.5.

Anyone remember that KVIL 1150 always had a good sound to it ? Very Directional, but great sound quality. I remember Ron Chapman joking on the air once that KVIL-AM
had six towers....one for the signal to come out of....the other five to keep it from going anywhere !
 
You are absolutely right, KIXL FM was 104.5, not 104.1. My mistake.

And yes, KVIL AM's sound was exceptional.

Off to work...more later
 
I'm certainly wouldn't argue with you guys who seem to be very knowledgeable but somewhere, somehow I too keep recalling KIXL on FM at 104.1 ("104 on both dials").. It seems there was a change somewhere in history that moved KKDA from 104.1 to 104.5 but, hey, I can't remember what I had for breakfast today! You guys come up with LOTS of information and memories. Thanx!
 
unclepudd said:
It seems there was a change somewhere in history that moved KKDA from 104.1 to 104.5
Click to expand...

Well, that's a new twist. On Mike Shannon's site he mentions that the station was once on 104.3. We discussed this a while back and it's my opinion that wherever he might have seen that it was likely a misprint.

Yes, KIXL used the slogan "104 on both dials" but remember that those were the days of analog tuning, so for FM "104" was close enough. KKDA-FM has been on 104.5 from its inception in 1975, as was its predecessor KEZT from 1972 to 1975 and the original station, KIXL-FM, which signed on in 1947. Trust me on this one; I worked there and I was heard on "both dials."
 
jd said:
unclepudd said:
It seems there was a change somewhere in history that moved KKDA from 104.1 to 104.5
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Every source available on David's invaluable site (www.americanradiohistory.com) lists KIXL-FM on 104.5 during its entire history - from its first appearance in the 1948 Broadcasting Yearbook, through all ensuing Broadcasting Yearbooks and White's Radio Logs.
 
I recall a fairly long period of time when KEZT was on the air only 7am to 7pm awaiting approval of the sale to KKDA. Anybody recall how long that was?
 
bturner said:
I recall a fairly long period of time when KEZT was on the air only 7am to 7pm awaiting approval of the sale to KKDA. Anybody recall how long that was?
Click to expand...

Basically the last year or so of KEZT's existence. No secret they were having severe financial problems. Inferior signal (to the big Cedar Hill sticks) didn't help, either.
 
Wow, I had no idea KEZT was 7am to 7pm for a year or more. I figured the FM might not have been doing real well, but I always figured KIXL as doing pretty well...enough to keep KEZT going fulltime. I realize this was during the time FM was rapidly gaining new listeners and AM was losing, but I didn't realize they had financial difficulties.

Thanks for the info.
 
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