Why is Liberman trashing KCOH Radio???

[Softjamms]

How many Spanish formatted radio stations are there in the Houston-Galveston Market and how many English Speaking Black American Stations are there??? And what are the population ratios??? Or format ratios??? KCOH...Those call letters have represented black Houston since 1957.... What's going on...? There are over 30 some odd radio stations in that general market area and almost a third of them are Spanish speaking!! DUH...!!!

 

[b-turner]

For one, KCOH is leasing the station from Liberman. They may be moving to another station or they may have been having trouble paying the rate. More than likely, they are moving to a new frequency and the timing just didn't work out perfectly. So, in essence, KCOH is/was a client of Liberman's.

 

[purpledevil]

How many Spanish formatted radio stations are there in the Houston-Galveston Market and how many English Speaking Black American Stations are there??? And what are the population ratios??? Or format ratios??? KCOH...Those call letters have represented black Houston since 1957.... What's going on...? There are over 30 some odd radio stations in that general market area and almost a third of them are Spanish speaking!! DUH...!!!

So wrong on so many levels. KCOH began in 1953 actually, not 1957. To answer your other questions in the order with which they were fired:

Spanish language formatted stations: 93-3 KQBU, 94-1 K231CN, 98-5 KTJM/103-3 KJOJ, 102-9 KLTN, 104-5 K283CH, 104-9 KAMA, 106-5 KOVE, 107-9 KQQK, 850 KEYH/1230 KCOH, 1180 KGOL, 1400 KHCB, & 1590 KMIC/980 KQUE/1380 KRCM/88-1 KFTG.

English language "Black American" formatted stations: 880 KJOZ, 92-1 KROI, 93-7 KQBT, 97-9 KBXX, 102-1 KMJQ, & 102-5 KMAZ.

There are more Hispanics in Houston than there are Blacks or Whites. There are less stations in Houston targeting Hispanics than the overall population calls for. You read that right, softjamms. There should be more than there are now, if we were properly representing the populace as it currently stands in Houston, Texas.

What's going on, is that Ben Hall must've not paid 1230's owner (which he is not) for the time they were using on the signal. Thus, they were given the heave ho.

It's apparent that you posted in anger over the loss of KCOH, and you're taking it out on Hispanics only because Regional Mexican is currently airing on KCOH today. My question is, would you be so bigoted towards long haired, head banging white boys, had it gone classic rock instead?

 

[davideduardo]

How many Spanish formatted radio stations are there in the Houston-Galveston Market and how many English Speaking Black American Stations are there??? And what are the population ratios??? Or format ratios??? KCOH...Those call letters have represented black Houston since 1957.... What's going on...? There are over 30 some odd radio stations in that general market area and almost a third of them are Spanish speaking!! DUH...!!!

Expanding on purple's good post:

There are 92 commercial, non-commercial and translator stations in the Houston MSA. That does not include HD-2 or LPFM signals.

25 are in Spanish, and that includes 13 which are translators or very limited AM religious outlets.

The market is approaching 38% Hispanic. It is 17% African American.

Of course, not all Blacks listen to stations specifically targeted at them and not all Hispanics listen to Spanish language stations. At the end of the day, we have as many stations of any kind as the market's economy will support.

None of this changes the fact that Liberman was renting a station for the format you have lost. The renter didn't honor the contract so Liberman sent them away. Wouldn't you do the exact same thing if someone owed you rent and did not pay?

 

[mrtejano]

So any ideas of what will LBI do with the station? Maybe play OLDIES? lol jk.

 

[davideduardo]

So any ideas of what will LBI do with the station? Maybe play OLDIES? lol jk.

Probably look to lease it to another party. Liberman pretty much gave up on trying to make AM work any other way when they sold KHJ in Los Angeles.

 

[purpledevil]

Probably look to lease it to another party. Liberman pretty much gave up on trying to make AM work any other way when they sold KHJ in Los Angeles.

Either that, or there is the possibility that "La Ranchera" permanently remains on KCOH, while KEYH goes to the brokered model. KEYH is a marginally better signal in Houston proper, I'd assume it would warrant at least a bit more money than 1230, if Liberman were to decide to lease it out instead.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Either that, or there is the possibility that "La Ranchera" permanently remains on KCOH, while KEYH goes to the brokered model. KEYH is a marginally better signal in Houston proper, I'd assume it would warrant at least a bit more money than 1230, if Liberman were to decide to lease it out instead.

Perhaps Liberman should simply sell the crummy 1230 license and be done with it. Pathetic facility; probably headed for (more) Spanish language religion.

I've long thought that KEYH would be a good place for an Asian language broadcaster. It has a blockbuster signal in the heavily Asian areas of the market. Even the night signal does well in that part of town.

 

[purpledevil]

Perhaps Liberman should simply sell the crummy 1230 license and be done with it.

Who'd buy it, Frog? Stuck on Ennis, on a graveyard frequency, complete with an ever deteriorating signal that's contaminated by the ground it sits on. No one in their right business mind would touch it. Top that off with the fact that you'd then have to pay rent to Univision just to have the privilege to continue to deteriorate. A winning proposition it is not.

I've long thought that KEYH would be a good place for an Asian language broadcaster. It has a blockbuster signal in the heavily Asian areas of the market. Even the night signal does well in that part of town.

Now this could work, but to outright drop the long history of KEYH as a Spanish language voice in Houston? It's been that way since 1976, Frog. Changed formats and owners a couple of times over the years, but it's one remaining constant has always been that it has remained a well known voice of the Hispanic community. I mean it's certainly plausible, just look at KLVL.

You're sure right, it would be prime for Asian language, specifically Vietnamese, given the location of KEYH in SW Houston, and even though that 185 watts doesn't sound like much for 850, it sure beats KREH's 10. I listen to KEYH most every night up here on the northside. KREH's night signal is an urban legend to me, having never heard it past sunset, myself. Then you compare 850's 10kW day torch with 900 only having half of that at its disposal, and it becomes apparent rather quickly that your idea puts KREH out of business rather quickly.

Edit to add: I just heard the old NBC emergency chimes on KEYH at the 03:00 ID. 4 notes, followed by (in Spanish, of course) KWIZ Santa Ana, "La Ranchera" 96-7 FM. Followed by a spot for Estrella TV, on canal 62! Had to look that up, didn't know exactly where Santa Ana was. Now I know, it's where all the winds come from that we hear about on the news during CA's fire season. Not sure why, but apparently somewhere between 01:00 and now, KEYH linked up with a station outside of L.A. A quick check of KCOH, which remains in simulcast with 850. Wonder why we're being fed L.A.'s La Ranchera?

 

[K.M. Richards]

Not sure why, but apparently somewhere between 01:00 and now, KEYH linked up with a station outside of L.A. A quick check of KCOH, which remains in simulcast with 850. Wonder why we're being fed L.A.'s La Ranchera?

Liberman owns KWIZ.

 

[purpledevil]

Liberman owns KWIZ.

I saw that when I looked up KWIZ last night, K.M. I just wonder why KEYH/KCOH was being fed KWIZ's audio? It has since returned to normal as of this morning, airing Estrella TV promos for our own affiliate, local spots, etc. I listen to KEYH often and don't recall ever hearing Liberman do that before. A bit peculiar, especially given the recent developments of KCOH being added to the mix.

Edit to add: K.M., might you know where those chimes originated? I compared them with the audio file I have of NBC's emergency chimes from many years ago and they are subtly different.

 

[johndavis]

If I were a betting man, an automation failure occurred and they patched in the LA feed to keep the needles moving.

Equipment failure is always the equipment's option.

 

[K.M. Richards]

K.M., might you know where those chimes originated? I compared them with the audio file I have of NBC's emergency chimes from many years ago and they are subtly different.

No idea. The Libermans and I do not get along.

If I were a betting man, an automation failure occurred and they patched in the LA feed to keep the needles moving.

It's also probably the cheaper solution than the one I would have taken, which would have been to have an old laptop at the transmitter site pre-loaded with music and generic imaging and wired in to the audio system in such a way that loss of audio from the normal source puts the laptop on the air.

But Liberman is also known for cheapness on the radio side of their business, and patching in KWIZ is even cheaper than keeping an old laptop on standby, even if the laptop was too old to be used for anything else.

 

[b-turner]

And I might mention, RF tends not to be kind to computers. That standby might not have worked by the time it was needed. Then again, pulling in another feed from elsewhere is pretty easy and cheap.

 

[Mediafrog+]

but to outright drop the long history of KEYH as a Spanish language voice in Houston? It's been that way since 1976, Frog. Changed formats and owners a couple of times over the years, but it's one remaining constant has always been that it has remained a well known voice of the Hispanic community. I mean it's certainly plausible, just look at KLVL.

I recall visiting Houston a few times in the early 70's and KEYH was an English language news station. Depends on what you want to make the baseline for historical comparison.

KREH's night signal is an urban legend to me, having never heard it past sunset, myself.

Do they actually operate at night? I've never head a night signal out of KREH, only the co-channel pileup atop XEW. Guess I should listen to 900 around sunset/sunrise and see if there is any sort of sign-on/sign-off from KREH.

 

[purpledevil]

It was indeed. Signed on in 1974 as "850 KEYH, the Key to Houston" as a news/talk station. From what I've gathered over the years, as I was only 8 years old when it signed on, it ran the news/talk during the week and flipped to Spanish on the weekends. The old stories say that the Spanish language music weekends proved so popular, that the news/talk format was completely abandoned in '76, taking the music format full-time and going head to head against KLVL. My earliest recollections of KEYH have always been as a Spanish language station. Too young to have ever paid attention to it as an English language talker.

So...KREH at night is a myth to you too! It's authorized for 10 watts at night, but be darned if I've ever heard it. Ever. "W Radio" XEW, most every night over here. Must need to be right in the Pecan Grove subdivision to hear Radio Saigon at night.

 

[K.M. Richards]

And I might mention, RF tends not to be kind to computers. That standby might not have worked by the time it was needed.

I should have remembered that, because I did once have a station I consulted be hung out to dry when the STL failed and the backup programming then failed to kick in.

IIRC, we then replaced the PC with a CD player which had an hour of generic programming on it. The studios were only a half-hour away and there was a little Radio Shack mixer and two more CD players to originate programming until the studio link was restored.

I probably forgot about that original "solution" not working because I never again recommended it to a client. Thanks for the memory-flogger, Bill.

 

[Softjamms]

WHITE BOYS AND ROCK AND ROLL... OOOOHHHH NO NOT REALLY!!! Purple Devil; and the devil is in the details, my name is Guy Sims. I got my feet wet in Radio selling advertising for KAUM-FM back in 1970. I was a member of the "KAUM Ear Corp," you know; Cromwell, Earhardt, Morrow, Breeding, Wright, Covington, Brown,McGowan and across the hall at KXYZ, (Ron) Sack, and (John) Hare, (Paul) White in the corner office and Betty down in finance on the 14th floor, so I keep myself familiarized with the Houston market.

Before that, I was working as part time announcer for KCOH Radio and filled in at KYOK. In 1987, I ultimately filed for a CP to build a 50,000 watt C-2 FM in Darien/Brunswick, GA. Out of the original 21 applicants which also included ***** (This portion removed. Potential libel), I was one of the last three applicants standing, and then just immediately prior to my attending depositions, the Supreme Court came along and just swept aside the minority preferences (all that money I spent). Subsequently John Wayne Stewart got the "nod." That was just prior to them also eliminating the tax incentives for selling to Minority-Owned Businesses. The “fix” was in.

I purposely wrote and invented this term, quote, "ENGLISH SPEAKING BLACK AMERICANS - ESBA's ," unquote; not your subtle "English Speaking" Black Americans you referred too. Who are those folks anyway? Nonetheless, I have very good REASONS for expressing it that way and none of them have to do with BIGOTRY! It’s more about fair play. This broadcasting business has always been persistently lopsided – for decades. In the early 50's when a few broadcasters begin bartering advertising on black radio programs in its beginnings, some broadcasters "down the dial" got mad about it and went to the FCC to change the law (it's in the history books). Vis-a-vis, it's like it’s alright for the government to sell "LOTTO" but if I try to sell "Numbers!?" You ought to try selling black radio advertising someday. As you can see hopefully, there are certain ironies here.

In closing, here are some final thoughts... among the top ten selling songs at the end of 1975 Natalie Cole's, "This Will Be...An Everlasting Love." In general market radio is was John Denver's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy." Charting music R&B today (2015), Niki Menaj's Anaconda (ugh!), sits on the tenth spot. Back in 1975 R&B/Soul Music before it became so called "Ol' Skool," was under Black Control. Today Wall “Streeters” are in control... You see the problem here? And I actually feel sorry for Nikki. Talk about being in an “Ivory Tower.” Does anyone remember that song?

I applaud Ben Hall for his humanity in undertaking such a gallant effort in the face of such odds his poll numbers should have been his ratings). However, if I had Mr. Hall's kind of money I would have made Liberman Broadcast do some fixing up "first." By the way, have ever heard of the term "Slum Lord?" Makes you wonder how much has really changed and that’s my point. Now what was I said about trash????

One final thought, although I don't seek it out when I encounter "Ranchero," I take a little time to lean back and enjoy the "vibes." Oh and "Purple," it just wasn't Rock n Roll that built the City! KCOH helped, and I hope it endures. ;-) (Where is the BMC when you need them???????)

 

[davideduardo]

I applaud Ben Hall for his humanity in undertaking such a gallant effort in the face of such odds his poll numbers should have been his ratings). However, if I had Mr. Hall's kind of money I would have made Liberman Broadcast do some fixing up "first."

I have trouble applauding anyone for doing something stupid, irrespective of how pure and idealistic the intent.

Playing music for a mass market on an AM is stupid. The African American market in Houston is 1.2 million persons, and is quite adequately represented in the ratings... yet the programming you refer to did not get ratings. In fact, the last time it showed up in the book was in the middle of 2014, and then with a 0.1 share. At that level, response to advertisers would be nearly none.

There is nothing that Liberman could have done to "fix up" a local channel station. Those facilities are what they are... 1 kw on channels where there are about 200 stations nationally, all fighting with each other at night and limited by power 24/7.

There is nothing "gallant" about undertaking a lost cause.

 

[davideduardo]

In the early 50's when a few broadcasters begin bartering advertising on black radio programs in its beginnings, some broadcasters "down the dial" got mad about it and went to the FCC to change the law (it's in the history books). Vis-a-vis, it's like it’s alright for the government to sell "LOTTO" but if I try to sell "Numbers!?" You ought to try selling black radio advertising someday. As you can see hopefully, there are certain ironies here.

I am guessing that you mean "brokering" advertising to produce programming targeting Black listeners.

Actually, the 50's was the decade when Black targeted stations and programming exploded due in part to the rapid growth in new stations in the decade and the need to find differentiated programming to distinguish new facilities.

It's the decade that saw WDIA become a Memphis leader, and stations ranging from KGFJ in LA to WWRL in New York appear on the dial. WCHB, WVON, WOPA, WOL, WOOK, WDAS, WJMO, WOKJ, WLOU,, WEBB, WJLB, KNOK, WVOL, WRAP, WAMO, WHAT, WLIB, KOKY, WENN, WAOK, KNOK, and so many more became successful and very profitable stations in that decade.

Yes, there were a many brokers who bought time on block programmed stations (see the listings of hundreds of stations doing part-time Black programming in Broadcasting Yearbook in the 50's and 60's). But the brokers of that time, who were not just limited to Black programming, committed many abuses and it became necessary for the FCC to demand greater supervision by the licensee and that included the filing of time brokerage agreements so that no licensee could transfer control of a station without authorization.

But the big movement was to fulltime or nearly fulltime programming for the community. And most of those operations were as professional as any station on the dial. I got my start in the late 50's at WJMO, and owe much of my career to what I learned there.

But there were abuses. The same company I worked for, United Broadcasting, allowed "numbers" games to be played on the air in hidden messages at WOOK. "Numbers" like any illegal gambling, is against the law. So promoting numbers games was promoting an illegal activity and the station lost its license. That had nothing to do with the format and everything to do with who management let on the air.