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KOKE-FM returning to Austin

A

Anonymouse

Guest
From RadioInsight.com:

99.3 KLGO Thorndale/98.5 K253AN Sunset Valley/Austin, TX have completed the process of moving its Christian Talk “The Word” format to what was 1490 KFON Austin.
At midnight tonight the FM’s began stunting with a loop of “Oh Happy Day” and instructing listeners to move to 1490 to hear the previous format. The KLGO call letters are on their way to 1490 as well as 99.3 is now KOKE-FM.

http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/58752/koke-fm-returning-to-austin/

What format do you all think the 99.3 and it's translator will flip to? Not familiar with the call letters "KOKE" at all.
 
KOKE was Austin's FM country when KASE was still running beautiful music/easy listening. As I recall, KOKE 95.5 didn't last long after KASE flipped. So, my guess is that it'll be country.
 
The use of KOKE-FM would have to be done with the current owner of the calls. KOKE-- now a Mexican Regional formatted AM station on 1600 licensed to Pflugerville-- has simulcast on FM before on 102.7 before that translator went to Emmis.
 
Well, given the below on the http://thestationthatstarteditall.com/ page....

Joe Garcia has been the vanguard and proprietor of the KOKE call letters at its home in Giddings, Texas at AM 1600. Joe’s Hall Of Fame broadcasting lineage includes his father, Jose (Jaime) Garcia, who blazed the trail and set the standard for Hispanic and Tejano broadcasting in Texas.
Click to expand...

... they've probably got that!
 
Not only that, but the call letter change of 99.3 to KOKE-FM has already been granted by the FCC. You can see it by running a callsign search at the FCC website.
 
fredcantu said:
The use of KOKE-FM would have to be done with the current owner of the calls. KOKE-- now a Mexican Regional formatted AM station on 1600 licensed to Pflugerville-- has simulcast on FM before on 102.7 before that translator went to Emmis.
Click to expand...

Fred, weren't you the PD of 1560 when it first went to a Tejano format? I don't know a thing about Joe García, and the link on this thread indicates he is a pioneer of sorts of Tejano radio... can you fill in the details?
 
The Garcia family converted KELG 1440 from a local Elgin country-formatted station to a Spanish language Austin. They also started KKLB-FM 92.5 in Elgin which ran a Tejano format as Club 92.5 They acquired Tejano format competitor KTXZ-AM 1560 and IIRC changed the format to Spanish Rock & Alternative. The Garcias sold all of the stations to Border Media only to require the AMs down the road including new startup KOKE 1600 which Border Media had tried to program as Progressive Talk.
 
It's interesting to note that in it's Progressive Country days, KOKE-FM did not have a morning show.
They had a Spanish language program 6-10am, and then country beginning at 10:00am.
They assumed-- and perhaps rightly so-- that their country audience weren't early risers.

BTW-- KOKE-FM's playlist was not limited to Country. I recall a three-in-a-row in the middle of the night that included Stairway to Heaven followed by Dolly Parton and some Jan & Dean. It was ecclectic to say the least.
 
fredcantu said:
BTW-- KOKE-FM's playlist was not limited to Country. I recall a three-in-a-row in the middle of the night that included Stairway to Heaven followed by Dolly Parton and some Jan & Dean. It was ecclectic to say the least.
Click to expand...

I miss those days, before radio became so homogenized and safe and corporate.
 
fredcantu said:
The Garcia family converted KELG 1440 from a local Elgin country-formatted station to a Spanish language Austin. They also started KKLB-FM 92.5 in Elgin which ran a Tejano format as Club 92.5 They acquired Tejano format competitor KTXZ-AM 1560 and IIRC changed the format to Spanish Rock & Alternative. The Garcias sold all of the stations to Border Media only to require the AMs down the road including new startup KOKE 1600 which Border Media had tried to program as Progressive Talk.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Fred. That is very interesting, and now all the pieces fit together in my mind.

With eyes on Mexico today as they elect a new government, it's a nice time to mention Fred's amazing website, www.mexicanradiotv.com where every station in the country is listed, with site links (including many with streaming) and market by market station lists. It's definitely worth checking out and bookmarking.
 
CTHank said:
fredcantu said:
BTW-- KOKE-FM's playlist was not limited to Country. I recall a three-in-a-row in the middle of the night that included Stairway to Heaven followed by Dolly Parton and some Jan & Dean. It was ecclectic to say the least.
Click to expand...

I miss those days, before radio became so homogenized and safe and corporate.
Click to expand...

Indeed....I would kill for a station with that kind of playlist.
 
DavidEduardo said:
fredcantu said:
The Garcia family converted KELG 1440 from a local Elgin country-formatted station to a Spanish language Austin. They also started KKLB-FM 92.5 in Elgin which ran a Tejano format as Club 92.5 They acquired Tejano format competitor KTXZ-AM 1560 and IIRC changed the format to Spanish Rock & Alternative. The Garcias sold all of the stations to Border Media only to require the AMs down the road including new startup KOKE 1600 which Border Media had tried to program as Progressive Talk.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Fred. That is very interesting, and now all the pieces fit together in my mind.

With eyes on Mexico today as they elect a new government, it's a nice time to mention Fred's amazing website, www.mexicanradiotv.com where every station in the country is listed, with site links (including many with streaming) and market by market station lists. It's definitely worth checking out and bookmarking.
Click to expand...
If you are going to bookmark Freds website, then get the URL right ! : mexicoradiotv.com
 
I was blessed to be a weekend deejay at KOKE-FM during its legendary years in the mid 70's...we had a massive wall of LPs in storage shelves right behind us at the console with country, rock, jazz, folk music, cajun etc etc -- no "clocks" to tell us what to play -- just play anything you want and make it work! Sweet freedom!

Fred and David, one other important piece of the "La Familia Garcia" radio story is the fact that Jose Sr. eventually left KOKE-FM to start KMXX 102.3 FM in 1976 - way ahead of its time as Austin's first full time Spanish-language FM station.
 
Tower Erection said:
If you are going to bookmark Freds website, then get the URL right ! : mexicoradiotv.com
Click to expand...

Good catch... I obviously typed faster than I could think. :(
 
More bits and pieces:

I noticed on Facebook that Eric Raines-- late of KVET FM-- says he is involved in the launch of the new KOKE FM.

And-- Early this morning... approx. 2:45am... I heard commercials and a liner from what sounded like Ray Benson IDing "K-O-K-E Austin's country alternative."

And a tweet tells me other radio changes may come up as early as today. I'll believe it when I hear it.
 
I purchased a new car this weekend and started setting my presets. I was listening to this station and I love it!

I also will add that HD Radio is pretty awesome. Is it weird that most of my presets are of the alternative frequencies?

GO KOKE
 
pretty cool, on June 28, Bob Cole posted this on his facebook "Last night's posting of www.thestationthatstarteditall.com motivated many folks to post, call, text and ask if the legendary KOKE-FM may soon be returning to the Austin airwaves? Legally, I cannot confirm this...yet. (Jason Nassour...am I in trouble?)"


And they have a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/KOKEFMAUSTIN so it could be nothing,but then again, would indeed be nice to have true variety back on the airways
 
I can hardly wait for the debut of this station! The only thing I find sad is that the tie-in to Veterans causes isn't there (but as soon as CC kills the VET station - I say it's inevitable - maybe they can create the connection at KOKE). I only wish I were at home more to enjoy the station over the air, and I hope they can live stream in the near future.

I'm rooting for the entire team, from owners to on-air personalities, to be WILDLY successful!
 
In the 1960's the KOKE call was on 1370, then Austin's only Country station.

When KAZZ 95.5 was purchased by KOKE around 1968, The AM and FM would have separate morning shows from 6-10am: Spanish language on the FM, and Arliegh Duff hosting Country on the AM. The two stations would simulcast the Country format 10am to sunset, then the FM continued with Country through the night.

The Progressive Country format on KOKE-FM in the early 70's was quite innovative for its time. Similar format was on KAFM in DFW for a couple of years in the mid-70's.
 
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