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SPIRIT 102.3 SIGNS OFF.

About an hour ago; that was the "big announcement" KRMG was touting at 3. They are now simulcasting (with the stereo pilot still on, great for multipath) and identifying as:

"AM 740 & FM 102.3,
NewsTalk KRMG"

...which is a mouthful if I've ever heard one. That rivals "The twins, 94.5 & 101, KXOJ."

I'm wondering if the Cox simulcast is going to continue.

I also wonder if the little bit of staff they had at 102.3 is gone... & / or if the board ops at KRMG are gone, since I haven't heard them on the air since the switch was flipped.
 
ROTFL... the web stream is still playing promos saying, "Spirit 102.3 is EVERYWHERE! Listen on the air at 102.3!"

Uh-h-h... not so much.

Ignore my last message; I just read Chris, Rebecca & Good Friends are out the door. Obviously the stream will be a fully automated deal. Who can blame them?
 
So much for Chris Medlock coming on board.
Basically this massive and noteworthy transaction as Joe Kelly puts it, will give KRMG a greater reach while those who worked at Spirit 102.3 will be reaching for the want ads. Sad.
So the Cox Radio/KRMG layoff list continues. Marshall Stewart is let go among others recently. Now we have the Spirit gang out the door. Who's next?

Who's running the boards at KRMG these days? I haven't heard Dick Loftin's voice for several days. Is he still there? Will anyone be running the boards these days?
 
I find it hard to believe Cox would ax Chris. He's been a stalwart with Cox since they bought KRAV in the early days. I just find it hard to believe they'd ax a guy who's been so loyal to the Cox brand for so many years.
 
Glen: I think you've hit the nail on the head. I was willing to say, "it was because of Channel 6's audio going away" or "to try to put away KFAQ once & for all," or... I dunno. But after hearing in the very 1st simulcast newscast, "it was for financial reasons," I subtracted one from two and got "staff reduction."

I heard A board-op on the air before the switch, but only liners AFTER the switch... don't know if they've dumped KRMG's staff as well as KKCM's staff, or if this is just an "image" thing for the 1st day.

The irony to me is, the new focus seems to be on "breaking news." Ironic, because since Durkee left, their immediate coverage seems to have suffered! I'd like to believe they're going to re-dedicate themselves to being on top of breaking news (AND WEATHER, PLEASE) around the clock, but I've never known "reduced staff" to equal "better performance."

This a great thing for the KRMG brand, it's a very good thing for the Tulsa news / talk audience, it will likely be a good thing for FM 102.3... I can't help but think it's a very, very bad thing for AM 740.

102.3 has been a red-headed stepchild since it was purchased by Cox, 1st used to bludgeon KMOD, then bludgeon KXOJ. Now they're bludgeoning... one of their OWN stations???

This is today. I hope they have a plan for tomorrow, when there is a mass exodus from 740 to 102.3. 50,000 watts don't come cheap...

G Thompson: NOTHING would surprise me anymore. You're probably right, though... they would smart to keep him on to maintain the computers & the network, & to maintain the Spirit1023.com stream. Hopefully we'll hear something about Chris soon.
 
So we've come full circle, eh? KRMG broadcast on AM & FM together years ago (Vic Bastien was there, if I recall correctly) and I can remember the top of the hour as something like 'serving the great southwest with AM and FM from Tulsa Oklahoma...'. Have the call letters been changed for 102.3?
 
I didn't hear ANY legal for the FM at 3pm; I assume they fixed that at 4, but I don't know what the calls are. The FCC doesn't list any changes yet.

(Who knew there were applications for LPFMs of various kinds in Sand Springs at 92.5, 102.9, & 106.5? Not me!)

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?state=OK&call=&city=Sand+Springs&arn=&serv=&vac=&freq=0.0&fre2=107.9&facid=&class=&dkt=&list=0&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9

My grapevine claims Chris WAS let go, but I have no official confirmation on that... my source is 3rd hand & occasionally unreliable. ;)
 
stan said:
So we've come full circle, eh? KRMG broadcast on AM & FM together years ago (Vic Bastien was there, if I recall correctly) and I can remember the top of the hour as something like 'serving the great southwest with AM and FM from Tulsa Oklahoma...'. Have the call letters been changed for 102.3?
Click to expand...

What FM frequency was KRMG on back then?
 
philspice1 said:
What FM frequency was KRMG on back then?
Click to expand...

Back when you could only own one AM and one FM per market, 95.5 (now KWEN) was KRMG's sister.
 
NightAire said:
I didn't hear ANY legal for the FM at 3pm; I assume they fixed that at 4, but I don't know what the calls are. The FCC doesn't list any changes yet.
Click to expand...

If you go to the call letter search and look for "KRMG," you'll notice Cox filed a request for KRMG-FM today. In other words, it's not official, but it looks like it's definitely happening.
 
Stalwart? Loyal? Since when did that make any difference in radio? My heart pours out to the people who got whacked. I've been there, done that so I know how they're feeling about now. I saw Dick on camera while KOTV gave this Cox maneuver some news coverage so I believe DL is ok. I hope so. There is a great broadcaster! In defense of my buddy Steve Hunter, I don't believe he inspired this change. Cox Radio employees should just be thankful they're not owned by a newspaper! Loyalty? Radio? That is an oxymoron!

Bob O
 
Neal Boortz mentioned it twice on his show today. Both times, he was upset that he was not allowed to mention the flip of 102.3 yesterday, but Sean Hannity did. Kind of amusing.
 
In_Tulsa said:
Does this mean goodbye to Big Country? KFAQ 99.5fm
Click to expand...

Journal could save some money by simulcasting KFAQ AM-FM? Or better yet, bring back the KVOO calls on AM and broadcast country music like they did in the good old days?
 
The voice on those KRMG ID's was Johnny Merrell. He was the GM at KRMG in the early to mid 1960's and did a lot of voice work including some OTASCO commercials. He later moved to Wichita and In 1983 or 84 was doing the morning show on one of the stations there when he suffered a heart attack and died...It happened during a newscast so he wasn't actually on the air, the newsman had to finish out the shift.
 
KKCM/Tulsa Update: KKCM PD Chris Kelly checks in with HisAir.Net, "Regretfully, Josh Bentley and Rebecca Bennett (our morning show) are looking for their next opportunity. They are two very talented people. I'm staying as PD of the web stream and getting back the PD chair of our Classic Rock station, KJSR. Dave Weston has always done double duty as the morning guy at our Hot AC, KRAV and then afternoons at Spirit. So he still is with the cluster and will be the voice of the station on the web." Rebecca can reached at [email protected]
and Josh at [email protected]. (3/17)


Sorry for the casualties. But it IS comforting to see the company keeping their guy, Chris on board.
 
..So, there ya go; my source was wrong. And in this case, I'm glad!

(And I bet Chris is, too!) ;D
 
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