I also posted a topic on the "Soft AC/Easy Listening/Adult Standards" board redirecting to this board because I believe someone from the Easy Listening/Adult Standards board would knew about Transtar Format 41 and how Dial Global is the company today that can directly traced it's root back to Transtar Format 41 as it was discussed in this topic about Transtar Format 41 that was created back in Fall 2009 on the Soft AC/Easy Listening/Adult Standards board.
The article about KMGL on Wikipedia lacks a lot of information since KMGL was never a notable AC station in the nation since it served a small city (a small radio market) in the nation a.k.a. Oklahoma City and is owned by a private-held Pittsburgh-based radio corporation a.k.a. Renda Broadcasting (founded by Tony Renda), IMO. Although, I found KMGL to be very decent AC station out of the midwest that features music from Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Eagles, and Chicago to Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Black Eyed Peas, and Taio Cruz as of today besides other Renda AC's as well, along with other Soft AC's/AC's in the nation.
On Wikipedia, I have seen the KMGL article being edited a few times, but it looks like its more accurate now, although there's still not a lot of details in the history. Taken from the Wikipedia article just now,
"The station began broadcasting in 1965 in Oklahoma City and was known by the call letters KOFM. It was a Top 40 hits station. On June 2, 1986 KOFM became KMGL and changed formats to Transtar's Format 41. Over time KMGL became a fully live adult contemporary formatted station under the direction of PD Charlie Cooper and current morning personality Steve O'Brien. KMGL has been one of Oklahoma City's top rated stations since the mid 80's."
Anyways, here are my questions? (I would appreciated very much if someone knows and/or have any of the information/contents.)
1. Does anybody here know what the Transtar Format 41 sounded like in 1986? Is it an Easy Listening/Adult Standards that plays songs by artists like Barry Manilow, The Carpenters, Barbra Streisand, and such at the time? Or is it a Soft AC that plays songs by artists like Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Chicago, and such at the time?
2. Does anybody know the ownership history of KMGL before it fell under the ownership of Renda Broadcasting? And when did Renda acquired/bought KMGL?
3. Does anybody know a place where I can look at KMGL's playlist from the mid 80's, late 80's, and early 90's?
4. Does anybody have KMGL airchecks earlier than 1999? Perhaps from the mid 1980's, late 1980's, and early 1990's. I found some of KMGL airchecks including one as early as 1999 on ****************.
5. Were KMGL ever advertised on TV commercials before? If so, does anybody have recordings of it?
About me: (I just add all of this just in-case some of you are curious about me. You don't have to read it it's not about this topic.)
I was born in 1992 in Oklahoma City. I moved to Irving (which is in Dallas) when I was 11 in 2003. I didn't really start listening to music on the radio till I was 11 in 2003 which is the time I moved to Irving and that's when I actually start listening radio, adult contemporary radio, the so-called "soft rock" radio. I start listening to 103.7 KVIL, the local AC in DFW, which is a very popular AC in the nation a few decades ago. 103.7 KVIL later rebranded as The New 103.7 Lite FM when I was 13 in 2005 right after Christmas though they still kept the KVIL callsign. Around that time my parents still visit OKC a lot and I since I already started listening to AC's at that time, I also listened to Magic 104.1 KMGL, the local AC in OKC, which is a great AC at that time and still a great AC now, when I'm in OKC. Except these days, my parents rarely goes to OKC anymore, just once in a while, usually once or twice a year.
Today, KVIL is a terribly programmed AC and I wished I still live in OKC to listen KMGL over-the-air everyday without having to rely on the internet, Wi-Fi, or a smartphone device, err... it's not even a smartphone device. Rather than having an iPhone with expensive data plans to listen to much better programmed AC's including KMGL, I have an iPod Touch to listen to other good AC's nowadays including KMGL, WMGF, WLMG, and WLYF. There are other AC's that I didn't really bother trying to listen to including WMGC, WLQT, KOST, KSNE, etc. Though it would be nice to have a smartphone plus data, then I would be streaming these AC's even when I'm not at home, college, or the library. It's nice to have an iPod Touch because I can listen to these AC's through the internet through Wi-Fi while I'm at home and at college except not while I'm driving to college or home.
I used to listen to Hot AC for a time, but got tired of it and got back into Soft AC's/AC's. I started listening to Mix 102.9 (KDMX) when I was around 13 in 2005, though it's not something I'm really deep into to, I'm still a core AC listener at the time. Around the time I was a sophomore, junior, and senior in high school when I was around 15-18 around 2007-2010, I was a lot more into Hot AC though I alternate back and forth between Soft AC/AC and Hot AC at that time. As I was deeply into Hot AC at that time, I also discovered OKC have a Hot AC as well as known as 98.9 KISS FM (KYIS). I pretty much alternate between AC KVIL and Hot AC KDMX in DFW and alternate between AC KMGL and Hot AC KYIS when I'm in OKC. Though, I grew tired of Hot AC's near the end of my senior year in high school and listened to AC 100% of the time, and I was 18 in 2010 at that time which happens to be the time or at least near the time Hot AC's starts dropping 80s music and focus on 1990-present music with much more CHR crossovers.
About my parents:
My parents came to America around 1978-79. My mom lived in Carlisle, PA first before she moved to OKC in the early 1980's, probably 1981-82. My dad lived in Longview, TX, moved to Springfield, MO, then to OKC in the early 1980's as well. They didn't meet each other till there were going to OKCCC and OU in the mid 1980's, about the time when KOFM flipped to KMGL and adopted Transtar Format 41. Except, my mom was a babysitter at the time and my dad was a student, a math/science tutor, and a professor at the time. I think my dad got his BS from OU and starts working at some hospitals in OKC in Radiology/Nuclear Medicine around the late 1980's or early 1990's. My mom got her BSN from OU as well and starts working at several hospitals in OKC as a nurse in 1996. My parents married each other in 1990, which is about the same time when KMGL was either under Transter Format 41 or AC under the direction of PD Charlie Cooper and Steve O'Brien and my parents got me in 1992.
I doubt my parents listened to radio much though. They weren't that much into American music by then rather than that, they probably be listening to Vietnamese Easy Listening music on the cassettes and CD's, even by now, as the AC format these days wouldn't definitely fit them anymore. They also listen to classical music. They do listen Easy Listening and AC a little bit. They listen to everything including The Carpenters, Elton John, The Eagles, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, etc. They should have listened to KMGL at the time as it must been a really great AC station at the time although I understand it took them quite some time to transitioned to from the Vietnamese culture/music to American culture/music, but by now it's too late, the music on AC's fits more with 40 year old listeners as that's their median age target, my parents are in their mid 50s which means they're already fallen off the demographic target 25-54. The music on AC's these days are too modern/upbeat for them as it included contents like Katy Perry's "Firework" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". So, they had rather stick to the Vietnamese music on cassettes/CD's they had listened to ever since.
So of course, when I asked my mom about KMGL or radio stations in OKC at the time, she said she never listened to the radio at all at that time. I think my dad may did listened to the radio a little bit at the time, but he usually wouldn't remember anything much in radio in OKC from that time.
The article about KMGL on Wikipedia lacks a lot of information since KMGL was never a notable AC station in the nation since it served a small city (a small radio market) in the nation a.k.a. Oklahoma City and is owned by a private-held Pittsburgh-based radio corporation a.k.a. Renda Broadcasting (founded by Tony Renda), IMO. Although, I found KMGL to be very decent AC station out of the midwest that features music from Rod Stewart, Elton John, The Eagles, and Chicago to Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Black Eyed Peas, and Taio Cruz as of today besides other Renda AC's as well, along with other Soft AC's/AC's in the nation.
On Wikipedia, I have seen the KMGL article being edited a few times, but it looks like its more accurate now, although there's still not a lot of details in the history. Taken from the Wikipedia article just now,
"The station began broadcasting in 1965 in Oklahoma City and was known by the call letters KOFM. It was a Top 40 hits station. On June 2, 1986 KOFM became KMGL and changed formats to Transtar's Format 41. Over time KMGL became a fully live adult contemporary formatted station under the direction of PD Charlie Cooper and current morning personality Steve O'Brien. KMGL has been one of Oklahoma City's top rated stations since the mid 80's."
Anyways, here are my questions? (I would appreciated very much if someone knows and/or have any of the information/contents.)
1. Does anybody here know what the Transtar Format 41 sounded like in 1986? Is it an Easy Listening/Adult Standards that plays songs by artists like Barry Manilow, The Carpenters, Barbra Streisand, and such at the time? Or is it a Soft AC that plays songs by artists like Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Chicago, and such at the time?
2. Does anybody know the ownership history of KMGL before it fell under the ownership of Renda Broadcasting? And when did Renda acquired/bought KMGL?
3. Does anybody know a place where I can look at KMGL's playlist from the mid 80's, late 80's, and early 90's?
4. Does anybody have KMGL airchecks earlier than 1999? Perhaps from the mid 1980's, late 1980's, and early 1990's. I found some of KMGL airchecks including one as early as 1999 on ****************.
5. Were KMGL ever advertised on TV commercials before? If so, does anybody have recordings of it?
About me: (I just add all of this just in-case some of you are curious about me. You don't have to read it it's not about this topic.)
I was born in 1992 in Oklahoma City. I moved to Irving (which is in Dallas) when I was 11 in 2003. I didn't really start listening to music on the radio till I was 11 in 2003 which is the time I moved to Irving and that's when I actually start listening radio, adult contemporary radio, the so-called "soft rock" radio. I start listening to 103.7 KVIL, the local AC in DFW, which is a very popular AC in the nation a few decades ago. 103.7 KVIL later rebranded as The New 103.7 Lite FM when I was 13 in 2005 right after Christmas though they still kept the KVIL callsign. Around that time my parents still visit OKC a lot and I since I already started listening to AC's at that time, I also listened to Magic 104.1 KMGL, the local AC in OKC, which is a great AC at that time and still a great AC now, when I'm in OKC. Except these days, my parents rarely goes to OKC anymore, just once in a while, usually once or twice a year.
Today, KVIL is a terribly programmed AC and I wished I still live in OKC to listen KMGL over-the-air everyday without having to rely on the internet, Wi-Fi, or a smartphone device, err... it's not even a smartphone device. Rather than having an iPhone with expensive data plans to listen to much better programmed AC's including KMGL, I have an iPod Touch to listen to other good AC's nowadays including KMGL, WMGF, WLMG, and WLYF. There are other AC's that I didn't really bother trying to listen to including WMGC, WLQT, KOST, KSNE, etc. Though it would be nice to have a smartphone plus data, then I would be streaming these AC's even when I'm not at home, college, or the library. It's nice to have an iPod Touch because I can listen to these AC's through the internet through Wi-Fi while I'm at home and at college except not while I'm driving to college or home.
I used to listen to Hot AC for a time, but got tired of it and got back into Soft AC's/AC's. I started listening to Mix 102.9 (KDMX) when I was around 13 in 2005, though it's not something I'm really deep into to, I'm still a core AC listener at the time. Around the time I was a sophomore, junior, and senior in high school when I was around 15-18 around 2007-2010, I was a lot more into Hot AC though I alternate back and forth between Soft AC/AC and Hot AC at that time. As I was deeply into Hot AC at that time, I also discovered OKC have a Hot AC as well as known as 98.9 KISS FM (KYIS). I pretty much alternate between AC KVIL and Hot AC KDMX in DFW and alternate between AC KMGL and Hot AC KYIS when I'm in OKC. Though, I grew tired of Hot AC's near the end of my senior year in high school and listened to AC 100% of the time, and I was 18 in 2010 at that time which happens to be the time or at least near the time Hot AC's starts dropping 80s music and focus on 1990-present music with much more CHR crossovers.
About my parents:
My parents came to America around 1978-79. My mom lived in Carlisle, PA first before she moved to OKC in the early 1980's, probably 1981-82. My dad lived in Longview, TX, moved to Springfield, MO, then to OKC in the early 1980's as well. They didn't meet each other till there were going to OKCCC and OU in the mid 1980's, about the time when KOFM flipped to KMGL and adopted Transtar Format 41. Except, my mom was a babysitter at the time and my dad was a student, a math/science tutor, and a professor at the time. I think my dad got his BS from OU and starts working at some hospitals in OKC in Radiology/Nuclear Medicine around the late 1980's or early 1990's. My mom got her BSN from OU as well and starts working at several hospitals in OKC as a nurse in 1996. My parents married each other in 1990, which is about the same time when KMGL was either under Transter Format 41 or AC under the direction of PD Charlie Cooper and Steve O'Brien and my parents got me in 1992.
I doubt my parents listened to radio much though. They weren't that much into American music by then rather than that, they probably be listening to Vietnamese Easy Listening music on the cassettes and CD's, even by now, as the AC format these days wouldn't definitely fit them anymore. They also listen to classical music. They do listen Easy Listening and AC a little bit. They listen to everything including The Carpenters, Elton John, The Eagles, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, etc. They should have listened to KMGL at the time as it must been a really great AC station at the time although I understand it took them quite some time to transitioned to from the Vietnamese culture/music to American culture/music, but by now it's too late, the music on AC's fits more with 40 year old listeners as that's their median age target, my parents are in their mid 50s which means they're already fallen off the demographic target 25-54. The music on AC's these days are too modern/upbeat for them as it included contents like Katy Perry's "Firework" and Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". So, they had rather stick to the Vietnamese music on cassettes/CD's they had listened to ever since.
So of course, when I asked my mom about KMGL or radio stations in OKC at the time, she said she never listened to the radio at all at that time. I think my dad may did listened to the radio a little bit at the time, but he usually wouldn't remember anything much in radio in OKC from that time.
