RADIO THRU THE YEARS

[DavidEduardo]

I do know that KQEO in it's hayday was owned by Swanson Broadcasting (Division of Swanson Foods)...who also at that time owned KLEO-Wichita and
WBYU-New Orleans amongst others.

Actually, Gerry Swanson bought KRMG (Kerr McGee is the meaning of the calls) when the Swansons got out of the food business.  The Swanson family sold the company (and the rights to the name) to Campbell Soup in the early Sixties. Each of the Swanson kids got a share of the fortune.

Gerry Swanson used his share to get into the radio business; he bought KRMG and moved to Tulsa and created Swanco Broadcasting (later renamed Swanson Broadcasting).

At its height, the company consisted of KRMG and KWEN in Tulsa, KKNG in OKC, a station in Wichita, one in New Orleans, one in San Antonio, another in Albuquerque, and the Texas News Network.

[AZJerry]

David...thanks so much for the correct information about Swanson Broadcasting. The station in Wichita was KLEO and the New Orleans station was WBYU. I had forgotten about Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio, plus the Texas News Network.

[GridLeakBias]

Grid...let me take a stab at the KQUE calls. I've been told by other ABQ Radio history buffs, that at one time there was KOAT-AM radio (1240), and then the calls changed to KQUE, and with the frequency change from 1240 to 920, came KQEO. Hopefully someone reading this board can confirm or deny that for both of us.

Thanks, I have a strong interest in Alb. radio history, 50's era.  Do you have any links?

[AZJerry]

Grid...I don't know of any links regarding ABQ Radio History...perhaps some of our readers and fellow contributors can help with that.

[Kent]

OK Kent, back in 1976 young people would have probably listened to KRKE or KQEO. Both stations did a great job of keeping the kids satisfied and they both sounded as good as the 50k watt flamethrower, KOMA. By the way, KRKE had a very capable newsroom, (which was not uncommon for top 40 stations during that time). "Buck Rawlings", later to be known as Stuart Dyson now of KOB-TV was part of that staff as was Joe Monahan, now one of New Mexico's leading political reporters.

Thanks for the info!  Was KPAR doing beautiful music at that time, or was it still on its last legs as top-40?  What about 1450 and 1580?  Also, do you know what the FM's were like in '76?  I seem to remember hearing KRST was AOR before going country.  This thread was the first I'd heard of it being easy listening, though it doesn't surprise me that it tried since automated beautiful music was cheap and easy to run on FM at the time.  I also remember hearing KOB-FM was beautiful music for quite a long time before flipping to AC in the 80's.  I'm especially curious about 99.5.  I know it went through several calls before finally becoming KMGA. 

[Kent]

At its height, the company consisted of KRMG and KWEN in Tulsa, KKNG in OKC, a station in Wichita, one in New Orleans, one in San Antonio, another in Albuquerque, and the Texas News Network.

From my recollection of reading Broadcasting and Cable Yearbooks, I believe Swanson also owned 99.5, possibly KZZX, along with KQEO.  He expanded in San Antonio by adding an AM to his portfolio, and I believe he also had KFJZ 1270 and KWXI 97.1 in Ft. Worth/Dallas along with the Texas News Network.

He sold much of his portfolio to New City Communications in the 80's.  After selling his empire, he bought a Tulsa move-in and ran AC on it.  I was just starting as an intern at, ironically, KRMG and KWEN when he blew out all the live staff except the morning guy and ran SMN's StarStation on it.  He dumped that station a few years later.  Gerry was probably about ready to retire as he passed not too long after that.

[chilly]

KZZX was bought in the late '70's by Sunbelt Communications. They were headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA. They also  owned properties in Colo. Springs and Calif's inland empire (forgot which city.) KZZX was first a soft AOR with laid back jocks. It became Albuq's first FM top forty in 1980. They had a strong air staff and did quite well until KOB-FM went live in the early 80's. In the mid 80's Sunbelt changed calls to KMGA and went to a satelite delivered service called Format 41. It was soft AC and was live only in morning drive. Sunbelt bought KQEO from Swanson (in the late 70's I believe), and turned it from top 40 to oldies. In 1991 I believe, Sunbelt sold both properties to a Fresno CA company who's name escapes me. They kept KMGA as is and turned KQEO into a news talk to compete against KOB-AM. That was a short lived disaster.

[Starbucks]

Was KQEO the first top 40 heritage station in Albuquerque in the 50's, or was there one or a few before it.

[AZJerry]

Starbucks...I believe KLOS-1450 was the heritage Top 40 station in the 50's. Those calls eventually went to ABC-FM in Los Angeles (95.5). KLOS switched frequencies with KRZY-1580 (a daytimer) back in the mid 60's I believe and that pretty much killed it off with KQEO's dominance then.

99.5's original calls were KBNM-FM prior to KZZX-FM. They were housed in the former KARA-1310 facility on Menaul back in the late 60's playing Top 40...real low budget operation at that time. I don't believe their stick was on the Crest then...they were working off a tower adjacent to the studio.

[AZJerry]

By the way...the KZZX-FM calls are parked in Alamogordo (105.3) now.