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KJMU 1340 Tulsa
- Thread starter X-Man
- Start date
I've listened a little; I hear some familiar voices from the past: Fresh Jamz, Mix 102.3, and Power 1550 / KBLK.
When they're live, it's kinda interesting; guests in the studio, beat mixing, etc. When they're automated, it sounds like a jukebox with no segues.
It also sounds like they have little or no processing, maybe nothing more than a peak limiter or something... I can get them on hwy 169 headed towards Owasso during the day, but every street light and electric meter drowns them out. Plug an Optimod or an Omnia on there and they might actually have some decent coverage... surprising, since I don't remember that station being listenable past 31st & Yale.
I still remember the day I was on Mix 102.3 and the PD of Love 1340 came into the station with (I assume) some of her church members, all clapping and shouting hallelujah and anointing the station with oil, claiming both the AM & the FM in the name of the Lord.
To their credit, 1340 stayed gospel a long, long time, considering all the changes in staff and ownership... and I suppose it could be argued even though it's CCM, Cox's operation of 102.3 as Spirit counts...
...hey, maybe it DID work! 8)
When they're live, it's kinda interesting; guests in the studio, beat mixing, etc. When they're automated, it sounds like a jukebox with no segues.
It also sounds like they have little or no processing, maybe nothing more than a peak limiter or something... I can get them on hwy 169 headed towards Owasso during the day, but every street light and electric meter drowns them out. Plug an Optimod or an Omnia on there and they might actually have some decent coverage... surprising, since I don't remember that station being listenable past 31st & Yale.
I still remember the day I was on Mix 102.3 and the PD of Love 1340 came into the station with (I assume) some of her church members, all clapping and shouting hallelujah and anointing the station with oil, claiming both the AM & the FM in the name of the Lord.
To their credit, 1340 stayed gospel a long, long time, considering all the changes in staff and ownership... and I suppose it could be argued even though it's CCM, Cox's operation of 102.3 as Spirit counts...
...hey, maybe it DID work! 8)
Uh...
...God's perfect timing?
(Truth be told, I thought it was the silliest, & scariest, thing I'd ever seen a radio staff do. And I've seen some scary things over the years, but a bunch of women hyped up on Name It And Claim It is SCARY.)
I begged God to keep 1530 KXTD Christian back in the early 90s and it went Mexican... so obviously His plans are not always ours.
Why? I dunno. You'll have to take that up with Him!
...God's perfect timing?
(Truth be told, I thought it was the silliest, & scariest, thing I'd ever seen a radio staff do. And I've seen some scary things over the years, but a bunch of women hyped up on Name It And Claim It is SCARY.)
I begged God to keep 1530 KXTD Christian back in the early 90s and it went Mexican... so obviously His plans are not always ours.
Why? I dunno. You'll have to take that up with Him!
TALK ABOUT TIMING!!!
Muy bien, amigos
By JEFF POSTELWAIT
World Staff Writer
3/26/2008
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080326_5_E1_spanc56577
Muy bien, amigos
By JEFF POSTELWAIT
World Staff Writer
3/26/2008
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080326_5_E1_spanc56577
J
j1203
Guest
Does the station match up to its FM competitors?
Signal strength: no. Not even close. They're on AM, from Sand Springs, 500 watts during the day, and weak, weak weak processing. I expect they sound pretty good in the parking lot, if there are no storms in the area.
Music mix: Maybe, but I'm a little "out of the loop" on the format.
It's hard to tell what they're aimng for, but it sounds like maybe it's a.... hot urban AC? Seems like I heard a fair amount of gold and not much modern hip hop, but it felt like a contemporary upbeat mix.Announcers: Where they have announcers, I'd give this one to 1340. 105.3 hasn't seemed (to my ears) to have much direction other than "open the mic and talk a while." What little bit I've heard on 1340 has been guys who have been at this for a while on one station or another and while they may not be New York or LA (or Dallas, or Denver) they have more of a polish and a forward momentum than what I've heard on 105.3. A different day might be a different story.
92.1's announcers just annoy the snot out of me, although they are significantly more polished and organized than either 105.3 or 1340.
Most PDs would rather have 92.1's jocks, while I'd rather listen to 1340's jocks. ;D
I think 1340, if it does anything, will likely hurt 105.3 a little in north Tulsa (since you can kinda hear them there) but won't put a dent into 92.1.
Crank up the processing, either get live jocks 6a - 12p or real automation, and analyze the music mix (and leave it alone if it's OK)... then, you might have a minimally competitively station.
In its current condition, it's an admirable effort but I don't expect it to be on much of anybody's radar screen.
Is KJMU the old KGOW I remember from the 1970s?
For a minute, I thought of KXXO, which was actually AM 1300 at the time and their tower was in the 81st and Harvard area if I remember. KXXO had a unique format for a time in the 1970s, and call letters that only my girlfriend at the time could understand (K kiss kiss hug).
Going back even further, didn't 1300 have the calls KOME back in the 1960s?
For a minute, I thought of KXXO, which was actually AM 1300 at the time and their tower was in the 81st and Harvard area if I remember. KXXO had a unique format for a time in the 1970s, and call letters that only my girlfriend at the time could understand (K kiss kiss hug).
Going back even further, didn't 1300 have the calls KOME back in the 1960s?
R
Radio55
Guest
KJMU is the former KTOW in Sand Springs. They played country, and sounded pretty darn good if I remember correctly. I think the station was owned by Hank Thompson and Roy Clark during the 70's. If it were me, I'd take that little 500 watt blowtorch and zero in on Sand Springs---local, local, local. News, sports, classic country format maybe and be a local station. It would probably have to be automated/computered to save money, but it could work. SANDITES FOOTBALL ON AM 1340!! Oh, I'm getting too worked up here!
This is a good example of some good radio stations that have just faded away. They were excellent training grounds for young radio people with some great hands on experience. KBIX and KMUS were two really good stations in Muskogee that are no more. KMUS moved to Tulsa and is now Disney and KBIX is sports. You should hear it. The signal is horrible. A waste. It makes it tough for people interested in radio to learn the business to the extent that they would be ready for coming into Tulsa. It's too bad.
KXXO in the 70's was excellent. Glenda Silvey worked there during that time and it was a pioneer in news/talk. The station was later a country format, KCNW, and I remember the station, again, sounding pretty darn good. And yes, it was also KOME, I think in the late 60s/early 70s. They may have been easy listening. Can't really remember. Today, 1300 is being wasted with yet another sports format. I can see the manager's meeting now, "Well, we have really no idea what to do with 1300. Oh, hell, just put sports on it or something and we'll sell it for $15.00 a spot." A tragedy.
This is a good example of some good radio stations that have just faded away. They were excellent training grounds for young radio people with some great hands on experience. KBIX and KMUS were two really good stations in Muskogee that are no more. KMUS moved to Tulsa and is now Disney and KBIX is sports. You should hear it. The signal is horrible. A waste. It makes it tough for people interested in radio to learn the business to the extent that they would be ready for coming into Tulsa. It's too bad.
KXXO in the 70's was excellent. Glenda Silvey worked there during that time and it was a pioneer in news/talk. The station was later a country format, KCNW, and I remember the station, again, sounding pretty darn good. And yes, it was also KOME, I think in the late 60s/early 70s. They may have been easy listening. Can't really remember. Today, 1300 is being wasted with yet another sports format. I can see the manager's meeting now, "Well, we have really no idea what to do with 1300. Oh, hell, just put sports on it or something and we'll sell it for $15.00 a spot." A tragedy.
Radio55 said:
Sounds correct to me. 1340 was KTOW. It may have been KGOW prior to that. I'm not sure. I know Roy Clark had an interest in the station at one time. It eventually landed in the hands of the owners of Cust-O-Fab. I'm thinking they're the ones who sold it to Bill Payne, who sold it to Davidson who sold it to Birach. It remained country for awhile and was required listening anytime you went to Cust-O-Fab. The studios were also right there on the Cust-O-Fab property. I was told they bought the station as a toy for their son, who is blind.
It would take a lot of money to bring KAKC back to its former glory. The reason KAKC is running ESPN Radio versus local news, talk, or music, is because its cheaper. KAKC is making more money by running a satellite stream of ESPN radio and selling the spots for $15/piece, than hiring a staff of 10, paying their salaries, and selling the spots for $30.
Outside of the Sports Animal, which really has a unique setup, KTBZ, Tulsa's other 24/7 sports station, only has 3 local on-air talents. 1 of them does sales full-time, one is a board operator/producer, and the other is a program director/board operator/weekend overnight talk show host on a national sports network.
They do a great job with what they have to work with, but trust me, if Clear Channel or any station group could make more money with more local talent on-air they would. I remember 5 or 6 years ago when KTBZ tried that themselves. They had local shows from 6-9, 9-12, 3-5, 5-7. It never took off and now you have one main local show a day on the station from 2-6 M-F. Granted there are other local shows on KTBZ (hunting, High School Sports, Drillers baseball etc...), but the flagship is the 2-6 program.
Radio is what it is. There's no getting around the glory days of yesteryear are over.
Outside of the Sports Animal, which really has a unique setup, KTBZ, Tulsa's other 24/7 sports station, only has 3 local on-air talents. 1 of them does sales full-time, one is a board operator/producer, and the other is a program director/board operator/weekend overnight talk show host on a national sports network.
They do a great job with what they have to work with, but trust me, if Clear Channel or any station group could make more money with more local talent on-air they would. I remember 5 or 6 years ago when KTBZ tried that themselves. They had local shows from 6-9, 9-12, 3-5, 5-7. It never took off and now you have one main local show a day on the station from 2-6 M-F. Granted there are other local shows on KTBZ (hunting, High School Sports, Drillers baseball etc...), but the flagship is the 2-6 program.
Radio is what it is. There's no getting around the glory days of yesteryear are over.
R
Radio55
Guest
Excellent point(s) Glenn... and I also have to take into account that these are AM stations, and it is simply a tougher sell. The business is different, much different than the Good Old Days. Sometimes it bugs me to be old enough to say, "Now, when I started in radio, it used to be...." It's the Used To Be's that are tough.
Holy Smoke! I just remembered I used to work for KTOW! Ron Narboe was there too. I just loved that guy. We lost Ron a few years ago. I think it was diabetes. He was such a wonderful air talent. He had also worked for KAKC, KVOO and in Atlanta where he won the NAB major market DJ of the year award. I forget what year. With so many of our ranks already home, I'll be in good company when it's my turn to take "the night train".
Bob O'Shea
Bob O'Shea
Yet more KTOW trivia:
For a period of time in the late 80s / early 90s, KTOW-AM 1340 & KTOW-FM 102.3 were owned by Tim Barazza, I think, the guy who owned club SRO. It was progressive 1340, and then they got the FM on, simulcasting I think. I remember them carrying the Dr. Demento Show Saturday mornings.
At some point they brought in Tony Day to program 102.3 as urban (Mix 102.3) and Mary Beard to program 1340 as black gospel (Love 1340).
The stations were still at the transmitter site in Sand Springs...
...right next to the waste management plant...
...and when they went to processing, and the wind kicked up...
...there was NO safe place in that station to get away from it.
UGH! I get nauseous just remembering... you always prayed you weren't on the air when that stench hit; it would knock the wind out of you.
The rumor at the time the station was urban was that the progressive staff had been allowed into the whole station, but after absuing the equipment or doing something that upset the owners, most of the building (including a recording studio) was shut off and both AM and FM were crammed into the back corner of the building. The door was always locked, and you could see through the window, offices which appeared to be trapped in the 70s.
For a period of time in the late 80s / early 90s, KTOW-AM 1340 & KTOW-FM 102.3 were owned by Tim Barazza, I think, the guy who owned club SRO. It was progressive 1340, and then they got the FM on, simulcasting I think. I remember them carrying the Dr. Demento Show Saturday mornings.
At some point they brought in Tony Day to program 102.3 as urban (Mix 102.3) and Mary Beard to program 1340 as black gospel (Love 1340).
The stations were still at the transmitter site in Sand Springs...
...right next to the waste management plant...
...and when they went to processing, and the wind kicked up...
...there was NO safe place in that station to get away from it.
UGH! I get nauseous just remembering... you always prayed you weren't on the air when that stench hit; it would knock the wind out of you.
The rumor at the time the station was urban was that the progressive staff had been allowed into the whole station, but after absuing the equipment or doing something that upset the owners, most of the building (including a recording studio) was shut off and both AM and FM were crammed into the back corner of the building. The door was always locked, and you could see through the window, offices which appeared to be trapped in the 70s.
NightAire said:
Barazza never owned the station per se. Cust O'Fab still owned it when it was progressive; they owned it for about 20 years. However, it's possible Barazza leased it when it was progressive. I remember hearing Cust O'Fab LMA'ed the station to the urban operator, too. Someone told me it was the same operator who LMA'ed 1550 from KXOJ. However, I distinctly remember KBLK being located at Donnie's on Apache (I used to skip driver's ed and walk down there in high school to hang out with Terry Alexander!), and I don't think Mix 102.3 was ever at Donnie's.
It was progressive 1340, and then they got the FM on, simulcasting I think. I remember them carrying the Dr. Demento Show Saturday mornings.
Yes, the FM signed on very suddenly in either '88 or '89. I can't remember exactly when. I remember hearing 1340 was airing a progressive format, and I was surfing the dial shortly after only to find it was on 102.3. I don't remember exactly when that was. Somewhere, I used to have a KTOW 102.3 bumper sticker!
I don't think it was the owners of Power 1550 KBLK (who actually were LMA'ing THAT signal from the Stephens at the time; I was there the night we got the call that the IRS had padlocked their studios and to shut the transmitter down), although some of the guys from KBLK absolutely ended up at Mix 102.3.
It was commonly believed there that 102.3 forced 1550 off the air... I'm sure it didn't help, but they seemed to do themselves in...
It was commonly believed there that 102.3 forced 1550 off the air... I'm sure it didn't help, but they seemed to do themselves in...
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