KJMU 1340 Tulsa

[Glenn Quagmire]

It would take a lot of money to bring KAKC back to its former glory.  The reason KAKC is running ESPN Radio versus local news, talk, or music, is because its cheaper.  KAKC is making more money by running a satellite stream of ESPN radio and selling the spots for $15/piece, than hiring a staff of 10, paying their salaries, and selling the spots for $30. 
Outside of the Sports Animal, which really has a unique setup, KTBZ, Tulsa's other 24/7 sports station, only has 3 local on-air talents.  1 of them does sales full-time, one is a board operator/producer, and the other is a program director/board operator/weekend overnight talk show host on a national sports network.
They do a great job with what they have to work with, but trust me, if Clear Channel or any station group could make more money with more local talent on-air they would.  I remember 5 or 6 years ago when KTBZ tried that themselves.  They had local shows from 6-9, 9-12, 3-5, 5-7.  It never took off and now you have one main local show a day on the station from 2-6 M-F.    Granted there are other local shows on KTBZ (hunting, High School Sports, Drillers baseball etc...), but the flagship is the 2-6 program. 
Radio is what it is.  There's no getting around the glory days of yesteryear are over.

[Radio55]

Excellent point(s) Glenn... and I also have to take into account that these are AM stations, and it is simply a tougher sell. The business is different, much different than the Good Old Days. Sometimes it bugs me to be old enough to say, "Now, when I started in radio, it used to be...."  It's the Used To Be's that are tough.

[Bob Oshea]

 
Radio is what it is.  There's no getting around the glory days of yesteryear are over.
[/quote]

That really is about all there is left to say.  Good stuff Quag.

Bob O'Shea

[billyg]

The old KGOW was at 92.1 and they simulcasted with KTOW with a "modern country" format in the mid 70's.

[mrcnokc]

And just to throw in some totally useless history, KTOW was originally in Oklahoma City at AM 800, singing on in 1947 and lasting through the early 60's, then changing calls to KJEM. It's now KQCV broadcasting the Good News of the Almighty to the 30 or 40 folks who listen.

[Bob Oshea]

  Holy Smoke!  I just remembered I used to work for KTOW!  Ron Narboe was there too.  I just loved that guy.  We lost Ron a few years ago.  I think it was diabetes.  He was such a wonderful air talent.  He had also worked for KAKC, KVOO and in Atlanta where he won the NAB major market DJ of the year award.  I forget what year.  With so many of our ranks already home, I'll be in good company when it's my turn to take "the night train".

Bob O'Shea

[stan]

And just to throw in some totally useless history, KTOW was originally in Oklahoma City at AM 800, singing on in 1947 and lasting through the early 60's, then changing calls to KJEM. It's now KQCV broadcasting the Good News of the Almighty to the 30 or 40 folks who listen.

and more useless trivia -

KJEM-FM carried the same Bill Drake automated formats that KAKC-FM did in Tulsa.  It eventually changed its call letters to KAFG, if I recall correctly.

[NightAire]

Yet more KTOW trivia:

For a period of time in the late 80s / early 90s, KTOW-AM 1340 & KTOW-FM 102.3 were owned by Tim Barazza, I think, the guy who owned club SRO.  It was progressive 1340, and then they got the FM on, simulcasting I think.  I remember them carrying the Dr. Demento Show Saturday mornings.   

At some point they brought in Tony Day to program 102.3 as urban (Mix 102.3) and Mary Beard to program 1340 as black gospel (Love 1340).

The stations were still at the transmitter site in Sand Springs...

...right next to the waste management plant...

...and when they went to processing, and the wind kicked up...

...there was NO safe place in that station to get away from it.

UGH!  I get nauseous just remembering...  you always prayed you weren't on the air when that stench hit; it would knock the wind out of you.

The rumor at the time the station was urban was that the progressive staff had been allowed into the whole station, but after absuing the equipment or doing something that upset the owners, most of the building (including a recording studio) was shut off and both AM and FM were crammed into the back corner of the building.  The door was always locked, and you could see through the window, offices which appeared to be trapped in the 70s.

[Kent]

For a period of time in the late 80s / early 90s, KTOW-AM 1340 & KTOW-FM 102.3 were owned by Tim Barazza, I think, the guy who owned club SRO.

Barazza never owned the station per se.  Cust O'Fab still owned it when it was progressive; they owned it for about 20 years.  However, it's possible Barazza leased it when it was progressive.  I remember hearing Cust O'Fab LMA'ed the station to the urban operator, too.  Someone told me it was the same operator who LMA'ed 1550 from KXOJ.  However, I distinctly remember KBLK being located at Donnie's on Apache (I used to skip driver's ed and walk down there in high school to hang out with Terry Alexander!), and I don't think Mix 102.3 was ever at Donnie's.

It was progressive 1340, and then they got the FM on, simulcasting I think.  I remember them carrying the Dr. Demento Show Saturday mornings.   

Yes, the FM signed on very suddenly in either '88 or '89.  I can't remember exactly when.  I remember hearing 1340 was airing a progressive format, and I was surfing the dial shortly after only to find it was on 102.3.  I don't remember exactly when that was.  Somewhere, I used to have a KTOW 102.3 bumper sticker!

[NightAire]

I don't think it was the owners of Power 1550 KBLK (who actually were LMA'ing THAT signal from the Stephens at the time; I was there the night we got the call that the IRS had padlocked their studios and to shut the transmitter down), although some of the guys from KBLK absolutely ended up at Mix 102.3.

It was commonly believed there that 102.3 forced 1550 off the air...  I'm sure it didn't help, but they seemed to do themselves in...