AM DX mystery station

[Scot]

I sometimes listen to KOA-850 out of Denver at night but every now and again I get huge bleeding in from 860.  It is playing classic country, however it fades in and out.  At times it takes over KOA and then fades completly so I have never been able to get an ID or hear an advert. as to it's orgin.

Thought the folks here might have better info than the fcc website.

Thanks in advance.

[Bob E. Nelson]

> I sometimes listen to KOA-850 out of Denver at night but
> every now and again I get huge bleeding in from 860.  It is
> playing classic country, however it fades in and out.  At
> times it takes over KOA and then fades completly so I have
> never been able to get an ID or hear an advert. as to it's
> orgin.

Likely to be KKOW/Pittsburg [sic], KS. Once known as KOAM,
they run 5kw with a pattern that broadly favors this part
of the world. And their format is Classic Country.

BTW, there are a couple of other really good stations in the
midwest doing that format, also with superb coverage areas:
KWMT at 540 in Ft. Dodge, IA -- you can start geting it north
of OKC. And there's KFTI/1070 in Wichita which plays both
country and western...really.

[billyg]

> Likely to be KKOW/Pittsburg [sic], KS. Once known as KOAM,
> they run 5kw with a pattern that broadly favors this part
> of the world. And their format is Classic Country.
>
> BTW, there are a couple of other really good stations in the
>
> midwest doing that format, also with superb coverage areas:
>
> KWMT at 540 in Ft. Dodge, IA -- you can start geting it
> north
> of OKC. And there's KFTI/1070 in Wichita which plays both
> country and western...really.

KKOW's a old AM station with a big 10K daytime-5K night signal. Another station running country oldies is (KFTI's former sister station) KWKH 1130 out of Shreveport.

I'm curious why the DFW market doesnt have a strong Country oldies station..

[Bob E. Nelson]

>> BTW, there are a couple of other really good stations in
>> the midwest doing that format, also with superb coverage
>> areas:
>>
>> KWMT at 540 in Ft. Dodge, IA -- you can start geting it
>> north of OKC. And there's KFTI/1070 in Wichita which
>> plays both country and western...really.
>
> KKOW's a old AM station with a big 10K daytime-5K night
> signal. Another station running country oldies is (KFTI's
> former sister station) KWKH 1130 out of Shreveport.
>
> I'm curious why the DFW market doesnt have a strong
> Country oldies station..

I don't have the billing figures for KWMT, KWKH, KFTI
nor KKOW, but it's likely the demos skew quite old and
don't pull in a lot of ad agency dollars.

Unlike the others, KWKH doesn't even garner a good 12+
share. Even in the Great Empire days, the success of
what was then KFDI didn't translate well to Shreveport
(and was an utter failure when tney tried the folksy,
rustic approach in Denver).

Nevertheless, with a handful of underperformers in the
D/FW market, it would appear to offer a a niche than can
possibly be run inexpensively.

[Mediafrog]

> Likely to be KKOW/Pittsburg [sic], KS. Once known as KOAM,
> they run 5kw with a pattern that broadly favors this part
> of the world. And their format is Classic Country.

The old KOAM was a dominant signal far into Texas years ago, when there was much less co-channel interference.  Put a good signal into Austin at night in those days...I imagine it gave (and still gives) some headaches to KONO's limited nighttime coverage.

Yes, no "h" in this Pittsburg.

[MediaMogul]

> >> BTW, there are a couple of other really good stations in
> >> the midwest doing that format, also with superb coverage
> >> areas:
> >>
> >> KWMT at 540 in Ft. Dodge, IA -- you can start geting it
> >> north of OKC. And there's KFTI/1070 in Wichita which
> >> plays both country and western...really.
> >
> > KKOW's a old AM station with a big 10K daytime-5K night
> > signal. Another station running country oldies is (KFTI's
> > former sister station) KWKH 1130 out of Shreveport.
> >
> > I'm curious why the DFW market doesnt have a strong
> > Country oldies station..
>
> I don't have the billing figures for KWMT, KWKH, KFTI
> nor KKOW, but it's likely the demos skew quite old and
> don't pull in a lot of ad agency dollars.
>
> Unlike the others, KWKH doesn't even garner a good 12+
> share. Even in the Great Empire days, the success of
> what was then KFDI didn't translate well to Shreveport
> (and was an utter failure when tney tried the folksy,
> rustic approach in Denver).
>
> Nevertheless, with a handful of underperformers in the
> D/FW market, it would appear to offer a a niche than can
> possibly be run inexpensively.
>


There are several big signals in Kansas in some fairly small towns that you can hear in sometimes up to seven or eight states in the daytime. KGGF is nearby on 690 and blows the doors off all the way almost to Dallas in the daytime. KFRM 550 does three seperate weather forecasts for farmers in Kansas, Nebraska, and the Oklahoma panhandle.

Like you, I don't know what the billings are, but stations like KWMT and KFRM over the years have mixed in a full service element that set an example for a lot of stations. And I am sure that while the ad agency dollars for the regular mainstream stores aren't big, the numbers they pull for ag related revenue are pretty big. Farm reports are a huge part of programming on those stations, and even the farm co-ops have to spend some money to sell those tractors and pesticides.

[billyg]

> There are several big signals in Kansas in some fairly small
> towns that you can hear in sometimes up to seven or eight
> states in the daytime. KGGF is nearby on 690 and blows the
> doors off all the way almost to Dallas in the daytime. KFRM
> 550 does three seperate weather forecasts for farmers in
> Kansas, Nebraska, and the Oklahoma panhandle.

And like KKOW, KGGF's history dates back to the 1920's when the station was built to serve a large portion of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. I grew up in nearby Bartlesville and it was a Top 40 station in the late 60's-early 70's, then in the mid 70's they evolved into a AC-Oldies mix. I dont know when they changed to a news/talk format, proably in the early-mid 80's when they built FM sister sation KQQF (now KKRK) which ran sattelite CHR. KFRM has a monsterous daytime signal.

> Like you, I don't know what the billings are, but stations
> like KWMT and KFRM over the years have mixed in a full
> service element that set an example for a lot of stations.
> And I am sure that while the ad agency dollars for the
> regular mainstream stores aren't big, the numbers they pull
> for ag related revenue are pretty big. Farm reports are a
> huge part of programming on those stations, and even the
> farm co-ops have to spend some money to sell those tractors
> and pesticides.

Something I wish KWKH would do more of if Clear Channel would give them a little more money to do farm reports. The station doesnt do well in Shreveport's 12+, mainly because of a nearby FM rimshot running ABC's "Real Country". But it has a loyal older audiance outside the metro. Still it's a far cry from the country powerhouse it used to be.

Classic County's a pure niche format with a small older audiance but I think a floundering AM station with a weak night signal (1190, 1160 & 990) would do well with it, maybe even wind up on the 12+.

[alexpimp]

> > There are several big signals in Kansas in some fairly
> small
> > towns that you can hear in sometimes up to seven or eight
> > states in the daytime. KGGF is nearby on 690 and blows the
>
> > doors off all the way almost to Dallas in the daytime.
> KFRM
> > 550 does three seperate weather forecasts for farmers in
> > Kansas, Nebraska, and the Oklahoma panhandle.
>
> And like KKOW, KGGF's history dates back to the 1920's when
> the station was built to serve a large portion of Kansas,
> Oklahoma and Missouri. I grew up in nearby Bartlesville and
> it was a Top 40 station in the late 60's-early 70's, then in
> the mid 70's they evolved into a AC-Oldies mix. I dont know
> when they changed to a news/talk format, proably in the
> early-mid 80's when they built FM sister sation KQQF (now
> KKRK) which ran sattelite CHR. KFRM has a monsterous daytime
> signal.
>
> > Like you, I don't know what the billings are, but stations
>
> > like KWMT and KFRM over the years have mixed in a full
> > service element that set an example for a lot of stations.
>
> > And I am sure that while the ad agency dollars for the
> > regular mainstream stores aren't big, the numbers they
> pull
> > for ag related revenue are pretty big. Farm reports are a
> > huge part of programming on those stations, and even the
> > farm co-ops have to spend some money to sell those
> tractors
> > and pesticides.
>
> Something I wish KWKH would do more of if Clear Channel
> would give them a little more money to do farm reports. The
> station doesnt do well in Shreveport's 12+, mainly because
> of a nearby FM rimshot running ABC's "Real Country". But it
> has a loyal older audiance outside the metro. Still it's a
> far cry from the country powerhouse it used to be.
>
> Classic County's a pure niche format with a small older
> audiance but I think a floundering AM station with a weak
> night signal (1190, 1160 & 990) would do well with it, maybe
> even wind up on the 12+.





Hell, I'd put it on a big assss FM stick. Look what 97.1 has done in Houston. No overhead....just classic country goin out and money comin in. NO matter how smart we think we are as radio people...it's still Texas. There are still TONS of older demos not being served by the Wolf, KSCS, or the Twister. If I was ABC...THATS what I'd put on the 96.7. I know they don't wanna erode KSCS...But I'd rather have say a 8 share split 5 for KSCS and 3 for a Classic Country....than what they have now....I know the KSCS numbers aren't that high now...but you see what I mean. It's all goin in the same pocket

[billyg]

> Hell, I'd put it on a big assss FM stick. Look what 97.1 has
> done in Houston. No overhead....just classic country goin
> out and money comin in. NO matter how smart we think we are
> as radio people...it's still Texas. There are still TONS of
> older demos not being served by the Wolf, KSCS, or the
> Twister. If I was ABC...THATS what I'd put on the 96.7. I
> know they don't wanna erode KSCS...But I'd rather have say a
> 8 share split 5 for KSCS and 3 for a Classic Country....than
> what they have now....I know the KSCS numbers aren't that
> high now...but you see what I mean. It's all goin in the
> same pocket

I have listened to "Country Legends 97.1" in Houston, and its totally jock-free even during the mornings, thats how Cox is making money on a rimshot.

96.7 would be perfect for classic country. ABC's been wasting thier time and money with the Twister since day one. Why it hasnt been dropped for something else is a mystery.