KOHM FM & KTXT TV now KTTZ FM & TV - why???

[ncountysurf]

Why did 89.1 KOHM FM & KTXT-TV 5 Lubbock change call letters to KTTZ FM & KTTZ-TV?

Other than Texas Tech (TT), why KTTZ? Why drop heritage calls (KTXT)? Even Ohm was a seemingly more solid call sign than KTTZ. Am I missing something? ???

 

[MikeSFNM]

They also just let a Class A CP expire in Junction, Texas, on I-10 west of the Hill Country. Curiously, the permittee is identified in FCC records as "KOHM" and not Texas Tech. Tech has a branch campus in Junction.

Texas Tech was one of the strong suitors of Odessa College's KOCV, but they (and Texas Public Radio KSTX/KPAC/KTXI) lost to Marfa Public Radio (KRTS). They bought KUTX San Angelo from the University of Texas' KUT, and traded the call sign with KUT's new CP in Somerville, original call sign KNCH. The now-KNCH in San Angelo identifies itself as "Concho Valley Public Radio." How independently they run of KTTZ (erstwhile KOHM), I don't know.

What have they done with the once student station, KTXT 88.1 FM? Anyone know?

 

[EggsOverEasy87]

They also just let a Class A CP expire in Junction, Texas, on I-10 west of the Hill Country. Curiously, the permittee is identified in FCC records as "KOHM" and not Texas Tech. Tech has a branch campus in Junction.

Texas Tech was one of the strong suitors of Odessa College's KOCV, but they (and Texas Public Radio KSTX/KPAC/KTXI) lost to Marfa Public Radio (KRTS). They bought KUTX San Angelo from the University of Texas' KUT, and traded the call sign with KUT's new CP in Somerville, original call sign KNCH. The now-KNCH in San Angelo identifies itself as "Concho Valley Public Radio." How independently they run of KTTZ (erstwhile KOHM), I don't know.

What have they done with the once student station, KTXT 88.1 FM? Anyone know?

They now brand themselves as 88.1 "The Raider."

Students will do some on air news briefs and sports reports. I think they cover live TTU Volleyball or something. For the most part, it is just BBC programming and Jazz. They might have a small morning show. They have a facebook page and have said that they will be moving in a bigger studio soon. I think they will be moving into the old BA on Tech campus, along with the College of Mass Communications.

They have been asking people on their page more than a few times on what changes people would like to see come to the station. I hope that is a positive sign that they will lose the BBC programming and keep it on 89.1. I would love to see student run shows again that play a variety of formats. I've driven through Amarillo before and caught a glimpse of 89.9 from Amarillo College and 91.1 from West TX A&M. Wouldn't mind KTXT sounding similar to one of them.

Check out their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/TheRaider881

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TheRaider881

Can't wait for the changes to take place (hopefully they will be good changes and not the public radio stuff that belongs on 89.1). I look forward to the day where I can add 88.1 to my presets again. Without a true college station in Lubbock, it just feels like something is missing to me.

 

[EggsOverEasy87]

To address the original question regarding the call letter change with89.1 and Channel 5, check out this article.

http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/article_9bc96250-4ae7-11e1-a571-0019bb30f31a.html

 

[DG]

Supposedly they wanted to take advantage of the "double-T" brand.

Ramar is already using KTTU for their sports FM in Lubbock, and rumor was that Brad wanted something like $1.5M for Tech to use it.

KTTZ was available so that's what they went with.

KOHM and KTXT-FM were moved under Mass Comm last Spring. The Chancellor decided to move them under the Public TV station KTXT-TV last September. The original plan was to have KOHM and KTXT-FM swap calls in order for the 2 public stations to share the same call. Mass Comm wanted to keep the KTXT-FM callsign (there's more than 52 years of history behind them) so they decided to change KTXT-TV and KOHM instead.

The DT article says that the merger was to save money. There is only 1 radio employee left of the original 5 before the merger. That places the old KOHM under the minimum staffing levels that both CPB and NPR requires. Many listeners have told me that they feel the change in call letters was so the TV could "rob" the radio station, so in response they will no longer donate. With CPB's long-term future still in doubt, donors dropping like flies and PBS about to fold shop, I'm sure the "savings" are being felt already.

I was hired by Mass Comm in mid-December to oversee KTXT-FM. It has been a challenge. We're having to start a music library from scratch. A new automation system is being installed so that there will be less reliance on network programming. We are operating out of a temporary studio in the basement of Mass Comm and will be moving to new studios this August. The students are doing some news, some sports play by play and more original programming will be forthcoming.

-DG

 

[DMcCloy]

I don't blame Brad Moran asking for $1.5 million for KTTU. He's got no reason to give it to them, and Tech certainly has shown they're willing to waste cash on useless things. He didn't get it, but I doubt he really wanted to give KTTU up. More like a "if they take it they're suckers" move.

 

[DG]

They also just let a Class A CP expire in Junction, Texas, on I-10 west of the Hill Country. Curiously, the permittee is identified in FCC records as "KOHM" and not Texas Tech. Tech has a branch campus in Junction...

Tech used to have a "Freshmen Orientation" camp in Junction just prior to the big semesters. The local economy got a huge influx of cash from the new students who were there for the 2 to 3-day event. Admin requested a CP for a new station down there once the FCC opened a new filing window and I complied. That KOHM was the permittee was a mistake- it was incorrectly entered on the electronic form. The Red Raider Orientation ran for about 2 years before being cancelled due to "costs". Its cancellation is still a very sore subject for the locals. The original admin that requested the CP has been replaced- TWICE. Once the state budget cuts began, any thought of a station in Junction was tabled and forgotten. It never really did make much sense.

...Texas Tech was one of the strong suitors of Odessa College's KOCV, but they (and Texas Public Radio KSTX/KPAC/KTXI) lost to Marfa Public Radio (KRTS). They bought KUTX San Angelo from the University of Texas' KUT, and traded the call sign with KUT's new CP in Somerville, original call sign KNCH. The now-KNCH in San Angelo identifies itself as "Concho Valley Public Radio." How independently they run of KTTZ (erstwhile KOHM), I don't know...

KOCV was in terrible shape and their signal didn't cover Midland very well at all, and Midland is where the best pool of untapped donors live. A new broadcast facility was also needed. Worst of all, Odessa College wanted the bid winner to remove 2 broadcast towers from their central campus as part of the package, and that was the deal-breaker for Tech. I wish Marfa well as their plan included locally-originated programming which I think is the key to a local PubRadio station's success.

When Angelo State joined the TTU System in 2007, KUT in Austin made Texas Tech an offer for what was then KUTX in San Angelo. Tech bought the station and per the transfer agreement, created the new callsign KNCH (for Concho). The KUTX calls were then transferred to Somerville in order to prevent another Austin FM from using them. Incidentally, a callsign that was seriously being considered for San Angelo was KMHO (reciprocal ohms!), but no one other than engineers would "get it" so KNCH was adopted instead. Formal inroads were being made with Angelo State a few years ago, but I don't know what the situation is now. The original idea was to run it independently from KOHM as the San Angelo listeners were not keen on KNCH being an outside signal, especially from Lubbock. The goal was to make it as local as possible given the fact that the studio was 200 miles away. Aside from a few common flagship network programs, the 2 stations have very different formats.

...What have they done with the once student station, KTXT 88.1 FM? Anyone know?

For the time being, KTXT-FM is under the College of Mass Communications. I am working to bring it back, complete with students, and to move into new studio digs this coming August.

-DG