KOFY 1060 Tyler/Kilgore has risen from the grave!

[jd]

You summed it up well, billyg.  The last thing on file with the FCC for 1060 is an STA that apparently expired quite some time ago.  That was after Russell filed for a renewal which, of course, was even more ridiculous.  How do you renew the license for a station with deleted call letters that hadn't been on the air? 

Yes, I've been listening and the signal is pretty good, with some surprisingly good processing whenever I've happened to catch it.  Apparently Russell doesn't care but do the people who've signed onto this deal understand that's it's an illegal operation?

[billyg]

You summed it up well, billyg.  The last thing on file with the FCC for 1060 is an STA that apparently expired quite some time ago.  That was after Russell filed for a renewal which, of course, was even more ridiculous.  How do you renew the license for a station with deleted call letters that hadn't been on the air? 

Yes, I've been listening and the signal is pretty good, with some surprisingly good processing whenever I've happened to catch it.  Apparently Russell doesn't care but do the people who've signed onto this deal understand that's it's an illegal operation?

I think they do, they're only using a "KOFY Gilmer" ID and have a P.O. box for their address. KOFY could be operating out of someones house for all I know, but the audio sounds too good to be a pirate.

Maybe with the Obama administration turnover the FCC is giving dark or minority stations a second chance to survive? Or they have cut the FCC budget so much that there's no gas money to bring an official to East Texas? (They did let KZEY run at 92 watts for over a year..).

 

[C414B]

You summed it up well, billyg.  The last thing on file with the FCC for 1060 is an STA that apparently expired quite some time ago.  That was after Russell filed for a renewal which, of course, was even more ridiculous.  How do you renew the license for a station with deleted call letters that hadn't been on the air? 

Yes, I've been listening and the signal is pretty good, with some surprisingly good processing whenever I've happened to catch it.  Apparently Russell doesn't care but do the people who've signed onto this deal understand that's it's an illegal operation?

I think they do, they're only using a "KOFY Gilmer" ID and have a P.O. box for their address. KOFY could be operating out of someones house for all I know, but the audio sounds too good to be a pirate.

Maybe with the Obama administration turnover the FCC is giving dark or minority stations a second chance to survive? Or they have cut the FCC budget so much that there's no gas money to bring an official to East Texas? (They did let KZEY run at 92 watts for over a year..).

The PO box is the same one Russell uses in his correspondence with the FCC.

Who knows about what's going on with the FCC these days.

[fredcantu]

Maybe the cuts have been in updating the FCC web sites?
We treat them like gospel when they may be out of date.

[musicsweep]

My guess is that Jerry Russell's involvement in this deal is minimal. (1) A dead station goes back on the air. (2) Some of the very people he alienated are on the station. (3) The Ebony News Journal is promoting the station. The ENJ's departure from the Russell operation was less than friendly. (4) It has good sound quality.

My guess is someone is leasing it from him... but who? You'd have to be pretty off in the head, or completely unaware of Russell's track record, to go into a deal like this with him.

[jd]

No, I think Russell is quite involved in this, given his penchant for the smell of money and using whatever means necessary to make a buck.  A couple of questions: what time are they signing off?  As near as I can tell it should be either 6:45 or 6:30 this month.  And are they still leaving the carrier on at night?  If so, I nominate WLNO 1060 New Orleans to file an official complaint with the FCC.  Maybe that would prompt a field agent visit to get Russell's attention.

[C414B]

And are they still leaving the carrier on at night?  If so, I nominate WLNO 1060 New Orleans to file an official complaint with the FCC.  Maybe that would prompt a field agent visit to get Russell's attention.

I second the nomination.

[musicsweep]

No, this is not the Russell I know. To put a station back on the air, even illegally, takes money. Russell tends to invest his money in ventures that will have a high return on investment. How high of a return on investment can one realistically expect on an AM radio station that is programmed like a non-comm community station?

Russell's success with KZEY had to do with the fact he had a heritage station, a credible sales force, a personal relationship with the major advertisers of the Tyler-Longview market, and the ability to gut a programming crew and run a station on the bird 24/7.

With KOFY, he has no credibility based on the station, his relation$hips with the advertisers has been broken, and advertisers no longer need to go through Russell to market to the minorities of East Texas. They have The Blaze and K-OYE. (Or whatever 96.7 is now.) In other words, he's on the outside having to work his way back in. Russell would be more inclined to go into real estate.

What's happening at KOFY now is that someone is actually trying to put a product on the air. Russell cared not for product... so I don't see him personally running this operation. His name might be on the license... but that is probably the extent of it.

[musicsweep]

make that his name might be on the deleted license... my bad.

[billyg]

What's happening at KOFY now is that someone is actually trying to put a product on the air. Russell cared not for product... so I don't see him personally running this operation. His name might be on the license... but that is probably the extent of it.

I agree, after years of bad equipment and owners who didn't have a clue how to run a radio station it sounds like 1060's on the right track.

I hope KOFY does have a legal FCC licence and hopefully is in the process of being sold to new owners. Its been on the air for almost 3 months now.

I just wish they get a STL control, or drive out to FM 2767 and turn the Xmitter off at night before they get in trouble again. I used to have the transmitter signoff list from the old KHYM when I worked there in Gilmer in 89-90. If I can find it I'll post it.