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Who owned what in Houston thru the years?

H

houstonradiogeek

I hope I don't elicit groans from my fellow posters.

The thread on Sunny 99.1 made me curious.

Which companies owned which radio stations (AM & FM) before all the consolidations?

And I don't mean just during the 90's. ;-)

I didn't know KLTR (KKRW) was once owned by CBS. Or that KODA was a Westinghouse station. I do know ABC once owned KXYZ AM/FM.

I also know KLBS 610 was sold by McLendon, then years later he bought it back, renamed it KILT and made it Houston's #1 Top 40. After the McLendon era, who owned it, and how did it end up in Infinity's portfolio?

And so on and so forth.

Thanks in advance<P ID="signature">______________
I listen to what I like.
Ratings be Damned.</P>
 
> I didn't know KLTR (KKRW) was once owned by CBS. Or that
> KODA was a Westinghouse station. I do know ABC once owned
> KXYZ AM/FM.

KBNO 93.7 signed on in the late 1960's. In the 70's it became KRLY 94. This began the war of FM rockers as it went up against Superock 104 KRBE. It lost. While reatining the KRLY calls, it became Y-94 to go against AOR rockers KLOL & KILT-FM. It lost. It became Disco 94 which morphed into Love 94, an R&B station. It was the 1st station to use the moniker "Quiet Storm" on its night show. (I remember it well because I had a hot and heavy duty thing happening with this lady. We usually had it on Love 94. That Quiet Storm was excellant) In the early 1980s, KRLY would become KLTR.

> I also know KLBS 610 was sold by McLendon, then years later
> he bought it back, renamed it KILT and made it Houston's #1
> Top 40. After the McLendon era, who owned it, and how did it
> end up in Infinity's portfolio?

McLendon sold both KILTs to LIN Broadcasting. It remained as such, until Westinghouse purchased it around 1991. Westinghouse bought CBS. CBS merged with Viacom and bought Infinity. The Infinity name was retained for the broadcast group.

Now, to KXYZ-FM, it was known as "Love 96 and 1/2," in the early 1970s. The call letters were changed to KAUM. It was an album rocker in the beginning. It morphed into a Top 40 style in 1979. Later it would become KSRR. That was supposed to mean "Star 97." It was to be a hybrid of country and rock. Shortly after that KSRR meant Kick S Rock & Roll. (Kiss Ass Rock & Roll) It was then know as 97 ROCK. That is where the Moby & Matthews show appeared. ABC owned it during this time. They sold it and it would become KNRG "Energy 96.5" Eventually it became KHMX, Mix 96.5.
 
> McLendon sold both KILTs to LIN Broadcasting.

I wonder if that's the same LIN Broadcasting that now owns WAPA-TV-4 in Puerto Rico (aka the "Old Country")

> It remained as
> such, until Westinghouse purchased it around 1991.
> Westinghouse bought CBS. CBS merged with Viacom and bought
> Infinity. The Infinity name was retained for the broadcast
> group.

Who owned KIKK-AM/FM then? CBS? Infinity?


Thanks a bunch for the motherlode of information!<P ID="signature">______________
I listen to what I like.
Ratings be Damned.</P>
 
Now, to KXYZ-FM, it was known as "Love 96 and 1/2," in the
> early 1970s. The call letters were changed to KAUM. It was
> an album rocker in the beginning. It morphed into a Top 40
> style in 1979. Later it would become KSRR. That was supposed
> to mean "Star 97." It was to be a hybrid of country and
> rock. Shortly after that KSRR meant Kick S Rock & Roll.
> (Kiss Ass Rock & Roll) It was then know as 97 ROCK. That is
> where the Moby & Matthews show appeared. ABC owned it during
> this time. They sold it and it would become KNRG "Energy
> 96.5" Eventually it became KHMX, Mix 96.5.

Did ABC own it during the KKHT Hit 96.5 through to its AC days before Energy?
 
> Who owned KIKK-AM/FM then? CBS? Infinity?
>
Very quick rundown.

KRCT 650 Baytown purchased by Leroy J Gloegr in the early 1960s. He moved it to Pasadena. He want the calls KICK. They were already in Kansas City. He settled for KIKK. (Some people actually thought it was tied to an infamous racist organization. WRONG!)

KHUL "Cool Jazz" 95.7 FM was purchased by Gloger in 1968. He changed that to KIKK-FM. He dubbed it, "Super-KIKK"

He sold them in 1973 to Sonderling Broadcasting, who in turn sold it to Viacom.

Someone else will have to fill in the blank on KKHT 96.5. It may have been sold or was in transition. I'm not sure.
 
>
> Someone else will have to fill in the blank on KKHT 96.5. It
> may have been sold or was in transition. I'm not sure.
>

I'm thinking Malrite may have ended up with KSRR around 1986. Malrite also owned WMMS in Cleveland at the time and had transformed that AOR station to Top 40 in 1985. KSRR moved from AOR "97 Rock" to a "Rock 40" presentation and finally to CHR as KKHT.

dlf
 
I beleive you are coreect re; Malrite...did they sell to Nationwide (Insurance) and then to Clear Channel...or was there an intermediary owner?

>
> I'm thinking Malrite may have ended up with KSRR around
> 1986. Malrite also owned WMMS in Cleveland at the time and
> had transformed that AOR station to Top 40 in 1985. KSRR
> moved from AOR "97 Rock" to a "Rock 40" presentation and
> finally to CHR as KKHT.
>
> dlf
>
 
> I beleive you are coreect re; Malrite...did they sell to
> Nationwide (Insurance) and then to Clear Channel...or was
> there an intermediary owner?

Sold to Nationwide, which then was absorbed by Jacor (and Randy Michaels) who then was assimilated by the Borg (CC)
 
> > I beleive you are coreect re; Malrite...did they sell to
> > Nationwide (Insurance) and then to Clear Channel...or was
> > there an intermediary owner?
>
> Sold to Nationwide, which then was absorbed by Jacor (and
> Randy Michaels) who then was assimilated by the Borg (CC)

There was an intermediary owner, no? CC assimilated AM/FM. When I was first hired at KKRW, it had just happened on paper. 93Q was also part of that deal, but was sold off immediately.
>
 
> > > I beleive you are coreect re; Malrite...did they sell to
>
> > > Nationwide (Insurance) and then to Clear Channel...or
> was
> > > there an intermediary owner?
> >
> > Sold to Nationwide, which then was absorbed by Jacor (and
> > Randy Michaels) who then was assimilated by the Borg (CC)
>
> There was an intermediary owner, no? CC assimilated AM/FM.
> When I was first hired at KKRW, it had just happened on
> paper. 93Q was also part of that deal, but was sold off
> immediately.

MIX was already owned by CC before the CC/AMFM merger....
Jacor was the owner between Nationwide and CC as I stated above...

93Q went to COX and so did 97.1 (owned by AMFM but LMAed by ElDorado) and 107.5 (with a format swap with 94.5 which was owned by AMFM). 790 stayed with CC as did 740 and 950 (all brought by AMFM to the table). 880 and 700 were spun off as was 98.5 and 102.1 (owned by CC for many years).

WHEW too much for the brain to recall...I need food!
 
96.5 Ownership

> Someone else will have to fill in the blank on KKHT 96.5. It
> may have been sold or was in transition. I'm not sure.

Did NBC or Emmis own 96.5 at some point? I think I remember someone telling me that Emmis picked them up when they bought NBC's radio division in the early-mid 80s and then spun it off to Nationwide.

Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong (which I'm sure I am.)

Stelly
 
> I beleive you are coreect re; Malrite...did they sell to
> Nationwide (Insurance) and then to Clear Channel...or was
> there an intermediary owner?

Malrite owned 96.5 during the (original) KKHT years 1986-89. I recall Emmis had it during the brief KNRJ incarnation (1989-90.)
 
> KHUL "Cool Jazz" 95.7 FM was purchased by Gloger in 1968. He
> changed that to KIKK-FM. He dubbed it, "Super-KIKK"

I believe 1965 was when KHUL flipped to KIKK-FM. When the country format got the axe in 2002, it was widely reported that it had been on 95.7 for 37 years.
 
Want to go way back see what became of some of these stations? This is from the Department of Commerce official list of Houston area stations on the air on June 30, 1927.

800 KFDM-Beaumont-Magnolia Petroleum Company-500 watts
970 WTAW-College Station-Agricultural & Mechinical College of Texas-500 watts
1020 KPRC-Houston-Houston Post Dispatch (Houston Printing Company)-500 watts
1110 KFLX-Galveston-George Ray Clough-100 watts
1160 KFUL-Galveston-Thomas Goggan & Brothers Music Company-500 watts
1260 KFVI-Houston-56th Cavalry Brigade Headquaters Troop-50 watts
1410 KTUE-Houston-Uhalt Electric-5 watts

800 KFDM eventually became KLVI 560 Beaumont 5kW DAN
970 WTAW eventually became WTAW 1620 College Station 10kW/1kW ND1
1020 KPRC eventually became KPRC 950 Houston 5kw DAN

I'm trying to find out if the other stations just signed-off or morphed into another Houston-Galveston station. Unfortunately there is not a much history of Houston radio.

Mike O
 
KTUE became KXYZ in 1930.

> Want to go way back see what became of some of these
> stations? This is from the Department of Commerce official
> list of Houston area stations on the air on June 30, 1927.
>
> 800 KFDM-Beaumont-Magnolia Petroleum Company-500 watts
> 970 WTAW-College Station-Agricultural & Mechinical College
> of Texas-500 watts
> 1020 KPRC-Houston-Houston Post Dispatch (Houston Printing
> Company)-500 watts
> 1110 KFLX-Galveston-George Ray Clough-100 watts
> 1160 KFUL-Galveston-Thomas Goggan & Brothers Music
> Company-500 watts
> 1260 KFVI-Houston-56th Cavalry Brigade Headquaters Troop-50
> watts
> 1410 KTUE-Houston-Uhalt Electric-5 watts
>
> 800 KFDM eventually became KLVI 560 Beaumont 5kW DAN
> 970 WTAW eventually became WTAW 1620 College Station
> 10kW/1kW ND1
> 1020 KPRC eventually became KPRC 950 Houston 5kw DAN
>
> I'm trying to find out if the other stations just signed-off
> or morphed into another Houston-Galveston station.
> Unfortunately there is not a much history of Houston radio.
>
> Mike O
> <P ID="signature">______________
I listen to what I like.
Ratings be Damned.</P>
 
> 800 KFDM eventually became KLVI 560 Beaumont 5kW DAN
> 970 WTAW eventually became WTAW 1620 College Station
> 10kW/1kW ND1

Actually there is a step in the middle....970 became 1150 WTAW...where Watch The Aggies Win was for decades.....with it getting an Expanded Band allocation, they moved...I am waiting to see when the 1150 (under a different call) goes dark (it's supposed to)...will give 1140 in Conroe a chance to open pattern to the west.
 
> > 800 KFDM eventually became KLVI 560 Beaumont 5kW DAN
> > 970 WTAW eventually became WTAW 1620 College Station
> > 10kW/1kW ND1
>
> Actually there is a step in the middle....970 became 1150
> WTAW...where Watch The Aggies Win was for decades.....with
> it getting an Expanded Band allocation, they moved...I am
> waiting to see when the 1150 (under a different call) goes
> dark (it's supposed to)...will give 1140 in Conroe a chance
> to open pattern to the west.
>
Though the call letters came to mean 'Watch the Aggies Win' they had been assigned by the government by reversing the initials of William A. Tolson who had prepared the application for A&M. Tolson, a student, had been the chief operator of amateur stations 5YA and 5XB at A&M and instrumental in the historic Thanksgiving, 1921, broadcast of the UT/A&M game on 5XB. He later went on to work for RCA Labs and held numerous patents in radio, tv and radar.

http://www.wtaw.com/history.html

That's Tolson in the picture and that supposedly is the equipment used in the historic broadcast. I guess it depends somewhat on your monitor and resolution but I've seen a much better copy of that picture; Tolson did not have a mustache and was only about 20 or 21 at the time.

Further down in the history essay you'll come across the names of some Houston radio and tv people who passed thru WTAW - Dick Gottlieb, Charlie Harrison and Bill Zak.
 
> > 800 KFDM eventually became KLVI 560 Beaumont 5kW DAN
> > 970 WTAW eventually became WTAW 1620 College Station
> > 10kW/1kW ND1
>
> Actually there is a step in the middle....970 became 1150
> WTAW...where Watch The Aggies Win was for decades.....with
> it getting an Expanded Band allocation, they moved...I am
> waiting to see when the 1150 (under a different call) goes
> dark (it's supposed to)...will give 1140 in Conroe a chance
> to open pattern to the west.
>
WTAW 1620 was licensed on 02/26/2001, so 1150 should sign off on 02/26/06. I haven't kept track, but it seems many are not signing off after the five year period or the station is moving a 100 miles as a new station.

If 1150, now KZNE does go off the air on 02/26/06, this could give 1140 an great chance to become a station that would have excellent metro Houston coverage. KTMR 1130 Edna filed for a move to Bulverde, to the north of San Antonio, which would slide in nicely between KDRY 1100 and KRDY 1160. Chances are the FCC will approve the move from Edna to suburban San Antonio.

KYOK 1140 could send a hefty signal to the south. XEMR 1140 in Monterrey, NL would be the first station that would be a co-channel on 1140 with 50kW non-directional day. Nighttime XEMR goes to a directional pattern that sends very little power towards Houston at night. At zero degrees 256 watts, 30 degrees 200 watts and at 60 degrees 1854 watts. There would be a good chance that 1140 could be a very good coverage station for metro Houston 24/7, sadly I don't see it happening though. Houston has not even come close to D/FW, SA or Austin in upgrading AM stations to better match the urban sprawl.

Mike O
 
Someone mentioned that Leroy Gloger wanted to change the call letters of
KRCT to KICK. No so, Gloger wanted something that said Horse. Gloger got the KIKK call letter idea from AV (Bam) Bamford of San Antonio, owner of KBER Radio. The call letters came from an old station
in Pasadena California that had dropped the calls.

Bamford came up with the famous boot-I-boot-boot logo that graced Houston billboards for year and game KIKK a great idenity.

KRCT was a Baytown station, KRCT stood for Robert C Touchstone, the owner
of the station.
 
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