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KGOL Christian Radio

Before the AM, the original KGOL was a FM Christian station on 107.5, with a mix of Contemporary Christian music (such as it was then) and preachers. When the station was sold and flipped to Classic Rock KZFX in 1986, the calls and format were picked up by 1180, which had been a satellite-fed AC station (KTUN.)

The religion didn't last very long on 1180 as it veered off in other directions, mostly various brokered programmers. The station ran much less power in those days, before the 50kw upgrade.

The success of KSBJ probably helped kill off the original KGOL. The 107.5 signal was also upgraded at the time of the flip to KZFX.

I never listen to KHCB, but at various glances it hasn't changed much in the 50 years it has been on the air. Pretty much old-school conservative programming, much like what you might have heard on a 1950's era religious station.

There was also Jimmy Swaggart owned KJOJ 106.9 back in the 80's.
 
I remember KGOL Christian FM on 107.5. I tried to fill a softer niche than KSBJ, which at the time was Christian CHR / AC. Had KGOL hung on, it would now be the only CCM station in town, as KSBJ long ago abandoned CCM for praise and worship. Many times I have wished we still had KGOL now that KSBJ has abandoned its original audience.
 
The 1180 was doomed to failure from the outset. It started out with a 10 kW non-directional daytime signal, but a dismal 1 kW directional at night. Once it went to the outfit out of Charlotte, things were never going to improve. The owner brought in a 50 kW RCA transmitter that had been in service at WWL for half the century. The thing was an absolute piece of junk that produced more noise than it did audio. Once he realized that his satellite-fed religious format wasn't going to work in Houston; he quickly found a "pigeon" to sell it off to. And, another AM station fell victim to brokered ethnic programming.
 
stan said:
Speaking of KHCB, how can they have a translator in Beaumont, and clutter up our airwaves with something we don't really need or desire?

http://radio-locator.com/info/K285GD-FX
Click to expand...

KHCB has some listeners, or they couldn't keep on the air. Unless big churches and ministries bankroll the whole operation. I have only met one KHCB listener, and I go to a large church. Most everybody either settles for KSBJ, streams a Christian AC, Hot AC, CHR, or Christian rock station from somewhere else, or just gives up and listens to secular.

Beaumont at least has KCOL oldies, and a K-Love translator. Since when does Beaumont have better radio than Houston?!
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
stan said:
Speaking of KHCB, how can they have a translator in Beaumont, and clutter up our airwaves with something we don't really need or desire?

http://radio-locator.com/info/K285GD-FX
Click to expand...

KHCB has some listeners, or they couldn't keep on the air. Unless big churches and ministries bankroll the whole operation. I have only met one KHCB listener, and I go to a large church. Most everybody either settles for KSBJ, streams a Christian AC, Hot AC, CHR, or Christian rock station from somewhere else, or just gives up and listens to secular.

Beaumont at least has KCOL oldies, and a K-Love translator. Since when does Beaumont have better radio than Houston?!
Click to expand...

Since they have classic hits and active rock, and we don't.
 
I mentioned the 50 kW because of this (@ 0:17).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ-hqZpVY9Q&t=17s

(full moon outside, shows surround sound receiver with digital output)
"It's 4:05.  K-G-O-L.  Another hour of music continues through the night with..."

It's hard to imagine listening to KGOL this clear at nighttime pattern looking back from the state of present-day nighttime Houston AM!

The first one (Galveston seashore) is probably the least believable because of the Cuban blasters.  The second one has the FM antenna up presumably at the nurses' station at M.D. Anderson (Moody from Dallas?).  So many bloopers. :(
 
Mediafrog+ said:
stan said:
Speaking of KHCB, how can they have a translator in Beaumont, and clutter up our airwaves with something we don't really need or desire?

http://radio-locator.com/info/K285GD-FX
Click to expand...

KHCB has over two dozen stations rebroadcasting its programming, listed on the station's homepage: http://www.khcb.org/

A lot more stations than KSBJ has...for now.
Click to expand...

KHCB-FM uses its translators to have a larger geographic reach mostly in other parts of Texas since they broadcast from the Missouri City sticks at full power.  KSBJ tends to concentrate translators in and around the Greater Houston area, probably to compensate for the transmitter site of the main KSBJ signal.
 
Many of the ministries that are heard on KHCB function under a 'share program'. Typically a ministry with have an 'offer' of a book or something else that they promote at the end of a program, sometimes with a suggested donation amount. Each contribution coming from the station's listeners is credited to the station and they receive a percentage of the donation to offset the station's operating expenses. Coupled with listener contribution to the station directly provide most of the revenue. Christian radio has found that 'partners' that agree to a monthly pledge of funds is quite successful as it is much like the way churches operate by asking members to pledge a monthly amount to the operation of the church. The 'offers' are identical to those heard on secular non-commercial radio where a donation amount from the listener nets them some item for contributing at that level.

KSBJ would utilize underwriting, listener 'pledges', venues and several other avenues of funding to provide their operating budget. While I do not know personally how KSBJ operates, some non-commercial FMs sometimes seek a donation from those organizations wanting a station to announce their events, what we might call a public service announcement in commercial radio.

KSBJ and KHCB are vastly different in audience and how they operate. KHCB mostly utilizes volunteers with a handful of paid staff while KSBJ has a paid staff just as any commercial station would. KSBJ does much research while KHCB does not, but then again, their target audience and operations are so different they are like night and day.

Rest assured, KHCB has its listeners. We many times forget that a station that is not normally listened to by our circle of friends and co-workers does not mean they have no listeners, but rather, their listeners are not those within our circle.

KGOL, for some time, operated as a Preaching and Teaching Christian format before going ethnic/brokered. From what I understand, they did fairly well. I got that information from the people I know what ran the station at that time and I'm not talking the jocks.
 
What I don't get is how they are allowed to have translators all up and down the Gulf Coast to extend their broadcasting to an area not normally reached by their main transmitter coverage. This should not be allowed by any entity.
 
bturner said:
Rest assured, KHCB has its listeners. We many times forget that a station that is not normally listened to by our circle of friends and co-workers does not mean they have no listeners, but rather, their listeners are not those within our circle.
Click to expand...

I just think it is interesting that there are no listeners to speak of in large, conservative, fundamentalist churches. I would have thought they would be KHCB's target audience. Even people in their 50's and 60's are aware of the station, but never listen because it is just no fun to listen to - boring is a word I heard over and over when I asked around. They would rather listen to just about anything else.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
bturner said:
Rest assured, KHCB has its listeners. We many times forget that a station that is not normally listened to by our circle of friends and co-workers does not mean they have no listeners, but rather, their listeners are not those within our circle.
Click to expand...

I just think it is interesting that there are no listeners to speak of in large, conservative, fundamentalist churches. I would have thought they would be KHCB's target audience. Even people in their 50's and 60's are aware of the station, but never listen because it is just no fun to listen to - boring is a word I heard over and over when I asked around. They would rather listen to just about anything else.
Click to expand...

KHCB is more Mainline Protestant rather than Fundamentalist Evangelical, so that's why it's not popular with the megachurch crowd or the more intimate contemporary non-denominational crowd.
 
Why flip the format? As a non-profit, the are functioning just as they intended. A non-profit must operate under the guidelines which it was created to keep their status with the IRS.

KHCB has been successful enough to expand well beyond Houston with a good number of stations. All of this was initially funded by the Houston station.

They meet their budget. When the costs of operatioon is met and you're making enough revenue why scrap what is working?

It goes against the grain, but in a market like Houston, listeners does not always mean revenue. Having a segment of the audience or a niche market and owning it is much safer financially and many times more successful than getting in dog fights with the big boys. KHCB is, in essence, a big fish in a small pond. They'd likely prefer this to being a small fish in the bigger ocean trying to outswim a whale that sees you as a tasty morsel.

I am going on memory and up for being corrected by I understand in most scenarios, Christian radio, and I'm talking all the formats, usually accounts for about 3.5% of all radio listeners. If I am remembering that correctly, Houston is an unusual market and KHCB is pretty successful with its numbers (not to mention KSBJ).
 
bturner said:
Why flip the format? As a non-profit, the are functioning just as they intended. A non-profit must operate under the guidelines which it was created to keep their status with the IRS.
Click to expand...

I guess you must have a stake in the clunker or something to be defending them like that. They are mired well down in the ratings with the new news incarnation of 92.1, and a bunch of Spanish language stuff, rim shots, and AM's. To me - with Christian radio: ratings = potential salvations. If no people listen, nobody gets saved. If few people listen, few people get saved. If lots of people listen, lots of people get saved. If the ratings are poor, God has moved on and the station better follow suit and be where God wants them to be. The numbers will follow. Right now it seems to be preaching to the already saved. Pretty much a waste of time, effort, and a frequency if the imperative is the Great Commission.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
To me - with Christian radio: ratings = potential salvations. If no people listen, nobody gets saved. If few people listen, few people get saved. If lots of people listen, lots of people get saved. If the ratings are poor, God has moved on and the station better follow suit and be where God wants them to be. The numbers will follow.
Click to expand...

Yet KSBJ is a top 5 radio station and you disparage them every chance you get. Aren't they bringing a ton of people to Christ, even though you personally dislike their music?
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
I guess you must have a stake in the clunker or something to be defending them like that. They are mired well down in the ratings with the new news incarnation of 92.1, and a bunch of Spanish language stuff, rim shots, and AM's. To me - with Christian radio: ratings = potential salvations. If no people listen, nobody gets saved. If few people listen, few people get saved. If lots of people listen, lots of people get saved. If the ratings are poor, God has moved on and the station better follow suit and be where God wants them to be. The numbers will follow. Right now it seems to be preaching to the already saved. Pretty much a waste of time, effort, and a frequency if the imperative is the Great Commission.
Click to expand...

I am willing to bet that HCB is "reaching" more souls than the PPM will ever tell you... same with KSBJ (which I know folks love to whine about on this board saying they are "too praise and worship-y and no one listens") ... well I know for a FACT a lot of non believers and believers listen to KSBJ, the PPM is only a fraction of their actual audience -- and souls are being reached way more than their high PPM rating will ever tell.. Just look at KLove's success in other markets (Indy, Denver, Kansas City) people like the current state of Christian AC and the ratings are showing it in various markets.
 
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