The only one that I can find is Texas Mix 105.3 but that's out of Hempstead. Anyone know if there's any full-time Texas Country stations in the works for Houston?
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There aren't enough Texas Country music stations in Houston
- Thread starter joesixpack
- Start date
DJboutit3 said:
Actually not true. Three of the biggest selling records this year are country. But neither are "Texas country."
Right now, the exploding Hispanic population is changing the overall demographic of the city, which will make most American formats obsolete in five years. KILT tried a regular "Texas country show," after KIKK shut down. It didn't save them from ratings trouble. Texas country is a fringe format even in its home state. People like the hits.
Shannon said:
Hi Jim,
Live stream KNBT out of New Braunfels and you'll hear some. Some of the Texas Country artists are Jason Boland, Stony Larue, Honeybrowne, Pat Greene (even though he's more main stream now), Reckless Kelly, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Robert Earl Keene, Cory Morrow and Charlie Robison to name a few. Since the mainstream country has gone Sunny 99.1 on us, I've kinda been liking the Texas country more.
poops
Thanks for the info Poops.
I logged on and listened for awhile. It seems to be sort of a new "Outlaw Country." Not the Nashville sound. More Local artists.
Sounds great! Country radio needs to look at it customers and give them what they want.
Jim Shannon
PS. In Houston, I was on KULF. worked Country radio in St. Louis at WIL and KIX for over 15 years.
I logged on and listened for awhile. It seems to be sort of a new "Outlaw Country." Not the Nashville sound. More Local artists.
Sounds great! Country radio needs to look at it customers and give them what they want.
Jim Shannon
PS. In Houston, I was on KULF. worked Country radio in St. Louis at WIL and KIX for over 15 years.
Try listening to http://www.texasrebelradio.com the stream for KFAN/KEEP from the Texas Hill Country (Fredericksburg/Johnson City)
or
http://www.1069theranch.com from KRVF (Kerens/Corsicana)
or
http://www.959theranch.com from KFWR (Jacksboro/Fort Worth)
I'd like a station like these in Houston too-- I know it is a niche format but there are plenty of niches that could be filled by the existing stations that are struggling in the ratings playing the crap they are playing now anyway.
or
http://www.1069theranch.com from KRVF (Kerens/Corsicana)
or
http://www.959theranch.com from KFWR (Jacksboro/Fort Worth)
I'd like a station like these in Houston too-- I know it is a niche format but there are plenty of niches that could be filled by the existing stations that are struggling in the ratings playing the crap they are playing now anyway.
HoustonListener said:
And there's plenty of niche formats already being played in Houston. I do agree with what most of the people have been saying here though. The masses want the pop hits, and that's what the stations have to provide if they want to stay in business. Still, there is a market here for Texas Country.
The Big A...you are showing you don't understand the format.
It's been around since the mid-70s. I knew the PD and MD at KAFM 92 1/2 in 1975, Jayson Fritz since KFAN (Texas Rebel Radio) began, etc., etc. The lure of the format is the 'cool' factor of AOR with a more personal connection between artist and listener. Listeners trickle in over time and in about a year or two it is very lotal and substantial...not #1 but very respectable. Amazingly, the niche format is not being tried in many places on signals that cover their markets. KFAN has been in the format almost 2 decades...I think it is working but it sure wasn't doing so great the first year or two.
Elephants and Grand Canyons...neither are Texas Radio
It's been around since the mid-70s. I knew the PD and MD at KAFM 92 1/2 in 1975, Jayson Fritz since KFAN (Texas Rebel Radio) began, etc., etc. The lure of the format is the 'cool' factor of AOR with a more personal connection between artist and listener. Listeners trickle in over time and in about a year or two it is very lotal and substantial...not #1 but very respectable. Amazingly, the niche format is not being tried in many places on signals that cover their markets. KFAN has been in the format almost 2 decades...I think it is working but it sure wasn't doing so great the first year or two.
Elephants and Grand Canyons...neither are Texas Radio
JayF makes a good point. The Texas Country or just Texas Music format (mixing more than just country songs), is not a format a 100kw signal in a major city could do. With the 'Big Boys' owning those signals there is too much demand for instant success. This leave the fringe signals owned by the 'Small Fry' companies to carve a niche in the market with the format. Time is not on Texas Country's side in this instance.
I have observed the Fredericksburg/Kerrville/Bandera, Texas small market since the early 1990s. KFAN switched to "Texas Rebel Radio" and later, picked up KEEP in Bandera. Later, longtime market leader KRVL in Kerrville switched from Country to Texas Country as "The Revolution" and expanded it to Sonora. The result was 2 Country, 3 Texas Country and a Nostalgia/Talk station. Now the market has newer signals to compete (an AC and Oldies), but with the lengthy presence of Texas Country in the area, it still has 3 of the 9 commercial frequencies and the stations are popular and successful financially. This might just be a quirky market but it also might mean that the long term market presence of Texas Country/Texas Music allows 1/3rd of the stations to make it with that format.
Another issue with the format is there is no concrete guideline on how the format is presented. Some stations season with classic rock while others don't touch the stuff. Some stations center more on album tracks while others run a tight playlist. Some are almost all current material but some only sprinkle it in. Some shy away from the slick production values and pop sounding material while others use it as the base of their format. Texas Country/Texas Music stations, as a friend put it, is not middle of the road...they're all over the road and the sidewalk too.
I have observed the Fredericksburg/Kerrville/Bandera, Texas small market since the early 1990s. KFAN switched to "Texas Rebel Radio" and later, picked up KEEP in Bandera. Later, longtime market leader KRVL in Kerrville switched from Country to Texas Country as "The Revolution" and expanded it to Sonora. The result was 2 Country, 3 Texas Country and a Nostalgia/Talk station. Now the market has newer signals to compete (an AC and Oldies), but with the lengthy presence of Texas Country in the area, it still has 3 of the 9 commercial frequencies and the stations are popular and successful financially. This might just be a quirky market but it also might mean that the long term market presence of Texas Country/Texas Music allows 1/3rd of the stations to make it with that format.
Another issue with the format is there is no concrete guideline on how the format is presented. Some stations season with classic rock while others don't touch the stuff. Some stations center more on album tracks while others run a tight playlist. Some are almost all current material but some only sprinkle it in. Some shy away from the slick production values and pop sounding material while others use it as the base of their format. Texas Country/Texas Music stations, as a friend put it, is not middle of the road...they're all over the road and the sidewalk too.
I would imagine the cume would not look too different from a classical format...lots of exclusive listeners that tend to not be button pushers. From a sales perspective, a good selling point is fewer impressions are needed to keep 'top of mind' with the audience. The tough part of the sale is some stations go with fairly high 'cost per thousand' rates. Most shoot for more local decision makers for advertisers and clubs are a good chunk of revenue. Still the typical station runs fewer units per hour than some other formats, which is both a symptom and a result of higher cost per thousand rates.
Speaking of sales, I love the KFAN idea for club advertising. They run live read "Fan Club Checks" listing venues and drink prices at clubs presented in more of a bulletin board style than the 60 second unit. The club pays a flat rate to be included. Sure beats a log full of club commercials.
Speaking of sales, I love the KFAN idea for club advertising. They run live read "Fan Club Checks" listing venues and drink prices at clubs presented in more of a bulletin board style than the 60 second unit. The club pays a flat rate to be included. Sure beats a log full of club commercials.
P
purpledevil
Guest
I would think 97.1 would be a good place for a Texas format, but considering that Country Legends has overall been in the crapper for the past year or so and the lack of commitment that Cox has shown KTHT with regards to hiring jocks, changing the playlist once in a while, etc., the chances aren't good. KTHT covers a lot of real estate in East Texas, which would make me think that country is the obvious choice at 97.1. Problem is, not enough people in Houston proper listen and that can be attributed to the aforementioned lack of concern for the overall product and presentation that is Country Legends.
Wouldn't you think 97.1 is the obvious choice for the next Cox format wheel spin? Its numbers are in the tank and Cox is obviously putting some effort into Houston with the flips of K-Hits and The Point within this last year.
Wouldn't you think 97.1 is the obvious choice for the next Cox format wheel spin? Its numbers are in the tank and Cox is obviously putting some effort into Houston with the flips of K-Hits and The Point within this last year.
97.1 would be a good place for Texas Country but I doubt Cox will do it. A computer sitting in a room playing the same songs over and over with a sprinkling of commercials tossed in does not cost too much to operate especially with the combo buy combination with 93Q. Simply put, 97.1's format is too easy and cheap to do. Any changes will take more money than they're current spending on 97.1.
Something like 105.3 KJDL in Lubbock. Check out their stream:
www.truecountrylubbock.com
All Texas Country on a 50,000 watt station.
www.truecountrylubbock.com
All Texas Country on a 50,000 watt station.
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