KTAR 98.7

[thebeach33445]

Hey Guys:

Was KTAR 98.7's MOR format between 1968 and 1972 the "Hit Parade" auto format or was it live MOR?

Thanks

T.J.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

KT'R-FM (the original) ran Drake-Chenault's Hit Parade '69 and '70,
then later switched to what I think was called Solid Gold, also from
D-C. Can't give you exact date ranges or when the calls were
changed to KBBC, however the Old Gringo's yearbook stash may
give you some guidance.

 

[thebeach33445]

Hey Oldiesfan:

Thanks for that reply. They changed to KBBC in 1972. Would you know what format they ran before 1969? Did they Simulcast 620?

Thanks

T.J.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

The '64 yearbook states "dupe KTAR."

BTW, the same annual notes similarly for KOOL-FM: "dupe KOOL."
These yearbooks also fluctuated through the editions as to when
KOOL-FM was first on the air--some years say 1956, some 1960.

 

[oldtimeradio]

in 1968, KTAR-FM replaced the classical Heritage format with all instrumental music. The reason for this was to feed NBC Radio Network programming to the other affiliates in Arizona (except KIKO in Globe who had their own feed). I was at an Arizona Broadcasters Convention one year when Duane Brady said that KTAR was recording bunches of instrumental music for use on the FM. All they had to do was fade the music join the AM for an on the hour ID and then into News on the Hour.

The only problem was KTAR(AM) was using the old Western Union clocks which meant a lot of times the ID went out over the hourly time tone and Sounder. Meanwhile, all over Arizona, affiliates were using standard modern electric clocks and hit the network on time...and in the process pick up the KTAR ID. ;-(

And then there were the times I'd hit the switch for the network news at midnight and KTAR didn't feed it. The board ops would tell me it wasn't on their on air log, but they'd switch to it for me (maybe others).

Along about April 1969, KTAR-FM got the Scheafer automation (I think they had been using the IGM automation) and started Hitparade 69.

I hope this helps.

Mike

 

[oldiesfan6479]

in 1968, KTAR-FM replaced the classical Heritage format with all instrumental music. The reason for this was to feed NBC Radio Network programming to the other affiliates in Arizona (except KIKO in Globe who had their own feed).

This would be stations within 80-100 miles of Phoenix--or at least a receiver
up on a mountain near the affiliates--that could pick up KTAR-FM off the air
from South Mountain?

As I recall, KTAR 620 in the late 1960s/early 1970s had a crummy un-EQed
3.5 kHz Telco line for the NBC network, so it must have sounded just as bad
on 98.7 (maybe worse as a 15 kHz audio channel was passing 3.5 kHz audio)
as well as on the affils getting the OTA pickup.

KT'R (620) had nothing better-sounding until they added ABC/I in the early '70s
and all of a sudden...5 kHz network audio! (For ABC that is.)

The only problem was KTAR(AM) was using the old Western Union clocks which meant a lot of times the ID went out over the hourly time tone and Sounder. Meanwhile, all over Arizona, affiliates were using standard modern electric clocks and hit the network on time...and in the process pick up the KTAR ID. ;-(

By the late '60s, the WUTCO clocks had probably seen better days, and further
compounded by one being able to get a hold of the "wire chief" at the local WU
office to fix any problems with the clocks or the reset signal, which IIRC, was
sent out by WUTCO HQ in DC once a day at 12 noon ET.

And then there were the times I'd hit the switch for the network news at midnight and KTAR didn't feed it. The board ops would tell me it wasn't on their on air log, but they'd switch to it for me (maybe others).

What NBC affil station were you at, if you can safely divulge? Or can you
list the other AZ stations that had this particular setup for getting NBC?

In 1968, the NBC radio affil in Tucson was KCEE 790. I always thought
they had their own (also 3.5 kHz) Telco line for the net, but...?

Prior to spring 1967, KTAN 580 was NBC in Tucson, but it was sold, left
the air briefly and returned in June as Top 40 KIKX. I had heard anecdotal
evidence that KTAN got NBC via the KTAR-FM OTA transmission--picked
up either at the Mt. Bigelow TV XMTR site or at the three-stick KTAN site
on North Swan Road and (probably) local-looped down to the Sands Motel
studios. I do know the net feeds sounded like a crummy 3.5 kHz line.

 

[oldtimeradio]

The KTAR-FM signal was carried by microwave to stations outside the Phoenix area. The same was true for distributing CBS Radio (KOOL-FM), and ABC/Entertainment Network (KBUZ-FM).

As far as NBC Radio, I had a short stint at KINO Winslow (a week so a friend of mine worked there could move his family up there), and several months at KYCA in Prescott.

As far as the technical end of things I am way, way, way far away as an expert. I was more into what was being fed, and how it was being fed.

I had heard previously that KIKO in Globe paid for their own NBC feed which is why they were mentioned prior to a station break on Monitor. (Gene Rayburn then exclaimed,"Where the heck is Globe Arizona?" and then claiming he had found it on a map.)

The switchover to Hitparade on KTAR-FM was the latter part of April 1969. My time at KYCA ended about the same time, and I gave up on any kind of radio career later that year (predestination).

Mike

 

[oldtimeradio]

The KTAR-FM signal was carried by microwave to stations outside the Phoenix area. The same was true for distributing CBS Radio (KOOL-FM), and ABC/Entertainment Network (KBUZ-FM).

As far as NBC Radio, I had a short stint at KINO Winslow (a week so a friend of mine worked there could move his family up there), and several months at KYCA in Prescott.

As far as the technical end of things I am way, way, way far away as an expert. I was more into what was being fed, and how it was being fed.

I had heard previously that KIKO in Globe paid for their own NBC feed which is why they were mentioned prior to a station break on Monitor. (Gene Rayburn then exclaimed,"Where the heck is Globe Arizona?" and then claiming he had found it on a map.)

The switchover to Hitparade on KTAR-FM was the latter part of April 1969. My time at KYCA ended about the same time, and I got out of radio about the same time and was never able to get back in (predestination).

Mike

 

[thebeach33445]

Re: KTAR 98.7 to Mike

Hey Mike:

Thanks for that info. It really helped out alot. I did not know KTAR 98.7 had a classical format. Got to put that in my notes.

Would you know how far back the classical format was? In the 64 yearbooks it says that KTAR FM DUPS the AM programming.


Thanks
T.J.

 

[oldtimeradio]

No, my mind is foggy on the start date, although I think I am sure that KHEP-FM took over the classical format when KTAR-FM dropped it. Check your Broadcasting Yearbooks for the right info. ;-)

Mike

 

[oldiesfan6479]

The KTAR-FM signal was carried by microwave to stations outside the Phoenix area.

Yo, Mike: something doesn't make sense. Or maybe it does. Indulge me here.

If the KTAR-FM signal had been "simple" OTA pickups out in the hinterlands
then it would make sense, but if you go to all the trouble and expense of
setting up microwave links to the other stations--from South Mountain I
would assume--why send the air signal and not a "clean" feed of the NBC
network? (When I say "clean" feed, disregard the fact that the Telco line
coming in to 1101 North Central was in fact pretty dirty, as in 3.5 kHz.)

You have all these intercity relays set up, but you don't even spring for a
dedicated STL, or even a local loop Telco line, to carry the NBC feed up to
South Mountain--you're simply using the STL sending KTAR-FM.


If that was true, it's quite similar to what KOOL-TV and KOLD-TV did "on the
cheap" to get CBS programming to Tucson. A multi-hop microwave link went
from South Mountain to Pinal Peak to Mt. Bigelow to the KOLD studio.

KOOL had two STLs going up to the XMTR, but both normally carried the
master control air feed of channel 10, as one STL was a backup that could
immediately be switched to if the primary failed.

So KOLD almost always got a "dirty" feed from KOOL, with Phoenix station
breaks and the like, rather than a "clean" feed of net or net delay. From
what I've read, this started about 1959. Amazingly, KOLD had its own
Telco line up until then (but probably no VTRs yet, or maybe one). The
setup lasted until the summer (DST) period in 1977, when KOLD finally
"divorced itself" from KOOL in favor of Telco for CBS and four dedicated
one-inch VTRs for net delay.

 

[oldtimeradio]

Actually, I don't know the answer to your question. Perhaps the signal(s) went out to serve cable TV systems and the radio stations picked it up. I know up in Page we got the KBUZ-FM signal so we could have news twice an hour.

In KTAR's case they discarded the landlines and put the network feeds on the FM, and then a year later changed the format of the FM and the feed was back on land lines.

I'm sorry I don't know the answer to the question. Back then I just accepted what they did and didn't ask too many questions.

Mike