Relevant Radio adds translators in Houston

[Ryan Williams]

Is it just me, or is Darrell Martin cashing out? Sold those 3 translators, and surrendered the atrocious AM in Killeen. Now he has a stand alone AM in Baytown, San Antonio, and Conroe, while "maintaining" an AM/translator in Beaumont, Wharton, and here in Tyler. I use the quotes around maintaining, because if KANI, KCHL, KYOK, and KZZB sound like our own KGLD up here, all of them are in serious trouble. 1330 is unlistenable. Audio is extremely low, with pops, crackle, and random electrical noises going out over the air. KGLD has remained one of the better maintained facilities, owned by Martin, over the years. Since the translator fired up, though, 1330 has been left to, apparently, rot on the vine.

The three translators in question were owned by the Lopezes, not Martin. Lopez used the AM Revitalization act to move them into larger markets and ostensibly leased the translators to Martin during the mandatory four year period. Once that period was up, they were put on the market.

The one in Austin is what I am most familiar with. It continued to broadcast "Gospel 1060" for many months after KFIT (1060) was acquired by Township and was broadcasting Sun Radio. At some point the automation for "Gospel 1060" seemingly was shutdown or ran out of logs and 103.9 has been broadcasting only silence ever since sometime in 2022.

I have spoken to Darrell Martin a few times over the years. At one point I made a pass at KRMY to use with a translator before the translator rules for primary stations were relaxed. He was nice enough, but the conversation never really went anywhere, which in hindsight I am thankful for as KRMY had a lot of challenges and my need was expressly for translator rule compliance. It hadn't been regularly broadcasting for many years, due to transmitter problems, and was a satellite of KFIT when it was on the air. The license was turned in last year because it was stated they lost the site lease. The land which KRMY's tower still sits on was at one point supposed to be a new Walmart but those plans never came to be... at least not yet.

I always got the feeling that KWWJ in Baytown is what got the attention and made most of the money. KROI's existence probably hasn't helped.

At this point Tyler and Beaumont are probably only kept around to feed the translators, which I would imagine is where people actually listen. I don't really know anything about the SA station.

 

[HTX]

KYOK

I don’t think KYOK was part of the sale. I think they’re actually on the air but extremely weak power and silent

 

[Deleted member 108832]

The three translators in question were owned by the Lopezes, not Martin. Lopez used the AM Revitalization act to move them into larger markets and ostensibly leased the translators to Martin during the mandatory four year period. Once that period was up, they were put on the market.

The one in Austin is what I am most familiar with. It continued to broadcast "Gospel 1060" for many months after KFIT (1060) was acquired by Township and was broadcasting Sun Radio. At some point the automation for "Gospel 1060" seemingly was shutdown or ran out of logs and 103.9 has been broadcasting only silence ever since sometime in 2022.

I have spoken to Darrell Martin a few times over the years. At one point I made a pass at KRMY to use with a translator before the translator rules for primary stations were relaxed. He was nice enough, but the conversation never really went anywhere, which in hindsight I am thankful for as KRMY had a lot of challenges and my need was expressly for translator rule compliance. It hadn't been regularly broadcasting for many years, due to transmitter problems, and was a satellite of KFIT when it was on the air. The license was turned in last year because it was stated they lost the site lease. The land which KRMY's tower still sits on was at one point supposed to be a new Walmart but those plans never came to be... at least not yet.

I always got the feeling that KWWJ in Baytown is what got the attention and made most of the money. KROI's existence probably hasn't helped.

At this point Tyler and Beaumont are probably only kept around to feed the translators, which I would imagine is where people actually listen. I don't really know anything about the SA station.

Yes of course, Carlos Lopez. Gosh, Ryan, I am absolutely embarrassed that I overlooked that fact in my earlier comments. I have had a previous encounter with Mr. Martin myself, and as you have said, he is a pleasant gentleman, well spoken, and a pleasure to have met. I was introduced to him through a mutual colleague. I have heard all of the other Martin owned stations around the State, even had a tour of the almost all original Decker Rd. studio and transmission site for KWWJ.

The worst of the Martin bunch has traditionally been 990 in Beaumont in my experience. KWWJ is, as you said, the leader of the pack, even being considered the flagship, if you will. KGLD has been traditionally treated on par with KWWJ. Always seemed to have rich, clean audio, whether a sermon was spoken, or music was being played. Since 104.9 signed on, 1330 has slowly but surely become worse and worse over the few years the translator has been on the air. Interesting, because KGLD produces a couple of local on air shifts, on top of the daily Wash Allen show and the various KWWJ produced programs being piped in. I have reached out to the mutual colleague, in hopes of relaying the current issues occurring up here on his facility. He received no response.

@HTX I believe you may have misread my post. KYOK has not been sold. I doubt it ever will be, personally. It has been a perennial loser facility since it first took to the air. Given the acceleration of deletions and surrenders of AM facilities around the country, I wouldn't be taken aback if, in the next few years, KYOK ends up on Mesa Mike's list.