# Civic Matters > Ask Anything About OKC >  Radio landscape in OKC

## aviastar

I am a fan of radio (kinda dopey, I know).  My favorite formats are NPR, sports, and talk.  Up here in KC one of our sports hosts talks fondly about Al Eschbach...I guess he worked in KC for about 15 minutes.  Also in my office sometimes I stream the folks at KGOU, and I have also listened to Scott Mitchell in the AM on 1520.  It's weird...sometimes I pick a city and tune into their local talk, sports, or NPR station because it gives me a feel for the area...I just like the medium.  Also This Land Press has some really cool short segments on OK-related topics, but it's run out of Tulsa.  

Any recommendations for other good stations in OKC?  Are there any dedicated jazz stations?  Any Spanish-language/Tejano music stations?  Is the FM dial pretty generic non-local automated programming?

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## gjl

Al Eschbach, The Legend of Radio, King of the Midgets, and World Champion at Free Cell. You can listen to him if you want on WWLS The Sports Animal Talk Radio (if you can stand him) either streaming it from their web site or on iHeart Radio from 4 to 8pm.

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## bchris02

OKC, unfortunately, is a Cumulus market.  Cumulus is the epitome of everything wrong with corporate radio.  They allow almost no control over what is broadcasted at the local level.  On top of it all, everything is decided by one man, Jan Jeffries, who is very much out of touch.  OKC radio used to be decent, but since Cumulus purchased Citadel its become terrible (though no different from any other Citadel/Cumulus market).  I cannot think of a single station that is actually interesting.

If you like sports talk, you might like WWLS 98.1 The Sports Animal or the new station 107.1 The Franchise.

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## Jersey Boss

Don't know if you dialed in KGOU on the weekends or not. Sat and Sun after 1, "Hard Luck Jim" comes on and does blues and jazz. For my money he is the best local jock on the air.

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## gjl

> OKC, unfortunately, is a Cumulus market.  Cumulus is the epitome of everything wrong with corporate radio.  They allow almost no control over what is broadcasted at the local level.  On top of it all, everything is decided by one man, Jan Jeffries, who is very much out of touch.  OKC radio used to be decent, but since Cumulus purchased Citadel its become terrible (though no different from any other Citadel/Cumulus market).  I cannot think of a single station that is actually interesting.
> 
> 
> If you like sports talk, you might like WWLS 98.1 The Sports Animal or the new station 107.1 The Franchise.


Would have never guessed you don't like OKC radio.

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## bchris02

> Would have never guessed you don't like OKC radio.


Who would if you don't care for sports talk or country?

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## RadicalModerate

> Don't know if you dialed in KGOU on the weekends or not. Sat and Sun after 1, "Hard Luck Jim" comes on and does blues and jazz. For my money he is the best local jock on the air.


Next to Hardluck Jim . . . I used to like Mark Shannon best.
Now I simply listen to any of the three Public Radio Stations no matter what is on any one of them.
Including, of course, that repository of diversity known as The Spy (c/o OSU)

Believe it or not, OKC has much better on-air broadcast choices than the entire State of Minnesota.
(really) (no kidding)
Plus our OETA and affiliate stations makes what they have up here look pathetic in comparison.
Sorry . . . this is about radio choices.  not television stuff.

(p.s.: in person, Al Eschbach is more of a gentleman than a radio personality)

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## bchris02

> Next to Hardluck Jim . . . I used to like Mark Shannon best.
> Now I simply listen to any of the three Public Radio Stations no matter what is one any of them.
> Including, of course, that repository of diversity known as The Spy (c/o OSU)
> 
> *Believe it or not, OKC has much better on-air broadcast choices than the entire State of Minnesota.*
> (really) (no kidding)
> Plus our OETA and affiliate stations makes what they have up here look pathetic in comparison.
> Sorry . . . this is about radio choices.  not television stuff.


I can agree with that.  Minneapolis has terrible radio stations.

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## Mel

Way back when I was in the Air Force and stationed at Ellsworth I lived up in the Black Hills near Johnson Siding. At night I could pick up KOMA at night when the boosted there signal.

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## SOONER8693

> OKC, unfortunately, is a Cumulus market.  Cumulus is the epitome of everything wrong with corporate radio.  They allow almost no control over what is broadcasted at the local level.  On top of it all, everything is decided by one man, Jan Jeffries, who is very much out of touch.  OKC radio used to be decent, but since Cumulus purchased Citadel its become terrible (though no different from any other Citadel/Cumulus market).  I cannot think of a single station that is actually interesting.
> 
> If you like sports talk, you might like WWLS 98.1 The Sports Animal or the new station 107.1 The Franchise.


Shocker.

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## Soonerman

My only issue with OKC radio is that it's oversaturated with Classic Rock, Country, and Sports yapping. I've got nothing against those formats. I just wish they had a little more variety like a Jack FM or an Alternative station. I do love Classic Country though and KXY fits that bill well for me.

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## zookeeper

I know that Tyler Media has ruined once dominant KOMA. What are the ratings in OKC now anyway?

KOMA. They are not Classic Rock or Classic Top-40, but are Classic _Hits_. This means they try to please everyone. You get Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" followed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Someone also needs to tell them The Police had more hits than just "Don't Stand So Close To Me." I swear, I hear that every. single. day.

For me, the personalities make KOMA and without Ronnie in the afternoon and Fred at night, I wouldn't bother listening with so many other options.

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## Achilleslastand

> I know that Tyler Media has ruined once dominant KOMA. What are the ratings in OKC now anyway?
> 
> KOMA. They are not Classic Rock or Classic Top-40, but are Classic _Hits_. This means they try to please everyone. You get Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" followed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Someone also needs to tell them The Police had more hits than just "Don't Stand So Close To Me." I swear, I hear that every. single. day.
> 
> For me, the personalities make KOMA and without Ronnie in the afternoon and Fred at night, I wouldn't bother listening with so many other options.


Tell me about it.....
Listening to them in a day you might hear...
Thin Lizzy
The Eagles
Aerosmith
Whitney Houston
Rod Stewart
The Police
Men without Hats
Dire Straits
Loverboy
I called Ronny one afternoon and told him you play pretty much every thing under the sun except Led Zeppelin. I didn't get a direct answer from him as to why they didn't only "if we did what song would you wanna hear". Anyways I guess everything is fine as long as I keep winning free steak dinners from him.

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## KenRagsdale

> I can agree with that.  Minneapolis has terrible radio stations.


830, WCCO, Minneapolis-St. Paul, is a very fine radio station.

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## KenRagsdale

> I know that Tyler Media has ruined once dominant KOMA. What are the ratings in OKC now anyway?
> 
> KOMA. They are not Classic Rock or Classic Top-40, but are Classic _Hits_. This means they try to please everyone. You get Bon Jovi's "Livin' On a Prayer" followed by Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta. Someone also needs to tell them The Police had more hits than just "Don't Stand So Close To Me." I swear, I hear that every. single. day.
> 
> For me, the personalities make KOMA and without Ronnie in the afternoon and Fred at night, I wouldn't bother listening with so many other options.


The original 1520-KOMA demographic is aging.  What started with "greatest hits of the 50's and 60's," evolved to "greatest hits of the 60's and 70's," and now, of course, is simply "greatest hits."  Your best bet would be to obtain a "Sirius" subscription.

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## Urbanized

Wow! People still listen to terrestrial radio?

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## Uncle Slayton

I'd settle for a classic rock station that doesn't bleep lines from songs like "we've been up and down this highway, haven't seen a g*ddamn thing" or "don't wanna get caught up in any of that funky s**t going down in the city".  BOB does that, drives me nuts.  

An FM talk station (conservative, of course) that carries the big three on weekdays so I'm not stuck with KTOK in an office that sounds like a World War II broadcast in terms of reception and clarity would be nice.  

I miss Mark Shannon during afternoon drive time, and don't listen to the morning blather.  

Come to think of it, maybe it's time to get Sirius about radio...

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## OkieHornet

invest in satellite radio. depending on if your car radio is already equipped or not, you can get a subscription for around $10-11/month. best $$$ you'll spend. the music variety is unequaled and you won't complain again about radio.

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## aviastar

> invest in satellite radio. depending on if your car radio is already equipped or not, you can get a subscription for around $10-11/month. best $$$ you'll spend. the music variety is unequaled and you won't complain again about radio.


I prefer the local flavor.  I had satellite and I didn't like it.  The politics talk was way too preachy to the choir (both left/right stations were so incredibly partisan), the sports talk was not local, and the NPR offering on SiriusXM was basically them just playing Fresh Air over and over.  I had satellite for 3 months after we purchased our new car and didn't renew at the end of the trial period.

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## trousers

I listen to the two NPR stations, slightly different schedules. Really like the SPY when it kicks in after 7 pm.

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## boscorama

Does True Oldies Channel still have any presence in OKC?

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## bchris02

> Does True Oldies Channel still have any presence in OKC?


No, they changed to country late last year as 99.7 Hank FM. OKC radio desperate needs more variety. If you don't like country, classic rock, or sports talk, it's pretty much impossible to live with terrestrial radio in this town. It used to be pretty decent in the early 2000s.

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## Bellaboo

> Al Eschbach, The Legend of Radio, King of the Midgets, and World Champion at Free Cell. You can listen to him if you want on WWLS The Sports Animal Talk Radio* (if you can stand him)* either streaming it from their web site or on iHeart Radio from 4 to 8pm.


This ^^^ I quit listening to Al when he was smacking on some ribs during a broadcast..... that was too much.

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## tfvc.org

The only station I can stand to listen to is the comedy one, if that is not on then I have switched to music on my thumb drive.

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## bchris02

As far as the terrestrial stations in OKC, here is what I have programmed in on my dial.

Now 96.5 - Great sounding station but unfortunately terrible signal and usually suffers bleed-in from Mix 96.5 in Tulsa.  I like the station because it doesn't shy away from the rhythmic side of the Top 40 spectrum like today's KJ does.  They are also very strong on new/current music.

Wild 104.9 - Used to be one of the best sounding stations in the US back when programmed locally and owned by Citadel.  Today, it is using a nationally syndicated playlist that you hear on all Cumulus rhythmic stations nationwide.  The problem with that playlist is that it is extremely conservative, late on adding new music, and they continue to overplay songs years after normal Top 40 stations have stopped playing them.  

KJ 103 - The only Top 40 station in OKC that has a decent signal.  It's also the most bland and I don't generally listen except on weekend nights when they have EDM mixes

Power 103.5 - Love this station but it's tower is out west of Anadarko and it has very spotty coverage over OKC.  Some days I can get it just fine but other days get only static depending on the weather

KCSC Classical 90.1

Personally, I wish that Now 96.5 and Power 103.5 would be put on different signals to properly cover the OKC market.  There are enough frequencies occupied by classic rock and country stations that it could probably be done pretty easily.  Unfortunately nothing can be done to improve Cumulus stations like KKWD until Jan Jeffries returns control to the local PDs, which will probably never happen.

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## Soonerman

Bchris, You might want to check this out,

Bye Bye Jan Jeffries | Inside Music Media

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## Dubya61

I don't hear the comedy radio on 92.9 FM any longer.  I wonder what happened to it.

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## bchris02

> Bchris, You might want to check this out,
> 
> Bye Bye Jan Jeffries | Inside Music Media


I wasn't aware of that.  I know John Dickey has been involved for about a year now but didn't realize Jan no longer was calling the shots.  From listening to KKWD, there definitely has NOT been a change so while somebody new may be making the decisions, they appear to be using the same rural market formula they've used since the cutover to the national playlist in late 2012.  They are still playing songs that the rest of the world was hearing five years ago today like they are new.

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## bchris02

I don't know why ClearChannel doesn't do something else with KBRU 94.7.  It's failing in the very saturated Classic Rock format.  It's the lowest-rated FM station in the market and has been for several quarters now.  Do they even care?

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## theparkman81

> I don't know why ClearChannel doesn't do something else with KBRU 94.7.  It's failing in the very saturated Classic Rock format.  It's the lowest-rated FM station in the market and has been for several quarters now.  Do they even care?


I agree, its time for a change at 94.7, but then again they always change formats on 94.7 what every 5 years lol, OKC radio needs to change.

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## tfvc.org

> I don't hear the comedy radio on 92.9 FM any longer.  I wonder what happened to it.


It is still on the air, sometimes surrounding channels bleed into it.

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## zookeeper

> It is still on the air, sometimes surrounding channels bleed into it.


You hear more and more of that "bleeding FM stations" problem, exactly what _wasn't_ supposed to happen with FM. The deregulation of radio has continued to where this kind of thing shows why regulations worked. Greedy lobbying prevailed in broadcasting beginning, especially, with the wave of deregulations around the middle '80s and it's ruined local radio - in so many ways.

Doc Searles said it best a few years ago...*

“When I was coming up in radio, back in the Seventies, there  were limits on broadcast property ownership. Back then, you could own  seven AM , seven FM and seven TV stations: the ’7-7-7 rule.’ And in any  one metropolitan area, you could own at most one AM, one FM and one TV  station.”

      “In 1985, 7-7-7 went up to 12-12-12.”

      “Then came the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Now the limits  were 8-infinity: Up to eight stations in any one market, and no limit on  the total nationwide.”

“Killed along the way were minimal requirements for  non-entertainment programming (1985), the Fairness Doctrine (1987),  limits on percentage of advertising content (1985) and various other  limitations.”

*If you want to read the whole thing - it's worth it. You'll see how corporations ruined the broadcasting industry. The best summation ever.
http://doc.weblogs.com/2003/05/29#broadcastDrekulation

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## Soonerman

> I don't know why ClearChannel doesn't do something else with KBRU 94.7.  It's failing in the very saturated Classic Rock format.  It's the lowest-rated FM station in the market and has been for several quarters now.  Do they even care?


I said this once, I'm going to say it again, I think Clear Channel should give Jack FM a try on 94.7. Yes I know OKC had a Jack once, But it was on a very sorry signal. 1,000 watt signal and it failed Geez thats a shock. Clear Channel should revive the KOJK call letters if they went that route. As for 92.9 FM I wonder if KNIN out of Wichita Falls interferes with the Comedy Station at times?

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## HOT ROD

or maybe EDM for 94.7. Is OKC ready for a dance music station? If OKC could then format-wise the city would be more or less complete.

Would be nice to see an Asian or Ethnic (which could rotate hourly through the Asian/S.American ethnics) station also, perhaps on AM.

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## bchris02

> or maybe EDM for 94.7. Is OKC ready for a dance music station? If OKC could then format-wise the city would be more or less complete.
> 
> Would be nice to see an Asian or Ethnic (which could rotate hourly through the Asian/S.American ethnics) station also, perhaps on AM.


I love EDM music but I don't see it working on a 100kW signal, and especially not in OKC.  It could work on a translator though.  There are also several other formats that are covered in most major cities but aren't on the dial in OKC.  Here are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

-Variety (Jack FM)
-True Oldies
-Alternative rock
-Smooth jazz
-Standards (The Martini)

In addition, it would be nice to see Now 96.5 and Power 103.5 moved to signals that properly cover the market.

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## warreng88

The one complaint I have is we don't have a modern rock station in OKC. I grew up in Tulsa and 104.5 The EDGE is really the only thing I miss about not living there any more. 100.5 and 94.7 play some modern rock, but most of it is classic rock. With as many modern rock concerts as we have coming to the DT Airpark, Zoo, Diamond, Chameleon Room, etc, it shocks me that we don't have the demographic to support a station like that. 94.7 used to be The Buzz, which played more modern rock, but then they changed it to The Brew which played more classic.

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## OKCretro

I listen to jazz with Bob Parlocha almost every night from about 9 until I fall asleep.  Also enjoy radio deluxe with John Pittzarelie (sp) on sunday night.  Bob Parlocha got me through law school.  

Do wish we had an EDM station but I don't think we are there yet even though 102.7 and 96.5 plays EDM about every third song now.  I turn to magic 104.1 every so often and they are even playing Avicci "wake me up"  

How do Jack and Ron still have jobs?  s

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## warreng88

> How do Jack and Ron still have jobs?


Completely agree. When the wife and I drive around at night, we listen to John Tesh (sindicated) on 98.9. In the morning, when I leave for work at 7:45am, it never fails, I end up hearing Jack's terrible Arnold, Richard Simmons or most likely Paula Deen impression. I have tried to listen to their show and never once have I laughed or thought it was remotely entertaining.

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## bchris02

> The one complaint I have is we don't have a modern rock station in OKC. I grew up in Tulsa and 104.5 The EDGE is really the only thing I miss about not living there any more. 100.5 and 94.7 play some modern rock, but most of it is classic rock. With as many modern rock concerts as we have coming to the DT Airpark, Zoo, Diamond, Chameleon Room, etc, it shocks me that we don't have the demographic to support a station like that. 94.7 used to be The Buzz, which played more modern rock, but then they changed it to The Brew which played more classic.


There's no excuse for OKC not having a modern rock station.  The demographics are here to support it.  The problem is operators here refuse to think outside the country, classic rock, and sports talk box.

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## TheTravellers

> I love EDM music but I don't see it working on a 100kW signal, and especially not in OKC.  It could work on a translator though.  There are also several other formats that are covered in most major cities but aren't on the dial in OKC.  Here are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
> 
> -Variety (Jack FM)
> -True Oldies
> -Alternative rock
> -Smooth jazz
> -Standards (The Martini)
> 
> In addition, it would be nice to see Now 96.5 and Power 103.5 moved to signals that properly cover the market.


We had a Martini station at 105.3 for a year or two, was The Spy before that, and now it's sports radio.

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## Dubya61

> As for 92.9 FM I wonder if KNIN out of Wichita Falls interferes with the Comedy Station at times?


When I'm east of Choctaw Road, I get a lot of Tulsa Classic Rock (92.9, Bob-FM, same format as Bob-FM in OKC).

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## bchris02

> We had a Martini station at 105.3 for a year or two, was The Spy before that, and now it's sports radio.


I remember the Martini. It was still on the air when I moved here and was by far my favorite station in OKC.  Sad that it changed to yet another sports talk station.

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## theparkman81

> or maybe EDM for 94.7. Is OKC ready for a dance music station? If OKC could then format-wise the city would be more or less complete.
> 
> Would be nice to see an Asian or Ethnic (which could rotate hourly through the Asian/S.American ethnics) station also, perhaps on AM.


I am surprise that an Asian or Ethnic radio station hasn't been tried in OKC.

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## theparkman81

> There's no excuse for OKC not having a modern rock station.  The demographics are here to support it.  The problem is operators here refuse to think outside the country, classic rock, and sports talk box.


I thought I read that The Tyler boys was going to start a modern rock station.

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## Soonerman

> When I'm east of Choctaw Road, I get a lot of Tulsa Classic Rock (92.9, Bob-FM, same format as Bob-FM in OKC).


I think when you get southwest of Blanchard, KNIN starts fighting with that translator.

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## windowphobe

Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel is being dropped by its syndicator.

And the original 7-7-7 rule was even tighter than it sounds: no more than 5 of those 7 TV stations could be on the VHF band.

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## zookeeper

> Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel is being dropped by its syndicator.
> 
> *And the original 7-7-7 rule was even tighter than it sounds: no more than 5 of those 7 TV stations could be on the VHF band.*


Yes! And thank you for the comment on my post. I'm not sure that many here realize that radio today is a direct result of what Doc Searles summarized in my post.

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## stratosphere

> We had a Martini station at 105.3 for a year or two, was The Spy before that, and now it's sports radio.


What happened to the Spy?  Is it internet only?  Whenever i turn to that channel all i hear is NPR.




> There's no excuse for OKC not having a modern rock station.  The demographics are here to support it.  The problem is operators here refuse to think outside the country, classic rock, and sports talk box.


Agreed




> Completely agree. When the wife and I drive around at night, we listen to John Tesh (sindicated) on 98.9. In the morning, when I leave for work at 7:45am, it never fails, I end up hearing Jack's terrible Arnold, Richard Simmons or most likely Paula Deen impression. I have tried to listen to their show and never once have I laughed or thought it was remotely entertaining.


Jack & Ron are decent,  its just that the music played on 98.9 is mostly crap.  I used to listen occasionally,  the Hollywood update guy was somewhat entertaining,  though that caller who used to call in every morning "Michael" was quite fun.  I dont know if he was real or just some character,  but i like to think he was real.  




> The one complaint I have is we don't have a modern rock station in OKC. I grew up in Tulsa and 104.5 The EDGE is really the only thing I miss about not living there any more. 100.5 and 94.7 play some modern rock, but most of it is classic rock. With as many modern rock concerts as we have coming to the DT Airpark, Zoo, Diamond, Chameleon Room, etc, it shocks me that we don't have the demographic to support a station like that. 94.7 used to be The Buzz, which played more modern rock, but then they changed it to The Brew which played more classic.


Exactly.  I have XM radio in the vehicle i drive the most and there's no comparison to their quality versus local radio.  Local radio just plain sucks.  We haven't had a good station here since 95X (not counting Spy) and that was almost 20 years ago.  For a city this size...its absurd.

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## trousers

The Spy is on KOSU after 7pm.

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## bchris02

> *For a city this size...its absurd.*


That goes for most of the stations here.  OKC radio for the most part sounds and is programmed very small market.  Most stations in OKC sound better fit for a place like Amarillo or Midland-Odessa.   This is definitely one thing in this town that has gotten worse in the past 10-15 years rather than better.  There is a big difference when you go to the Tulsa market which actually has much better stations, many of which actually sound larger market.

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## Soonerman

> There's no excuse for OKC not having a modern rock station.


I agree, I also wish OKC had an Adult Album Alternative station like KXT 91.7 out of Dallas.

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## stratosphere

> That goes for most of the stations here.  OKC radio for the most part sounds and is programmed very small market.  Most stations in OKC sound better fit for a place like Amarillo or Midland-Odessa.   This is definitely one thing in this town that has gotten worse in the past 10-15 years rather than better.  There is a big difference when you go to the Tulsa market which actually has much better stations, many of which actually sound larger market.


Right.  I remember when i lived in Atlanta they had both an "X" and an "Edge" alternative stations,  which were both great.  VA beach had two alternative stations as well,  i think one was called "the Coast" and i dont remember the other one.  All we need is one good station here.  I like KATT sometimes (when they play PJ, U2, Cage the Elephant, Jack White, Linkin Park, Artic Monkeys, NIN, Chevelle,  etc.)  i dont like the KATT when they play stuff like Ozzy Osbourne,  Led Zeppelin,  or whatever makes the trailer park contingent happy.

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## BlackmoreRulz

Oh yeah...nothing says high-brow like Linkin Park.........

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## Urbanized

Lol

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## stratosphere

> Oh yeah...nothing says high-brow like Linkin Park.........


who said anything about high-brow?  Oh,  guess you were offended by the trailer park remark.  My bad.  I think the point was....as illustrated throughout this thread....OKC has enough classic rock stations and could benefit from new rock or alt rock stations.  Clearly most of the examples i listed fit into one category or the other.

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## zacelliott

We definitely could benefit from an alternative station. The Edge in Tulsa (Dallas also has "The Edge") are very similar and I think would work really well in OKC. They play everything from Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, to Florence and the Machine, Alt-J, etc. Complete spectrum. When i'm back in KC I listen to 96.5 The Buzz, which is a great station but is a tad too focused on the newer stuff, which gets tiring after a while. If 104.5 in Tulsa could expand west to OKC I'd be happy. I listen to 100.5 most of the time, but ever since KRXO switched to a low power station, the KATT felt they had to pick up the slack and listeners and picked up way more Classic Rock, which seems to take over anymore. Granted when they were more new rock it got pretty repetitive, so a change up was nice, but incorporating more alternative/modern would have been more beneficial than adding classic rock IMO.

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## bchris02

> We definitely could benefit from an alternative station. The Edge in Tulsa (Dallas also has "The Edge") are very similar and I think would work really well in OKC. They play everything from Linkin Park, Stone Temple Pilots, to Florence and the Machine, Alt-J, etc. Complete spectrum. When i'm back in KC I listen to 96.5 The Buzz, which is a great station but is a tad too focused on the newer stuff, which gets tiring after a while. If 104.5 in Tulsa could expand west to OKC I'd be happy. I listen to 100.5 most of the time, but ever since KRXO switched to a low power station, the KATT felt they had to pick up the slack and listeners and picked up way more Classic Rock, which seems to take over anymore. Granted when they were more new rock it got pretty repetitive, so a change up was nice, but incorporating more alternative/modern would have been more beneficial than adding classic rock IMO.


The Brew also went back to 100% classic rock after KRXO switched to sports.  Before they had been a hybrid station.  OKC is predominantly a country, classic rock, and sports market.  Broadcast companies seem to be afraid to try other formats in this town.

Ten years ago OKC radio wasn't too bad.  Back then, there was only a single classic rock station and a single sports station.  There were three country stations, two modern and one classic.  The dial had far more variety on it than it does today.  You had a variety station, a true oldies station, two alternative rock stations, and a rhythmic top-40 station that played current music, all formats that would be more than welcome today.

Are operators just not able to make a profit outside of the country/classic rock/sports formats here these days?

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## zacelliott

> The Brew also went back to 100% classic rock after KRXO switched to sports.  Before they had been a hybrid station.  OKC is predominantly a country, classic rock, and sports market.  Broadcast companies seem to be afraid to try other formats in this town.
> 
> Ten years ago OKC radio wasn't too bad.  Back then, there was only a single classic rock station and a single sports station.  There were three country stations, two modern and one classic.  The dial had far more variety on it than it does today.  You had a variety station, a true oldies station, two alternative rock stations, and a rhythmic top-40 station that played current music, all formats that would be more than welcome today.
> 
> Are operators just not able to make a profit outside of the country/classic rock/sports formats here these days?


I'd like to see a study done of users of streaming services (Pandora, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, etc) and figure out if other genres can really survive here. I mean why does The Edge in Tulsa have no problem? They even have an alternative music festival (Center of the Universe Festival) coming up! Is the musical demographic in Tulsa so much different than OKC? Maybe it's not but companies are afraid to try anything here. I can guarantee if The Edge or a comparable station came to OKC my dial would never move, and I know others that would listen to it in a heartbeat. Maybe with the influx of streaming services and users companies aren't willing to invest in the infrastructure for a station because they figure people are just going to listen to it online anyway.

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## theparkman81

Well the recent ratings came out the other day, and at top is KJ103( nothing new) next was KOMA, but KXY keeps dropping and The Franchise is dropping,  Wild 104.9 stay the same but honestly its time for a change on 104.9 along with others.

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## Throckmorton

No wonder all we have is classic rock stations. If the music threads around here are any indication, most OKCitians stopped keeping up with pop rock sometime around 1979.

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## Soonerman

I really don't understand OKC radio, Why do they need 3 Classic Rock stations and 2 Classic Country stations?

----------


## bchris02

> Well the recent ratings came out the other day, and at top is KJ103( nothing new) next was KOMA, but KXY keeps dropping and The Franchise is dropping,  Wild 104.9 stay the same but honestly its time for a change on 104.9 along with others.


Wild 104.9 probably survives because its OKC's only real choice for hip-hop and r&b, though it's programming has been terrible since it was switched to Jan Jeffries' playlist.  If Power 103.5 would move to a signal that properly covered the OKC market it probably wouldn't be long before Wild would be gone.




> I really don't understand OKC radio, Why do they need 3 Classic Rock stations and 2 Classic Country stations?


Like I've said, it didn't used to be that way until the last few years.   Hopefully the market will correct itself eventually. 

If I was Tyler, I would put Now 96.5 on 107.7 and go head to head with KJ 103.  I would then put an alternative rock station on the low-power 104.5 translator that is currently broadcasting KRXO.  I would then go urban on 96.5.  All of that will never happen, but that's what I would do.  That move would force real changes at Cumulus and ClearChannel.

----------


## tfvc.org

I think radio is dying with Sirusxm and USB ports being pretty standard anymore in newer cars/decks.  But then again I really don't know.  Most of the music I like hardly ever gets radio airplay anyway.  The only time I really listened to radio was when Dr. Demento was on.  My deck was always playing tapes, cds and now thumb drives.  I put in a variety of generas and hit random and drive.

----------


## bchris02

> I think radio is dying with Sirusxm and USB ports being pretty standard anymore in newer cars/decks.  But then again I really don't know.  Most of the music I like hardly ever gets radio airplay anyway.  The only time I really listened to radio was when Dr. Demento was on.  My deck was always playing tapes, cds and now thumb drives.  I put in a variety of generas and hit random and drive.


Radio everywhere is going downhill.  It used to be that FM radio was the only game in town but now with the Internet and satellite it has stiff competition.  The point is OKC radio is especially bad (lacks variety) for a city this size.

----------


## tfvc.org

> Radio everywhere is going downhill.  It used to be that FM radio was the only game in town but now with the Internet and satellite it has stiff competition.  The point is OKC radio is especially bad (lacks variety) for a city this size.


I think that it isn't just radio.  Outsiders, and people that live here have a general stereotype for the people who live here and try to fit that niche, forgetting that even though some or most of Oklahoma is or was like that not everyone listens to honkeytonk or freebird.  It is sad.  I have lived in this state off and on for 32 years and I have seen growth and progress in a lot of areas, but I have seen the opposite in others, and radio has definitely declined.  I am at the age now that music I listened to in my youth (graduated HS in 92) are now on the classic rock station, and it is really odd that classic rock will play freebird and next will be Metallica, and then you turn to Katt and they play Metallica and then whatever new metal band is hot now. It is like a new type of radio station genera needs to be created to play the music that was from the hair band days.  

Anyway, I digress....  The people in the towers of LA think they know what the marketplace is here without doing just research.  I wish they could get data from last.fm, pandora, ect and see what people are actually playing on their computers in Oklahoma so they can educate themselves what the peoples want.

----------


## KenRagsdale

> I think that it isn't just radio.  Outsiders, and people that live here have a general stereotype for the people who live here and try to fit that niche, forgetting that even though some or most of Oklahoma is or was like that not everyone listens to honkeytonk or freebird.  It is sad.  I have lived in this state off and on for 32 years and I have seen growth and progress in a lot of areas, but I have seen the opposite in others, and radio has definitely declined.  I am at the age now that music I listened to in my youth (graduated HS in 92) are now on the classic rock station, and it is really odd that classic rock will play freebird and next will be Metallica, and then you turn to Katt and they play Metallica and then whatever new metal band is hot now. It is like a new type of radio station genera needs to be created to play the music that was from the hair band days.  
> 
> Anyway, I digress....  The people in the towers of LA think they know what the marketplace is here without doing just research.  I wish they could get data from last.fm, pandora, ect and see what people are actually playing on their computers in Oklahoma so they can educate themselves what the peoples want.


Oklahoma City radio wasn't always so.  Prior to the ascendency of FM, WKY/930 and KOMA/1520 were top-drawer broadcast properties.  I was privledged to know, and work alongside, many WKY radio personnel.  All were without peer in their profession.  The WKY radio and television facilities were first class in every way imaginable.

----------


## seajohn

What happened to 1560 Comedy?  I was listening this morning (8/1), and in the middle of  comedy bit they switched to some local talk show.  Now, they're playing sports radio (Some goober is going through each of Buffalo's upcoming games for this season saying why he thinks they will or will not win...Who cares?!??!?)

Did the comedy station die off already?

----------


## warreng88

> What happened to 1560 Comedy?  I was listening this morning (8/1), and in the middle of  comedy bit they switched to some local talk show.  Now, they're playing sports radio (Some goober is going through each of Buffalo's upcoming games for this season saying why he thinks they will or will not win...Who cares?!??!?)
> 
> Did the comedy station die off already?


I heard the same thing this afternoon. I really hope not, that was all I listened to on my way to and from work every day.

----------


## tfvc.org

> I heard the same thing this afternoon. I really hope not, that was all I listened to on my way to and from work every day.


Is it happening on both the AM and FM stations?  I didn't listen today, but only listen to the FM side.  It would be sad if it is gone, only radio I listen to.

----------


## theparkman81

Well its a another sports talk station called The Franchise 2, seriously OKC radio has become so pathetic.

----------


## Soonerman

> Well its a another sports talk station called The Franchise 2, seriously OKC radio has become so pathetic.


Geez how many sports stations does this town need?

----------


## Soonerman

OKC needs another Sports station like they need another Walmart!!

----------


## theparkman81

That's what I am thinking, its plays NBC sports network programming, its just like WWLS has local programming and AM 640 that has ESPN programming, honestly OKC radio has gone to the dogs, and its a shame that they got rid of the Comedy station.

----------


## Soonerman

It was a decent station, Why are the owners of the stations here afraid to try something new? If it's not Classic Rock, Country or Sports Talk, They don't want to touch it. I wish OKC had a station like the Edge and KXT out of Dallas!!

----------


## Roger S

It may be my fault..... I recently upgraded my 97 Dodge Ram with a cassette player and one speaker to an 04 Ford Escape with a 6 CD player and working speakers in it. So instead of listening to Comedy Channel I started listening to the music, I can't hear on OKC music stations, on my CD player. I suppose the loss of one listener could have plummeted the ratings enough they had to pull the plug.

It's too bad too because my attitude had improved quite a bit when I switched from listening to talk radio and started listening to comedy.  :Wink:

----------


## s00nr1

> Well its a another sports talk station called The Franchise 2, seriously OKC radio has become so pathetic.


There's a reason.....with the growing ability to plug in smartphones/ipods directly into vehicle audio systems, radio is becoming an afterthought.

----------


## theparkman81

> There's a reason.....with the growing ability to plug in smartphones/ipods directly into vehicle audio systems, radio is becoming an afterthought.


That's true, all I listen to anymore in my car are CD's, music from my phone and some radio here in Ada, the station are a bit better here then in OKC, My co-worker used to listen to KOMA at work, but now he listen to GTO 107 out of Ardmore, the station is a lot better then KOMA.

----------


## warreng88

> Is it happening on both the AM and FM stations?  I didn't listen today, but only listen to the FM side.  It would be sad if it is gone, only radio I listen to.


I didn't know there was an FM station, I just listened to the AM station. What was it on FM?

----------


## tfvc.org

> I didn't know there was an FM station, I just listened to the AM station. What was it on FM?


92.9

----------


## Roger S

I'm still getting the comedy station on 92.9..... This morning they were talking about the Dallas Cowboys defense. ;+)

----------


## theparkman81

The reason why they changed formats was the 24/7 comedy that they were using ended its run, other station across the country that use 24/7 comedy also flipped formats, so we wasn't the only ones.

----------


## stratosphere

> I'm still getting the comedy station on 92.9..... This morning they were talking about the Dallas Cowboys defense. ;+)


Didn't realize the Dallas Cowboys had a Defense?

----------


## bchris02

Tyler has been simulcasting KOMA on 92.9 for a while now.  Does anybody know whether that is permanent or do they have plans to launch a new station at that frequency?

It would be great to see something new there, though I am not holding my breath.  Furthermore, KBRU continues to be one of the worst performing stations in the market ratings wise.  As saturated as OKC is with classic rock stations, why doesn't ClearChannel try something new there?

----------


## warreng88

> Tyler has been simulcasting KOMA on 92.9 for a while now.  Does anybody know whether that is permanent or do they have plans to launch a new station at that frequency?
> 
> It would be great to see something new there, though I am not holding my breath.  Furthermore, KBRU continues to be one of the worst performing stations in the market ratings wise.  As saturated as OKC is with classic rock stations, why doesn't ClearChannel try something new there?


They tried something new with the Buzz, but that didn't work so they went with something they knew would work.

----------


## bchris02

> They tried something new with the Buzz, but that didn't work so they went with something they knew would work.


Thing is it obviously isn't working or it wouldn't be one of the lowest rated stations in the market.

----------


## zookeeper

> Tyler has been simulcasting KOMA on 92.9 for a while now.  Does anybody know whether that is permanent or do they have plans to launch a new station at that frequency?
> 
> It would be great to see something new there, though I am not holding my breath.  Furthermore, KBRU continues to be one of the worst performing stations in the market ratings wise.  As saturated as OKC is with classic rock stations, why doesn't ClearChannel try something new there?


I think they're just using KOMA to tweak around and then maybe try to pull another FCC runaround.

I've wondered the same about Cle....oops....beginning today ClearChannel is no more. It's now iHeartMedia. But I agree, do something else.

----------


## Soonerman

I wonder how 96.9 FM is doing??

----------


## bchris02

Does anybody here ever listen to KKWD Wild 104.9?

I keep giving them try after try and every once and a while it seems like they will have a few weeks where they sound better but under Cumulus' Jan Jeffries' programming its but a shell of its former self.  I remember the station in its heyday as one of the best rhythmic Top 40 stations anywhere.  Today, most of the songs they play are songs the rest of the world was hearing 2-3 years ago with way too much from the early 2000s for a modern Top 40.  I don't know why they do "throwback thursdays" when it is a throwback station 24/7/365.  They should just put the station to rest.  My guess is that it has survived this long because it's the only station you can get over the air in OKC that _kind of_ fills the urban contemporary niche, even though it doesn't do it very well.

----------


## theparkman81

> Does anybody here ever listen to KKWD Wild 104.9?
> 
> I keep giving them try after try and every once and a while it seems like they will have a few weeks where they sound better but under Cumulus' Jan Jeffries' programming its but a shell of its former self.  I remember the station in its heyday as one of the best rhythmic Top 40 stations anywhere.  Today, most of the songs they play are songs the rest of the world was hearing 2-3 years ago with way too much from the early 2000s for a modern Top 40.  I don't know why they do "throwback thursdays" when it is a throwback station 24/7/365.  They should just put the station to rest.  My guess is that it has survived this long because it's the only station you can get over the air in OKC that _kind of_ fills the urban contemporary niche, even though it doesn't do it very well.


I think Wild and the Brew both need to go.

----------


## bchris02

Wild could be great if Cumulus would return control over the playlist to the local PD.  Jan Jeffries is pretty committed to his formula however across all formats.  It actually works well for AC and Hot AC stations but for Top 40 and especially a Rhythmic Top 40 like Wild is, the playlist needs to be a bit more cutting edge and less "safe."  It would also help if the station was on a better signal.  The station dominated when it was on the 97.9 frequency but never completely recovered after the move to 104.9, even prior to being Cumulized.

The Brew simply needs to flip.  It's the weakest link in a crowded market.

----------


## Soonerman

If you were the PD at I heart radio, What format would you put on 94.7?? I would bring back alternative and make it sound like 102.1 the Edge out of DFW!!!

----------


## bchris02

> If you were the PD at I heart radio, What format would you put on 94.7?? I would bring back alternative and make it sound like 102.1 the Edge out of DFW!!!


That's a tough question.  OKC needs an alternative rock station.  It's hard to believe a city this size doesn't have one.   However, part of me would be tempted to do a Jack-FM style station.

----------


## Soonerman

> That's a tough question.  OKC needs an alternative rock station.  It's hard to believe a city this size doesn't have one.   However, part of me would be tempted to do a Jack-FM style station.


I think 99.7 would make a great Jack FM if country doesn't work for them.

----------


## bchris02

> I think 99.7 would make a great Jack FM if country doesn't work for them.


Perhaps.  I tend to think it would make a great frequency for alternative rock or urban contemporary.  The lower powered stations are better for formats that are more of a niche market while the 100kw stations are best for those with the most mass appeal.

----------


## HOT ROD

EDM please! House Music All Night Long!

----------


## bchris02

> EDM please! House Music All Night Long!


I like EDM music also but I don't think full-time EDM on a terrestrial station would work in OKC.   Usually those stations are found in alpha world cities that have a high gay population such as San Francisco or Toronto, and even then its a tough format.  I think a Top 40/Rythmic station that was EDM at a certain time of day might work.  I think KJ-103 spins EDM overnight Saturday into Sunday if I am not mistaking.  Other than that, Sirius XM has a couple of great stations.

----------


## LocoAko

> I like EDM music also but I don't think full-time EDM on a terrestrial station would work in OKC.   Usually those stations are found in alpha world cities that have a high gay population such as San Francisco or Toronto, and even then its a tough format.  I think a Top 40/Rythmic station that was EDM at a certain time of day might work.  I think KJ-103 spins EDM overnight Saturday into Sunday if I am not mistaking.  Other than that, Sirius XM has a couple of great stations.


It's been a while, but I'm not sure there's even a real EDM station in NYC.

----------


## bchris02

> It's been a while, but I'm not sure there's even a real EDM station in NYC.


I know its been attempted but I don't think its been successful.  There are plenty of good free streaming EDM stations out there as well as awesome ones on satellite.  The format doesn't really have the kind of mass appeal to be full time on a terrestrial station.

----------


## Soonerman

Dallas had one in the early 2000's.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> Dallas had one in the early 2000's.


Wasn't it 93.5? I remember it.

----------


## Soonerman

The dance station I'm referring to was 106.7. I believe 93.7 was a hip hop station. Now they're both spanish stations.

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## HOT ROD

SF and TO are alpha world cities?

----------


## HOT ROD

I hear what you're saying though, but I do think OKC could support the format at least part time - especially considering isn't EDM among the most popular formats now, not just with the gay crowd. ..

----------


## bchris02

> I hear what you're saying though, but I do think OKC could support the format at least part time - especially considering isn't EDM among the most popular formats now, not just with the gay crowd. ..


I agree with you.  KJ-103 has it late nights on weekends as it is.  If I was PD of a station, I would do a rhythmic CHR format, playing Top 40 with an urban/hip-hop lean during the day and then go EDM after 10PM.

----------


## warreng88

> If you were the PD at I heart radio, What format would you put on 94.7?? I would bring back alternative and make it sound like 102.1 the Edge out of DFW!!!


That would be my preference. I grew up in the Tulsa where 104.5 The Edge was all I listened to. At one point in time, I had all my presets in my car tuned to 104.5 so no one would change the station. I think that and the Chevy BT Events Center getting a makeover could bring in some great concerts we lost to the Cain's and Brady in Tulsa.

----------


## HOT ROD

> I agree with you.  KJ-103 has it late nights on weekends as it is.  If I was PD of a station, I would do a rhythmic CHR format, playing Top 40 with an urban/hip-hop lean during the day and then go EDM after 10PM.


+1 too bad Wild doesn't do this.

----------


## Questor

Honestly I don't know if that's realistic. OKC can't even support a modern/indie rock station, so I don't see it supporting EDM. Attendance at venues with an electronic focus is kind of weak too, even when some of the world's biggest DJs are in town. 

I'd really love it if I was wrong though.

----------


## bchris02

> +1 too bad Wild doesn't do this.


That would be something to take up with Jan Jeffries.

I just wish, as a top 40 rhythmic station they would play what is popular today instead of the most annoying overplayed songs from last decade.

----------


## theparkman81

If I was the PD at 94.7, I would also run alt. rock on the station, with local personalities, not this satellite stuff, listen to Now 96.5 this weekend when I was in the city, great station, great sound and everything, I listen to it all the way down to River wind Casino and then it started to fade out, I wish they would put it on a another frequency.

----------


## bchris02

> If I was the PD at 94.7, I would also run alt. rock on the station, with local personalities, not this satellite stuff, listen to Now 96.5 this weekend when I was in the city, great station, great sound and everything, I listen to it all the way down to River wind Casino and then it started to fade out, I wish they would put it on a another frequency.


I agree.  Now 96.5 is a great station, deserving of a stronger frequency.  Why Tyler doesn't see this I don't understand.  If they don't want to put it on a real frequency, they could at least put it on the 104.5 translator.  It is twice as powerful as the 96.5 translator.  In NW OKC, 96.5 is pretty static-filled sometimes and has bleed-in from Mix 96.5 in Tulsa.

----------


## Soonerman

Here's the sample of what they played on the Dallas station I was reffering to,

----------


## warreng88

One thing I don't understand is why Jack and Ron are still on the air? I can't listen to them for more than a few minutes before I get sick of the terrible impressions, too tough trivia. I guess I don't share the same sense of humor that they do.

----------


## Bunty

Protest while doing something about the bad FM radio station situation in OKC by getting some music the other stations don't play and put up your own pirate radio station of at least a 100 watts.  To escape FCC, only run it on weekends.  If I'm right, the FCC doesn't work on weekends to investigate unlicensed stations unless a local station is being interfered with.  So don't interfere with the locals.  It's been awhile, but I've heard a FM pirate radio station before in OKC.  It was comedy from Richard Pryor.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

103.5 hasn't worked today for some reason.

----------


## bchris02

> 103.5 hasn't worked today for some reason.


I could pick it up this afternoon on my drive home.  Usually the station is so full of static I can't listen for very long though.  I wish they would move it closer to OKC.  You can get it in Lawton and Elk City better than you can in OKC.

----------


## HOT ROD

That is so weird since doesn't Lawton already have its own Hip Hop station?

----------


## Soonerman

> That is so weird since doesn't Lawton already have its own Hip Hop station?


Yes they do.

----------


## bchris02

Tyler is now simulcasting Now 96.5 on the 92.9 frequency.  Personally I think 92.9 would be a better permanent frequency for the station than 96.5 being that 92.9 is slightly stronger and also doesn't suffer bleed-in from Mix 96.5 in Tulsa.

Does anybody know what Tyler's long-term plans are for that frequency?

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> I could pick it up this afternoon on my drive home.  Usually the station is so full of static I can't listen for very long though.  I wish they would move it closer to OKC.  You can get it in Lawton and Elk City better than you can in OKC.


Where are they located? I thought it was in OKC?

----------


## bchris02

> Where are they located? I thought it was in OKC?


The studio is in OKC but the transmitter is way out west of Anadarko, OK.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

Why do they do that?

----------


## bchris02

> Why do they do that?


They can't get a 100kW signal closer to the metro.  If they did it would be too close to Magic 104.1 on the dial per FCC regulation. If they moved it to 103.3 it would be to close to KJ-103.  To properly cover OKC, Russell Perry would either need to put it on a much weaker stick or buy out one of the existing frequencies which wouldn't be easy.  I wonder how difficult it would be for them to set up a translator and simulcast.  I am sure if it was doable it would have already been done.

----------


## windowphobe

Well, they do have a translator, at 92.1, but it's for their AM daytimer KRMP 1140; this allows them to run the format 24 hours. 

When they handed out FM allocations back at the Dawn of Time, OKC got just a handful: 92.5, 94.7, 96.1, 98.9, 100.5, 101.9, 102.7, 104.1.  107.7 came along in the 1970s.  All the rest were move-ins from somewhere else or translators that sprang up recently.

----------


## HOT ROD

Can they just move the transmitter to a different tower, say in the OKC tower farm? 

I see construction permits on some stations where they're switching towers or simulcasting or whatever, is this a possibility for them? I think it is weird for OKC to not have 103.5 coverage yet have a station based in OKC with that frequency; couldn't they simulcast the same frequency with a smaller transmitter IN OKC?

I seriously doubt the target audience for that station resides anywhere west of El Reno. No offense to anybody, but western Oklahoma is hardly urban and hip-hop.

----------


## bchris02

> Can they just move the transmitter to a different tower, say in the OKC tower farm? 
> 
> I see construction permits on some stations where they're switching towers or simulcasting or whatever, is this a possibility for them? I think it is weird for OKC to not have 103.5 coverage yet have a station based in OKC with that frequency; couldn't they simulcast the same frequency with a smaller transmitter IN OKC?
> 
> I seriously doubt the target audience for that station resides anywhere west of El Reno. No offense to anybody, but western Oklahoma is hardly urban and hip-hop.


No they could not without substantially reducing the power of the signal.  Right now its a 100kW signal.  Moving it to OKC would put it too close to 104.1 on the dial, another 100kW signal.  There would be interference.  There are no frequencies available in OKC that are 100kW so they would have to reduce the power.  I am not certain but my guess is it would have to be something meager like 6kW before they could do it.  If they did that though, the station would fade out west of Yukon and east of Choctaw.  From a business perspective, I am not sure if better coverage over OKC would be preferable to the much larger coverage the station currently has.

----------


## windowphobe

Even if they downgraded to Class A (6 kW maximum), they'd still have to be 95 km away from KMGL, so the OKC antenna farm is out.   Unless they can work up some complicated scheme with competitors, they're stuck where they are.

From my own notes:




> [T]he deal that allowed the Sports Animal (WWLS) to move from 97.9 to 98.1 was somewhat complicated: it required the moving of a Stillwater station (KVRO) from 98.1 to 101.1, and a substantial reduction in power at the KATT (100.5) to reduce interference to the new Stillwater signal. The FCC has overseen swaps much more complex than this, though.

----------


## RadicalModerate

I think that "radio landscaping" is far too poetic for this topic.
Kudos to the OP.

----------


## harp23

Last three times I've been in Dallas I've listened to KXT, 97.1, listener supported commercial free. Best radio station I've ever listened to. When you have time go to their web page and click on playlist. You'll find they may play an Avett Brothers song followed by U2 and then Johnny Cash. this is what OKC needs.





> I think that "radio landscaping" is far too poetic for this topic.
> Kudos to the OP.

----------


## Soonerman

> Last three times I've been in Dallas I've listened to KXT, 97.1, listener supported commercial free. Best radio station I've ever listened to. When you have time go to their web page and click on playlist. You'll find they may play an Avett Brothers song followed by U2 and then Johnny Cash. this is what OKC needs.


Yea, 91.7 KXT is an awesome station, It's owned by KERA. Here's their website, KXT 91.7 | Independent Music Radio for North Texas

----------


## theparkman81

I noticed that NOW 96.5 is now on 92.9, listen to it this morning when I took my brother to the airport, I wish that we get a all news station, because yesterday during that hostage standoff in Norman, I was watching it on TV, but I had to go to work and I was hoping that either KTOK or KOKC was covering it, but they wasn't.

----------


## bchris02

It looks like right now, NOW 96.5 is simulcasting on both 96.5 and 92.9.  It looks like the goal is to move it permanently to 92.9.  If they do that, they need to make some adjustments to the signal because it sounds muffled on 92.9.  Once they get it worked out though that's a better home for it being that frequency doesn't suffer bleed in from Mix 96.5 in Tulsa.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the 96.5 frequency.

----------


## bchris02

Magic 104.1 is having a "Christmas preview" weekend this weekend.  Personally I don't understand their need to do a "preview" of their Christmas format especially since there is no competitor in the OKC market.  Unlike a lot of people, I support stations changing to all Christmas but wish they would wait until Black Friday or at least the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to do it.  When 94.7 KQSR used to do it they would start the day before Thanksgiving.

----------


## theparkman81

When will I heart pull the plug on the Brew, the last ratings that came out show that they had a pathetic 1.5, heck WKY is almost 0catching up with them, it's time for them to change.

----------


## bchris02

> When will I heart pull the plug on the Brew, the last ratings that came out show that they had a pathetic 1.5, heck WKY is almost 0catching up with them, it's time for them to change.


I wish I knew.  It's stayed long past its welcome.  Maybe they will go all-Christmas over the Holiday season and then change formats come Dec 26th (here's to wishful thinking!).  That would be a perfect frequency for iHeart to bring something new to the market.  Alternative rock has to be one of the most requested but they already tried that and it failed.  Do you think they could give it another go?  If not that, then what format?  It's a 100KW signal so it cannot be a niche format.  It needs to be something with mass appeal.

I also wonder what is going to become of the 96.5 signal once Now 96.5 migrates permanently to 92.9.  For those wanting a more niche format like EDM, a translator like that would be perfect for it.

I also think Wild is starting to become more listenable.  There are still times when I am shaking my head thinking "really, you are going to play that in 2014?" but overall its been sounding less like an iPhone on shuffle lately than it did after the Cumulus takeover and more like a rhythmic Top 40.

----------


## Soonerman

> I wish I knew.  It's stayed long past its welcome.  Maybe they will go all-Christmas over the Holiday season and then change formats come Dec 26th (here's to wishful thinking!).  That would be a perfect frequency for iHeart to bring something new to the market.  Alternative rock has to be one of the most requested but they already tried that and it failed.  Do you think they could give it another go?  If not that, then what format?  It's a 100KW signal so it cannot be a niche format.  It needs to be something with mass appeal.
> 
> I also wonder what is going to become of the 96.5 signal once Now 96.5 migrates permanently to 92.9.  For those wanting a more niche format like EDM, a translator like that would be perfect for it.
> 
> I also think Wild is starting to become more listenable.  There are still times when I am shaking my head thinking "really, you are going to play that in 2014?" but overall its been sounding less like an iPhone on shuffle lately than it did after the Cumulus takeover and more like a rhythmic Top 40.


Like I said before, either Alternative or Adult Hits (Jack FM) type format could work on 94.7.  I think Classic Rock has worn out it's welcome  there.

----------


## bchris02

> Like I said before, either Alternative or Adult Hits (Jack FM) type format could work on 94.7. * I think Classic Rock has worn out it's welcome  there.*


I am pretty sure most of OKC would agree with that given their ratings.  I wonder what it will take to send that message to iHeartMedia though?

----------


## HOT ROD

wish I had the capital and knowledge, I'd work a EDM station. It could play the various sub genres of EDM throughout the day; more house and trance at night, more NRG and techno in the day. ...

Or, I'd just copy C-89.5 here in Seattle; we're blessed (and it's Seattle Public Schools-Nathan Hale HS running it).

----------


## bchris02

> wish I had the capital and knowledge, I'd work a EDM station. It could play the various sub genres of EDM throughout the day; more house and trance at night, more NRG and techno in the day. ...
> 
> Or, I'd just copy C-89.5 here in Seattle; we're blessed (and it's Seattle Public Schools-Nathan Hale HS running it).


Do you think OKC has the demographics to support a commercial EDM station?  I love the format and would definitely listen but I wonder if it would work from a commercial perspective.

It might work as a college/public station, which is what it looks like that Seattle station is.  That's how a lot of other niche formats like classical and folk are also supported that are not popular enough to generate a lot of ad revenue.

----------


## Mike_M

> The reason why they changed formats was the 24/7 comedy that they were using ended its run, other station across the country that use 24/7 comedy also flipped formats, so we wasn't the only ones.


I still listen to that station on the iHeart Radio app and my computer. It doesn't seem to be going away, are they just refusing to broadcast on radio now?

----------


## HOT ROD

actually our station is a high school station here. and I'd probably think OKC's should be the same, not commercial or not AS commercial.

OKC is seeing an influx and retention of young people/professionals, which means there likely is a rising audience for EDM at least part time.

----------


## bchris02

> OKC is seeing an influx and retention of young people/professionals, which means there likely is a rising audience for EDM at least part time.


This is probably why you have EDM on KJ-103 late nights on Fridays.  Wild is now doing it on Saturday late nights.

----------


## HOT ROD

cool, its a start.

----------


## bchris02

OKC Top 40 Now 96.5 To Now 92.9 ... Soon! | AllAccess.com

It looks like after the first of the year, as speculated, Now 96.5 is going to be exclusively on 92.9.  Has anybody heard any rumors as to what they plan on doing with the 96.5 frequency?

----------


## theparkman81

The only thing I have heard that 96.5 was going to simulcast the Franchise 2 1560, I hope that's not true, We need something different.

----------


## bchris02

> The only thing I have heard that 96.5 was going to simulcast the Franchise 2 1560, I hope that's not true, We need something different.


That would really suck but given the state of radio in this town it wouldn't surprise me.

----------


## bchris02

I really wonder, why can't OKC support the following?

An urban/hip-hop station
An alternative rock station
A second full-powered Top 40

A lot of people are wishing for outside the box formats such as EDM or Comedy, but there is satellite radio for that and OKC is hardly alone in lacking innovative, outside the box stations.  However, the above three formats are present in almost every other major city except OKC.   This market has more country, classic rock, and sports stations than it can handle, some of them currently doing quite poorly *cough KBRU* yet nobody wants to try anything different.  Why is that?

----------


## theparkman81

The last ratings for KBRU was a 1.4, it's time for a change please.

----------


## HOT ROD

doesn't OKC already have an urban contemporary station at 92.1 and a hip-hop station at 103.5? I thought WILD was a Top - 40 station (whether you like the program director or not) as an alternative to KJ, and I also thought OKC had an alternative station or two already.

I think these formats are covered, and every other format except EDM and ethnics besides spanish. I totally agree that OKC has a ridiculous amount of religious, country, and sports channels on FM. 5 country stations?? OKC is much more diverse than that.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

Our radio stations suck ass. I wish we'd get something like 97.9 The Beat

----------


## Snowman

> I really wonder, why can't OKC support the following?
> 
> An urban/hip-hop station
> An alternative rock station
> A second full-powered Top 40
> 
> A lot of people are wishing for outside the box formats such as EDM or Comedy, but there is satellite radio for that and OKC is hardly alone in lacking innovative, outside the box stations.  However, the above three formats are present in almost every other major city except OKC.   This market has more country, classic rock, and sports stations than it can handle, some of them currently doing quite poorly *cough KBRU* yet nobody wants to try anything different.  Why is that?


In addition to Satellite radio iPods (and eventually smartphones) and bluetooth enabled stereos in cars becoming mainstream has been a problem for marketing to the under 40 across the county. 

Satellite can do the music without ads because they are paid directly by the listener. MP3 players in even the most basic smartphone means most peoples entire music library can be available to them in the car, is tailored better to the users song preferences than any station could ever hope to achieve, on top of that you also never have adds, annoyances from DJs and can skip songs on demand. No doubt illegal downloads helped start making the MP3 systems more viable but now you can get high quality streaming/local storage services at affordable monthly rates.

----------


## bchris02

> doesn't OKC already have an urban contemporary station at 92.1 and a hip-hop station at 103.5? I thought WILD was a Top - 40 station (whether you like the program director or not) as an alternative to KJ, and I also thought OKC had an alternative station or two already.
> 
> I think these formats are covered, and every other format except EDM and ethnics besides spanish. I totally agree that OKC has a ridiculous amount of religious, country, and sports channels on FM. 5 country stations?? OKC is much more diverse than that.


103.5 broadcasts from out west of Anadarko and many days is difficult to pick up in OKC especially north of I-40.  Wild 104.9 is specifically programmed according to Cumulus' rural small-market Top 40 format, playing primarily older hits from 3-5 years ago.  Wild is the stereotypical outdated, small town top 40 people used to joke about that I am surprised still exists in the age of the Internet.  OKC had two alternative stations but lost both of them a few years ago, one changing to classic rock and the other changing to sports.




> In addition to Satellite radio iPods (and eventually smartphones) and bluetooth enabled stereos in cars becoming mainstream has been a problem for marketing to the under 40 across the county.


I do agree the trend is towards satellite radio.  However, these formats I am speaking of that are lacking in OKC are pretty mainstream and are consistently heard in pretty much any other city.

----------


## theparkman81

I listening to NOW 92-9 right now and they have the 90's 2K hour on right now, I guess they just start doing that for the lunch hour.

----------


## adaniel

Spotify, Pandora, Iheart, XM, Sirius, TuneIn, Slacker, Youtube, etc......

All of these will provide a superior listening experience than the FM dial, and that's just about true in any city. I live in a much bigger market, and I find the radio here no better than in OKC, especially since they've canned the one old school station I used to listen to. Any creativity on over-the-air radio is over; that ship sailed a loooong time ago. 

Also, what's wrong with Power 103.5? That's one of the more underrated hip hop stations in this part of the country IMO. Yes there antenna is in Anadarko, but their signal is fine in the majority of metro OKC. I could pick it up just fine well out to Guthrie and Shawnee. Sounds like something is wrong with your car.

----------


## theparkman81

I can get Power 103.5 here in Ada sometimes despite interference from 103.7 in Okemah, and even BOB FM comes in good down here.

----------


## TheTravellers

I can get 103.5 decently in our cars on NW 164th, haven't checked to see if it comes in great at the house, though.

----------


## bchris02

I could get Power 103.5 pretty clearly in my old car in NW OKC but in my new car I can barely hear it unless I am south of I-40.  I do listen to it when I can though and it's pretty good.  OKC is in the distant area of their coverage so it all depends on how good your antenna is.  I agree with ADaniel that it's an underrated station, but I am sure it's coverage is a big part of why.

From a business perspective, I don't understand why radio broadcasters would choose to add a fifth country station or sixth sports station rather than try one of the formats I mentioned above.  Do urban or alternative rock and you will own the format in this market.  Do Top 40 and you will only have one real competitor and that competitor is currently #1 in the market.  To me, that seems like a better strategy than further saturating an already saturated market.  Obviously the people at Tyler and iHeart don't agree.

----------


## Soonerman

If the Brew has such horrible ratings, Why not flip it??

----------


## warreng88

> If the Brew has such horrible ratings, Why not flip it??


To what? It was The Buzz, a more modern rock station and that didn't do well, so they went with a KATT type of setting.

On a different note, I am curious if The Criterion and The Chevy (it's going to catch on, I promise) will bring in the kind of concerts like the Cains and Brady where there will have to be a modern rock station. For God's sake, Black Label Society, Bush, OK Go and They Might be Giants are playing at The Diamond. We deserve a better venue for higher tiered bands.

----------


## Soonerman

Why not bring back Jack FM?? Yea I know OKC had one at one time but it had a horrible signal or maybe alternative like 102.1 The Edge out of Dallas!!

----------


## Soonerman

It's pretty sad that Tulsa has an alternative station and OKC doesn't

----------


## bchris02

> It's pretty sad that Tulsa has an alternative station and OKC doesn't


Alternative stations are pretty standard in most cities, its just OKC doesn't have one at the moment.  The Buzz was on the air for almost ten years though so I wouldn't say it was a complete flop to have lasted that long. I personally miss 105.3 the Martini.  Stations like that are rare in this day and age.

Tulsa also has an urban station and two quality Top 40 stations.  Right now their FM dial is well balanced I would say, moreso than OKC's.  It wasn't always that way though.  OKC's FM dial was fairly diverse around 10 years ago.

----------


## stratosphere

The Buzz was not a real alternative station though,  they were basically just new rock,  which you can get on the KATT in between their old stuff.

The only alternative station we had here in OKC that i can ever remember was 95X (i think thats what it was called) back in the late 90s.  That was a great station.  Even the Spy FM only comes across FM at certain hours of the day.  

I guess thats why i dont bother and just listen to XM.

----------


## Soonerman

I think a station like 91.7 KXT out of Dallas would be awesome for OKC!!

----------


## stratosphere

> I think a station like 91.7 KXT out of Dallas would be awesome for OKC!!


looking at their playlist i would definitely listen to that.   :Band:

----------


## Soonerman

Yea, KXT is listener supported (it's owned by KERA) So they really have no ads on there. They do play some awesome music.

----------


## bchris02

Most creative, innovative radio on the FM dial today is always going to be your college or listener supported stations.  Corporate radio is pretty generic and cookie cutter everywhere, though certain broadcasters are worse than others.  

What has really DECIMATED OKC's radio dial is the fact Citadel, which was a great broadcasting corporation, was purchased by Cumulus.  Cumulus has historically been one of the worst.  Their primary focus has always been small market and running stations as low-cost as possible.  Upon merging with Citadel, they implemented that vision on their newly acquired stations.  That's why OKC has stations like KKWD and KATT that were once good that now sound absolutely atrocious.

----------


## Soonerman

Here's KXT's website if you want to listen to them. KXT 91.7 | Independent Music Radio for North Texas

----------


## HOT ROD

Time for OKC to get an independent, listener supported and/or college/school owned station or two/three? Say, replace two country and one religious station with one OCU owned station, one listener supported station, and one OKCPS owned station (like C-89 in Seattle). ...

OKC would then be complete IMO; particularly (as Bchris points out) if 103.5 could somehow get its signal to better cover the OKC metro (and particularly its core audience in the Eastside).

----------


## TheTravellers

One thing that is annoying about college radio here in OKC is that it isn't like college radio elsewhere in the country (could've changed by now, but I don't think it has much, if any).  I always heard the term "college radio" and thought indie, cool, new, weird music (like WMSE), but here it seems to be all NPR or classical.  KGOU has a good blues show on the weekends, and The Spy is now on KOSU at night, but I believe that's about the only "college radio" (as defined above) around...  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'd love to be...

----------


## bchris02

I wonder if iHeartMedia is ever going to pull the plug on 94.7 The Brew and do something different.  That frequency would be great to fill one of the gaping format holes in OKC radio.  It probably isn't going to be anything too innovative or creative like many want to see but if I were iHeartMedia I would go alternative or urban on that frequency.  Classic rock has long overstayed its welcome there.  In a market like OKC where there are mainstream formats that aren't represented, I don't understand why broadcasters don't jump on them and instead do classic rock or country.  An even bigger question is why continue a failing format like 94.7 The Brew when you could flip it to something that would have no competition in the OKC market?

----------


## tsou89

Spent the weekend in Tulsa. Opted to listen to 104.5 The Edge instead of XM or the iPod. I enjoyed their mix of old and new Alternative. Really wish we had something in okc like it.

----------


## Soonerman

> Spent the weekend in Tulsa. Opted to listen to 104.5 The Edge instead of XM or the iPod. I enjoyed their mix of old and new Alternative. Really wish we had something in okc like it.


That would be perfect for 94.7!!

----------


## bchris02

Does anybody know if iHeartMedia even has a format flip in the cards for 94.7?  Given the station's low ratings and market saturation for classic rock it would make sense that it would, but when it comes to corporate radio the business decisions made aren't always the ones that make the most sense.

----------


## Soonerman

> Does anybody know if iHeartMedia even has a format flip in the cards for 94.7?  Given the station's low ratings and market saturation for classic rock it would make sense that it would, but when it comes to corporate radio the business decisions made aren't always the ones that make the most sense.


It needs to happen.

----------


## bchris02

> It needs to happen.


I wonder what they are waiting on.  In the Q4 2014 ratings they are down to a 1.4 share.

----------


## theparkman81

> I wonder what they are waiting on.  In the Q4 2014 ratings they are down to a 1.4 share.


Yeah their last ratings was terrible, heck if it keeps on, KOKC and WKY will pass them.

----------


## Soonerman

I don't understand why they keep the Brew on the air!!

----------


## bchris02

> I don't understand why they keep the Brew on the air!!


Agreed.  I think flipping it to anything, with the exception of another sports talk or country, would be an improvement.  Sadly, I think more and more the corporate radio giants are writing off small markets, putting most of the stations on autopilot while raking in the advertising cash.

----------


## TheTravellers

Turned The Spy on last night, heard Happy Mondays, Waterboys, and Chvrches (along with a bunch of other cool songs I didn't recognize) in the span of an hour.  This is the kind of station OKC needs full-time 24x7!

----------


## Urbanized

^^^^^^^^^
100% agree. Ferris is one of the best alt/indie programmers in the country.

----------


## bchris02

I heard on Now 96.5 yesterday that they will soon be switching permanently to 92.9 soon.  They have been simulcasting the past several months.

Does anybody know if the plan is to flip 96.5 to another sports station?  Could Tyler Media try something new with the frequency?

----------


## theparkman81

> I heard on Now 96.5 yesterday that they will soon be switching permanently to 92.9 soon.  They have been simulcasting the past several months.
> 
> Does anybody know if the plan is to flip 96.5 to another sports station?  Could Tyler Media try something new with the frequency?


I hope they try something new and not flip it to sports, that is the last thing we need.

----------


## HOT ROD

nor country.

----------


## Soonerman

nor Classic Rock

----------


## Zorba

> Why not bring back Jack FM?? Yea I know OKC had one at one time but it had a horrible signal or maybe alternative like 102.1 The Edge out of Dallas!!


God Yes! I listen to 102.1 The Edge on I Heart Radio all the time. There isn't a single station in OKC I can stand. I actually had to replace the radios in both of my cars so I could listen to MP3s/BlueTooth after I moved here.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

Power 103.5 is the only radio station I generally _can_ consistently listen to.

----------


## bchris02

> God Yes! I listen to 102.1 The Edge on I Heart Radio all the time. There isn't a single station in OKC I can stand. I actually had to replace the radios in both of my cars so I could listen to MP3s/BlueTooth after I moved here.


I feel your pain.  I really miss the stations in Charlotte.  Even Tulsa and Wichita have better stations.  OKC's radio stations sound very small townish both in variety and the way they are programmed.  Fort Smith, Arkansas for instance has nearly the exact same kind of stations.  The thing is it hasn't always been this bad.  It seems to me there was quite a bit more variety here back in the 90s and early 2000s.




> Power 103.5 is the only radio station I generally _can_ consistently listen to.


It's a great station, just wish they would move the antenna closer to OKC.  Can't even pick it up most days in my car in NW OKC.

----------


## bchris02

> nor Classic Rock


94.7 already is classic rock so if they flip it, it will likely be to something else.  The good news is that iHeartMedia also already has two country stations in the market so its extremely unlikely they will go country with it.

I would say the best choices would be alternative rock or urban.  Those formats are not currently represented in the OKC market and I am certain the market has the demographics to support them.  Something like AC or Jack FM would still be a step up but I would really rather see one of the gaping format holes filled.

----------


## bchris02

RadioInsight ? Pair Of Oklahoma City Changes On The Way

This is a slightly outdated article but last year apparently Jim Couch registered 1053theMartini.com.   I really hope they flip it back from sports to the standards format.  It was one of my favorite stations in OKC when it was on the air.

It also states that a new format should be coming to 96.5 once Now 96.5 fully transitions to Now 92.9.  That has been known for a while now but I don't think anybody knows for sure what format will be replacing it.  Rumor is that it will be another sports station but I really hope that isn't the case.

----------


## Zorba

> I feel your pain.  I really miss the stations in Charlotte.  Even Tulsa and Wichita have better stations.  OKC's radio stations sound very small townish both in variety and the way they are programmed.  Fort Smith, Arkansas for instance has nearly the exact same kind of stations.  The thing is it hasn't always been this bad.  It seems to me there was quite a bit more variety here back in the 90s and early 2000s.


I agree Tulsa's radio is much better, The Edge has no comparison here, KMOD is much better than the KATT, KHITs is better than any of the Top40 stations (although not my kind of music).  Tulsa used to have a Genx station that was quite good, then they turned it into another &*(&(ing country station, even though all of my friends and coworkers listened to it. Even KVOO (country) is better than anything in OKC.

I remember listening to The Buzz when I was in college at OSU, was very surprised when it wasn't on anymore when I moved here.

----------


## Zorba

Why does the FCC allow the same frequencies to be used in OKC and Tulsa? It seems to create a lot of bleed in issues. But 92.9, 96.5, 104.5 and 105.3, and I think others repeat in both cities. I thought frequencies had to be separated by a larger distance than that. 

I really hope 96.5 doesn't become sports, how many sports stations can one city have?

----------


## bchris02

> Why does the FCC allow the same frequencies to be used in OKC and Tulsa? It seems to create a lot of bleed in issues. But 92.9, 96.5, 104.5 and 105.3, and I think others repeat in both cities. I thought frequencies had to be separated by a larger distance than that. 
> 
> I really hope 96.5 doesn't become sports, how many sports stations can one city have?


Most of those stations are low power translators in OKC.  The Tulsa stations are full power which is why you get the bleed-in.  There are no full-power stations that share a frequency in both OKC and Tulsa.  Tulsa has more full power frequencies because they were the dominant city in the state whenever the FCC delegated out the frequencies.

And yes, Tulsa's stations sound much more market-size appropriate than do OKC's, same with Wichita.

----------


## zookeeper

I mourn the passing of "real" radio, but I can't see it turning around. For $10 a month, I create and program my own "radio station" using Spotify's playlist capability. They have almost everything on-demand. That's hard to compete with when you have to interrupt everything for obnoxious car dealer advertising and disc jockeys that have outlived their purpose. Only Ronny Kaye has any real personality on the radio anymore - and he's 73 years old! Like I said, I mourn the good old days of Top 40 personality-driven radio with over-the-top contests, personalities that are truly doing a show, and pulling it all off so the commercials weren't near the distraction...not to mention there weren't as many.

----------


## traxx

> I mourn the passing of "real" radio, but I can't see it turning around. For $10 a month, I create and program my own "radio station" using Spotify's playlist capability. They have almost everything on-demand. That's hard to compete with when you have to interrupt everything for obnoxious car dealer advertising and disc jockeys that have outlived their purpose. Only Ronny Kaye has any real personality on the radio anymore - and he's 73 years old! Like I said, I mourn the good old days of Top 40 personality-driven radio with over-the-top contests, personalities that are truly doing a show, and pulling it all off so the commercials weren't near the distraction...not to mention there weren't as many.


True

When I watch American Graffiti with Wolfman Jack as the backdrop, I wonder what it must've been like to grow up in that time when DJs were celebrities in their own right.

As for playlists etc.; If you're an Amazon Prime member, they have tons of albums from all kinds of genres that are free to stream and you can make playlists from them as well. So say you're feeling nostalgic and you wanna listen to Van Halen II, it's free. Just put it in your library and you can stream the album just as if you owned it. Or if you just like certain songs from an album, you can just get those songs. It's really great.

----------


## bchris02

None of the FM radio alternatives are free, with the exception of maybe bluetooth wired into your car playing your MP3 library (which most new cars have).   Other than that, all of them carry a fee, plus you must have a data plan that's hefty enough for that kind of streaming.  XM is $20/month and when you get down to actual cost its probably the most economical, but its still not free.

----------


## trousers

The only local radio that I listen to for music (willingly at least) is KOSU-The Spy FM.   They've actually got some really good shows, Freakbeat, You're Welcome, Gold Soundz, Millions Now Listening..., OK Rock Show, Tasting Notes, Juke Joint Jenny's show.  All good stuff.

----------


## zookeeper

> None of the FM radio alternatives are free, with the exception of maybe bluetooth wired into your car playing your MP3 library (which most new cars have).   Other than that, all of them carry a fee, plus you must have a data plan that's hefty enough for that kind of streaming.  XM is $20/month and when you get down to actual cost its probably the most economical, but its still not free.


I have T-Mobile and stream music services FREE. One of those T-Mobile freebies a lot of people don't know about. No video, of course, but the audio streaming from certain services do not use any data on your plan. I use Spotify and I have my entire collection on my iPhone downloaded and need no connection. You only have to sign-in to the service once per month to license your music again. But that's not even streaming. That's selected individual songs created into multiple playlists - all OFFline. It's very affordable. One is supported by subscription (Spotify and others) and radio is supported by advertising. It's a trade-off that's a no-brainer for me. MY music, no ads, my own radio station! It's connected to the car audio via bluetooth before I ever sit down and start the engine.

----------


## Zorba

> I have T-Mobile and stream music services FREE. One of those T-Mobile freebies a lot of people don't know about. No video, of course, but the audio streaming from certain services do not use any data on your plan. I use Spotify and I have my entire collection on my iPhone downloaded and need no connection. You only have to sign-in to the service once per month to license your music again. But that's not even streaming. That's selected individual songs created into multiple playlists - all OFFline. It's very affordable. One is supported by subscription (Spotify and others) and radio is supported by advertising. It's a trade-off that's a no-brainer for me. MY music, no ads, my own radio station! It's connected to the car audio via bluetooth before I ever sit down and start the engine.


I like listening to my own music at work. But in the car I prefer a good radio station so I am exposed to new music and sometimes new styles, you don't get that when you are listening to your own music. Although I know some streaming will play new music based on your preferences. 

I also like some morning shows, but I have yet to find an enjoyable one here.

----------


## bchris02

> I like listening to my own music at work. But in the car I prefer a good radio station so I am exposed to new music and sometimes new styles, you don't get that when you are listening to your own music. Although I know some streaming will play new music based on your preferences.


I agree with this.  This is one reason I still like radio.

----------


## Bunty

> Most of those stations are low power translators in OKC.  The Tulsa stations are full power which is why you get the bleed-in.  There are no full-power stations that share a frequency in both OKC and Tulsa.  Tulsa has more full power frequencies because they were the dominant city in the state whenever the FCC delegated out the frequencies.


Sorry, I don't get how the FCC determined that Tulsa dominated over OKC, since OKC has always had  bigger population than Tulsa.   And given the larger population, it should follow that OKC has more full power FM stations than Tulsa.  I believe it does.  Tulsa has at least one translator on an OKC channel, 98.9.

----------


## windowphobe

Just for the record, these are the only commercial frequencies actually formally allocated to Oklahoma City:  92.5, 94.7, 96.1, 98.9, 100.5, 101.9, 102.7, 104.1 and 107.7.  (And 107.7 was the last to be added, in 1976.)

Tulsa allocations: 92.9, 95.5, 96.5, 97.5, 98.5, 103.3. 

All the rest are lower-power suburban facilities, move-ins from somewhere else, or translators.   (Jake FM, 93.3, originally was KTEN-FM out of Ada before moving to, um, Newcastle.  And that's hardly the weirdest of the lot.)

----------


## Plutonic Panda

104.9 isn't one?

----------


## zookeeper

> 104.9 isn't one?


PluPan, It's actually licensed to Bethany. It was a contemporary christian station "Lite 105" for quite a few years.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> PluPan, It's actually licensed to Bethany. It was a contemporary christian station "Lite 105" for quite a few years.


thanks. I didn't know that. I guess it isn't that bad anyhow. What is the possibility that OKC acquires one or two of Tulsas frequencies?

----------


## Zorba

> Just for the record, these are the only commercial frequencies actually formally allocated to Oklahoma City:  92.5, 94.7, 96.1, 98.9, 100.5, 101.9, 102.7, 104.1 and 107.7.  (And 107.7 was the last to be added, in 1976.)
> 
> Tulsa allocations: 92.9, 95.5, 96.5, 97.5, 98.5, 103.3. 
> 
> All the rest are lower-power suburban facilities, move-ins from somewhere else, or translators.   (Jake FM, 93.3, originally was KTEN-FM out of Ada before moving to, um, Newcastle.  And that's hardly the weirdest of the lot.)


Are you only including frequencies in the actual city, or that serve the city? For example, 104.5 is broadcast out of Pryor but is considered a Tulsa Station. And 106.9 is broadcast from Muskogee but for all intents and purposes it is a Tulsa station.

----------


## Bunty

Oklahoma City has at least one or two stations like that.  Enid has a FM station on 96.9, but since they are on a frequency that allows up to 100,000 watts they were eligible by the FCC to move its tower between Enid and Oklahoma City and declare Oklahoma City, in addition to Enid in their required top of the hour ID.  Stillwater couldn't do anything like that, since it didn't have a FM commercial frequency that allowed up to 100,000 watts and so can't get a local quality signal into OKC, while at the same time serving Stillwater with a local quality signal.  However, KOSU Stillwater, being on a public frequency, could with its max allowed 100,000 watts, so relocated its tower between Guthrie and Edmond.

----------


## windowphobe

99.7 was also allocated to Enid, but they wangled a transfer to Mustang.

Speaking of Stillwater, KVRO used to be at 98.1, while the Sports Animal was still at 97.9.  The operators came to an agreement so that the Animal could move to 98.1 and upgrade while KVRO would slide down the dial to 101.1 -- but the KATT (co-owned with the Animal)  had to cut power from 100kw to down below 30kw to make room.

----------


## bchris02

> 99.7 was also allocated to Enid, but they wangled a transfer to Mustang.
> 
> Speaking of Stillwater, KVRO used to be at 98.1, while the Sports Animal was still at 97.9.  The operators came to an agreement so that the Animal could move to 98.1 and upgrade while KVRO would slide down the dial to 101.1 -- but the KATT (co-owned with the Animal)  had to cut power from 100kw to down below 30kw to make room.


The Sports Animal was never at 97.9.  KKWD was originally and they were the #1 station in the OKC market as Wild 97.9.   They also leaned closer to urban in those times though were never completely hip-hop and r&b.  The Sports Animal was primarily an AM station but bounced around on FM until they found their permanent home on 98.1 after the upgrade.  KKWD was then moved to 104.9 where the station has progressively gone downhill ever since.

On a slightly different note, I wonder what it will take before 94.7 will be up for a format flip?  The Brew is a real waste of a 100kW signal.

----------


## hfry

> The Sports Animal was never at 97.9..





> The Sports Animal (2006–present)[edit]
> 
> 
> On October 23, 2006, WWLS (then at 104.9) switched signals with sister station KKWD and moved to the 97.9 frequency. On July 9, 2008 WWLS upgraded its signal to 31,000 watts ERP and moved from 97.9 to 98.1 FM.
> 
> d.


 from WWLS-FM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia but the sports animal was at 97.9 for a decent period of time before it went to 98.1.

----------


## Bunty

> Speaking of Stillwater, KVRO used to be at 98.1, while the Sports Animal was still at 97.9.  The operators came to an agreement so that the Animal could move to 98.1 and upgrade while KVRO would slide down the dial to 101.1 -- but the KATT (co-owned with the Animal)  had to cut power from 100kw to down below 30kw to make room.


How sad the low reception quality of FM radios that are sold, so I guess it was thought that the moderate strength signal from a station on 100.5 had to be reduced to protect a local signal on 101.1. from interference.  In turn, it keeps people in Stillwater, who would rather hear rock on 100.5, from enjoying a quieter stereo signal, assuming the much stronger local station on 101.1 isn't interfering with it.

----------


## theparkman81

The brew changed to active rock with the slogan Man Up, about time they do something with 94.7.

----------


## bchris02

Awesome.  It's about time they changed it.  Classic Rock had long overstayed its welcome there.  I do wonder if this is just an interim format though.  The Buzz flipped from alternative rock to active rock in 2009 just for a few months before going classic rock.  If it didn't work then I am wondering why iHeartMedia thinks it will work now.

----------


## Zorba

I'll have to give it a listen. I don't get why they don't bring the Buzz back. IIRC, it was pretty good back in the day.  Or bring The Edge here. Make it just like the one in Dallas and I think it'd do great here, with basically no competition.

----------


## bchris02

Tyler Media has flipped the main frequency for Now 96.5 over to 92.9 and rebranded it as Now 92.9.  It is still simulcasting on the 96.5 frequency.  They have been simulcasting for about six months now.

Does Tyler have any known plans for the 96.5 frequency?

----------


## YO MUDA

> The brew changed to active rock with the slogan Man Up, about time they do something with 94.7.


I guess they killed Lex and Terry. Pitty they made me laugh.

----------


## Zorba

> I guess they killed Lex and Terry. Pitty they made me laugh.


Weren't Lex and Terry a rebroadcast out of Dallas? Seems like it would be hard to keep them with a format change.

----------


## bchris02

Tyler Media has launched V 103.1.  It's an old-school hip-hop station.  I would rather it have been mainstream urban instead of classic, but its still good to have a new format on the dial in OKC.

Tyler Media/Oklahoma City Launches Old School Urban/Hip-Hop V-103 | AllAccess.com

----------


## Snowman

> Tyler Media has launched V 103.1.  It's an old-school hip-hop station.  I would rather it have been mainstream urban instead of classic, but its still good to have a new format on the dial in OKC.
> 
> Tyler Media/Oklahoma City Launches Old School Urban/Hip-Hop V-103 | AllAccess.com


I think one of the issues leading to old-school being more commercially viable than more mainstream is they kind of need to target over 35 to be more likely to pick up an audience less likely to have there entire music collection on an iPod or cell phone, then just using that as a music source in the car.

----------


## bchris02

> I think one of the issues leading to old-school being more commercially viable than more mainstream is they kind of need to target over 35 to be more likely to pick up an audience less likely to have there entire music collection on an iPod or cell phone, then just using that as a music source in the car.


You have a good point here, but mainstream urban is a format that is a staple in other cities but that hasn't been legitimately tried in OKC since the late 1980s, long before cell phones and iPods were a thing.  It will be interesting to see how this old school station does.

It will also be interesting to see what Tyler Media does with 96.5 (which is currently still simulcasting Now 92.9).  The fact they are doing old-school hip-hop shows that they aren't afraid to try new formats.  I doubt the simulcast will continue forever.

----------


## theparkman81

I think its great that they are trying something new in this market, it needs it, now I am waiting to see if somebody brings in ALT rock, but until then, I'll keep listening to the Brew or the KATT.

----------


## HOT ROD

but why so close to 103.5 FM? Why not spread the formats out a little.

----------


## loveOKC

I listened to 103.1 all weekend and couldn't stop listening.  They played Hip Hop and R&B hits from my high school and college days (late 90's to 2008).  It's about time someone came in to compete with the complacent 103.5.   I hope 103.1 stays for good, they have taken over the #1 slot on my radio dial!! :Smile:

----------


## bchris02

> I listened to 103.1 all weekend and couldn't stop listening.  They played Hip Hop and R&B hits from my high school and college days (late 90's to 2008).  It's about time someone came in to compete with the complacent 103.5.   I hope 103.1 stays for good, they have taken over the #1 slot on my radio dial!!


I don't really consider them competitors any more than an alternative rock station would be a competitor to a classic rock station.   I also don't consider Power 103.5 to even be viable in the OKC market.  It can barely be heard north of I-40 and in terms of ratings I believe it is assigned to the Lawton market and not the OKC market.

----------


## theparkman81

I notice over the weekend that 969 is no longer called Bob FM, even though their website still says Bob fm, now they just call themselves Classic Rock 969, as for V103, me and my nephew will be in the city Friday, so I will take a listen to them.

----------


## HOT ROD

please give us a report out on your thoughts  :Smile:

----------


## the michigander

Lawton has there own station power 103.5,antenna is in anadarko but I have no problems getting the station. Past i-40 now north of Edmond and Guthrie. Forget about it lol.

----------


## bchris02

> Lawton has there own station power 103.5,antenna is in anadarko but I have no problems getting the station. Past i-40 now north of Edmond and Guthrie. Forget about it lol.


In my old car I could pick it up as far north as Edmond.  In my new car I am rarely able to pick the station up if I'm north of I-40.   It's not a bad station and it would be nice if they would move it to a frequency that properly covers OKC.  KVSP is also excluded from OKC's Arbitron ratings because technically it's not in the market.  Moving to a better frequency would allow them to go head to head with Wild 104.9 (which is a terrible station that keeps on going because in OKC it's the closest thing to mainstream urban we have.)

----------


## windowphobe

> Lawton has there own station power 103.5,antenna is in anadarko but I have no problems getting the station.


It's actually the same station.  But it puts a stronger signal over Lawton than it does over OKC.   (Short version: FCC imposes spacing requirements on full-power[ish] stations closer together than 0.8 MHz, and KMGL, the ever-popular Magic 104.1, is 0.6 away.  This is why the 103.5 facility was licensed to Anadarko in the first place.)

----------


## the michigander

So k-98 kjamz is the Same as 103.5 I know they are  owned by the same person

----------


## HOT ROD

but doesn't 103.5 brand and announce itself as Oklahoma City's Hip Hop station? Also, isn't the headquarters and studios in OKC's Eastside district?

----------


## the michigander

> but doesn't 103.5 brand and announce itself as Oklahoma City's Hip Hop station? Also, isn't the headquarters and studios in OKC's Eastside district?


See this is what I was thinking also.

----------


## bchris02

> but doesn't 103.5 brand and announce itself as Oklahoma City's Hip Hop station? Also, isn't the headquarters and studios in OKC's Eastside district?


Yes, Russell Perry has attempted to target the OKC market with Power 103.5, but it broadcasts from west of Anadarko and since its officially licensed to the Lawton market, it doesn't compete in OKC's Arbitron ratings.  Coverage is very spotty in the OKC metro north of I-40 so its best listened to online.  It's an OKC station in marketing only.  It doesn't compete in the OKC market and its signal doesn't adequately cover the OKC market. 

OKC doesn't have a legitimate mainstream urban station and hasn't since 107.7 in the late 1980s.

----------


## theparkman81

Listen to V103 yesterday while I was in the city, great sounding station, coming into the city from Shawnee, it mixed in with KOFM out of Enid, but all in all I was impressed with the station.

----------


## Zorba

I've been traveling to Seattle a lot lately. Man, they have good radio. I listen to The Edge in Dallas all the time on IHeartRadio, but I was able to easily find two stations that are better than it. In one scan of the dial between 96-107.7 I found 5 stations better than anything in OKC.

I can not believe OKC doesn't have a Alt Rock station, or even a halfway decent Pop Station.

----------


## bchris02

> I've been traveling to Seattle a lot lately. Man, they have good radio. I listen to The Edge in Dallas all the time on IHeartRadio, but I was able to easily find two stations that are better than it. In one scan of the dial between 96-107.7 I found 5 stations better than anything in OKC.
> 
> I can not believe OKC doesn't have a Alt Rock station, or even a halfway decent Pop Station.


OKC stations sound very small market.  Being the 48th largest media market in the country I am not sure why that is.  Other markets this size have a greater variety on the dial and better-programmed stations.  Most people in OKC complain about the radio, assume its just as bad everywhere, and proclaim Pandora and XM as the future, but that isn't the case.  OKC radio really is bad, much worse than most of the country.  I remember within a couple of months after I moved back to OKC I re-activated my XM radio.

In my opinion OKC radio started really going downhill after Cumulus purchased Citadel.  Cumulus is a terrible broadcasting company.  They specialize in rural and small town stations and give the local stations very little control over what they play.  They take a "play it safe" approach in both the formats they operate and the songs that you will hear.

----------


## baralheia

I would kill to have a good alt/modern-rock station back on the airwaves here in OKC. My vote would be to beg Stephens Media Group to bring us something similar to Z104.5 (KMYZ-FM) in Tulsa.

I'm glad that 94.7 The BREW quit the Classic Rock game (their playlist, imho, was _terrible_) but if they're going to try their hand at Active/Modern rock again, just bring the BUZZ back! They were a worthy competitor to 100.5 The KATT!

----------


## Soonerman

I like listening to KXT on IHeart radio. That's probably one of the best radio staions I've heard in my life time. There's nothing like it in OKC. It's way better than the Edge.

----------


## bchris02

Looking at the ratings for Spring '15 it looks like 107.7 The Franchise has dethroned 94.7 The Brew as the worst-performing FM station in the OKC market.  I know sports talk stations typically out-bill their ratings, but I wonder if Tyler Media is going to stay on that horse or try something different on the 107.7 frequency.

----------


## theparkman81

> Looking at the ratings for Spring '15 it looks like 107.7 The Franchise has dethroned 94.7 The Brew as the worst-performing FM station in the OKC market.  I know sports talk stations typically out-bill their ratings, but I wonder if Tyler Media is going to stay on that horse or try something different on the 107.7 frequency.


I saw the ratings too, that's is so pathetic that the Franchise is that low, maybe it's time for a change, I also notice that they still classified The Brew as classic rock except for active rock, they need to change that.

----------


## LocoAko

> *Most people in OKC complain about the radio*, assume its just as bad everywhere, and proclaim Pandora and XM as the future, but that isn't the case.  OKC radio really is bad, much worse than most of the country.


Really? Are you sure?

I mean this in the best way possible, but you're the only person I know that even talks about the OKC radio landscape, nevermind has passionate feelings about it. Most people I know turn on the radio to mindlessly have some music while they drive (if they're not already using their phones/ipods). This all sounds like unsubstantiated hysteria to me. Plus, I've posted that back in NYC (presumably the #1 market in the nation) _everything_ is a Top 40 station... a large number of stations I can think of that were somewhat different as a kid moved to exactly the same thing. I really think this is overblown tbh.

----------


## baralheia

For the record, I have pretty passionate feelings about the OKC radio landscape too. It seriously sucks. I've lost count of the number of times I've turned on the radio to find something good to listen to, flipped through all 6 presets on my radio, and found nothing that interested me. For the record, I enjoy Top40 and rock (modern, active, and alternative) - and I don't often find anything I want to listen to.

----------


## bchris02

> Really? Are you sure?
> 
> I mean this in the best way possible, but you're the only person I know that even talks about the OKC radio landscape, nevermind has passionate feelings about it. Most people I know turn on the radio to mindlessly have some music while they drive (if they're not already using their phones/ipods). This all sounds like unsubstantiated hysteria to me. Plus, I've posted that back in NYC (presumably the #1 market in the nation) _everything_ is a Top 40 station... a large number of stations I can think of that were somewhat different as a kid moved to exactly the same thing. I really think this is overblown tbh.


Ask people their opinions on the local radio stations.  People who like country probably don't have any issues with it but others will say that FM radio is going the way of the dinosaur and that XM and Pandora is the future.  While there is some truth to that, I find that sentiment isn't shared as strongly in other markets that have better (and a greater variety of) stations.

----------


## SoonerDave

> Really? Are you sure?
> 
> I mean this in the best way possible, but you're the only person I know that even talks about the OKC radio landscape, nevermind has passionate feelings about it. Most people I know turn on the radio to mindlessly have some music while they drive (if they're not already using their phones/ipods). This all sounds like unsubstantiated hysteria to me. Plus, I've posted that back in NYC (presumably the #1 market in the nation) _everything_ is a Top 40 station... a large number of stations I can think of that were somewhat different as a kid moved to exactly the same thing. I really think this is overblown tbh.


And I Thought I was just *really* out of touch wrt feelings about local radio. For me, its 20 minutes either way en route to work, and some during the day if I need a distraction. And I can't see how any single POV can claim how any *one* region's radio is "much worse than the rest of the country." That implies a *lot* of consistent, non-OKC radio listening from several thousand stations across the nation to make such a claim.

----------


## SoonerDave

> Looking at the ratings for Spring '15 it looks like 107.7 The Franchise has dethroned 94.7 The Brew as the worst-performing FM station in the OKC market.  I know sports talk stations typically out-bill their ratings, but I wonder if Tyler Media is going to stay on that horse or try something different on the 107.7 frequency.


Not as long as they remain the flagship for OU sports. While I will state up-front this is an overstatement, I strongly suspect the value in the OU media rights alone is worth at least as much to them as their "ratings," particularly when the fall rolls around and football fires back up. it's one of those odd scenarios where ratings are still important, but there really are secondary considerations. OU radio media isn't the value proposition it was in the 80's back in the Jeeeeeemeny Christmas era, but it still has value, and I think Tyler is content to build a sports station around it - even down to retheming away from "The Franchise" at some point, but retaining the sports emphasis.

----------


## the michigander

My hometown of grand rapids, mi is a larger media market I think its 39th and its way worse than okc. It just country and the only urban is community radio.  So for me its a come up lol

----------


## HOT ROD

interesting that OKC has such a small radio market but the city is actually quite large (significantly larger than Grand Rapids by far). How is that so?

----------


## bchris02

> interesting that OKC has such a small radio market but the city is actually quite large (significantly larger than Grand Rapids by far). How is that so?


It's because outside of the metro area, most of the area within the OKC media market is pretty sparsely populated.

----------


## Bunty

Public radio stations hardly ever get mentioned.  Is there nothing worthwhile on them as a good means to get away from annoying commercials?

----------


## bchris02

> Public radio stations hardly ever get mentioned.  Is there nothing worthwhile on them as a good means to get away from annoying commercials?


I like Classical KCSC here in OKC.

----------


## baralheia

I listen to KGOU often since my preferred music formats are severely lacking here. I find when I am in the mood for news/talk, it's a very enjoyable experience.

----------


## trousers

> Public radio stations hardly ever get mentioned.  Is there nothing worthwhile on them as a good means to get away from annoying commercials?


After 7:00pm KOSU flips of theSpyFM.  Completely different shows every night, variety you won't get on any other station.

----------


## windowphobe

> I like Classical KCSC here in OKC.


Except for the station breaks, I guess.  It's now KUCO.  (They retained the KCSC calls for a repeater in Woodward.)

----------


## Bunty

Maybe it's time for an OKC station to give jazz another try.

----------


## ljbab728

Maybe it's time for these threads to be merged.

http://www.okctalk.com/arts-entertai...-stations.html

----------


## bchris02

Surprised this wasn't mentioned here but iHeartMedia has launched OKC's third Spanish language station on 98.5 FM.

----------


## Mel

Gracias por ese pedacito de la informacin

----------


## Zorba

> Surprised this wasn't mentioned here but iHeartMedia has launched OKC's third Spanish language station on 98.5 FM.


But we still don't have a single station that will play a rock song that was released in the last 20 years...

----------


## bchris02

> But we still don't have a single station that will play a rock song that was released in the last 20 years...


Nor a mainstream urban station.

Alternative rock and mainstream urban are two very popular formats, formats that are very successful in nearly every other city, yet for some reason broadcasting companies here are reluctant to touch those formats.  There are enough redundant classic rock and country stations you would think somebody would see an opportunity.

Now that Tyler Media has moved Now 96.5 to 92.9, it would be cool if they would do something different with the 96.5 signal.

----------


## Zorba

Even the pop stations here, don't play *today's* Top 40. 

It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.

----------


## ljbab728

> Even the pop stations here, don't play *today's* Top 40. 
> 
> It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.


I'm sure you're right.  Everyone in OKC only learns about new music from the radio.  Most don't have TVs or any other devices that download music.

----------


## bchris02

> Even the pop stations here, don't play *today's* Top 40. 
> 
> It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.


Thank Cumulus Media's purchase of Citadel Communications for that.  Cumulus' nationwide policy for Top 40 stations is that older, familiar songs are the backbone of a radio station.  Their version of Top 40 focuses on the biggest hits of the past decade rather than the biggest hits of the past six months.  That's why you don't hear a lot of new music on Wild 104.9 or 98.9 Kiss FM these days.  Tyler owned Now 92.9 is actually pretty current.  KJ-103 is as well though they are a bit more teenybopper.   What OKC doesn't have is a station that plays current rock or hip-hop hits.  There is nothing like the Edge in Dallas or 97.9 The Beat.  Nothing like 92.1 The Beat in Tulsa for that matter.

Hopefully having a better concert promoter in OKC will help bring better radio to the market, but it isn't likely to come from Cumulus Media.

----------


## Bunty

> What OKC doesn't have is a station that plays current rock or hip-hop hits.  There is nothing like the Edge in Dallas or 97.9 The Beat.  Nothing like 92.1 The Beat in Tulsa for that matter.


In Stillwater, 92.1, The Beat is rebroadcast on 103.1.

----------


## Zorba

> I'm sure you're right.  Everyone in OKC only learns about new music from the radio.  Most don't have TVs or any other devices that download music.


Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?

For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.

I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.

Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.

----------


## bchris02

> Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?
> 
> For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.
> 
> I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.


I completely agree with this.   While its a fact that in 2015 radio isn't what it once was and alternative options like streaming and satellite are gaining ground everywhere, Oklahoma City is still a top 50 market and its not unreasonable to expect a little more variety on the radio dial.  The stations here sound small market in every way.  One thing FM radio has going for it that alternative sources do not is that its free and readily available for everyone.  If you want to go Pandora, you better increase your data plan which will cost you and if you want to do XM that will set you back about $20/month.  In OKC, unless you enjoy country or sports talk its almost necessary to do so but in a market this size you shouldn't have to.  

In regards to concerts, I am not sure if its a chicken or egg thing and I'm not even sure the radio stations have all that much to do with it, though it definitely could be a factor.  There are other big factors that go into why Tulsa's live music scene is so far ahead of OKC's.  I am definitely going to hold back on placing the blame on OKC and its culture until we see how the new music venues do with Live Nation backing them.  I will be very surprised if the local music scene doesn't take a huge leap forward.  Maybe, just maybe that will lead to better radio stations.




> Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.


You aren't wrong.  I've lived in small towns before and have had to deal with similar stations and therefore seeking out my own music, but in a Top 50 market like OKC I think more should be expected.  I am very close to purchasing an XM kit and being done with OKC radio, but am just not liking that $20/month bill that comes with it.

----------


## Bunty

> Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?
> 
> For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.
> 
> I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.
> 
> Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.


So once again, it shows you why someone should be daring enough to set up a FM pirate station of at least 100 watts, or more, so various bands that are not being played on the air can be.  Also alternative news and commentary programming, such as Democracy Now, Counterspin and This Way Out, all never heard on the air in OKC could be played as well.  (Of course, it's true, such programs are easily heard online.  But not everybody can afford Internet service.)  If the pirate FM  station only broadcasts at night on an unused frequency and all during weekends, it will possibly not be raided by the FCC, because FCC agents generally don't work at those hours.  And they sure don't work during federal holidays.  But, on the other hand, all bets are off, if an OKC licensed station reports the pirate station.

For what's it's worth, not necessarily  an encouraging article:  http://diymedia.net/fcc-to-congress-...7727#more-7727

----------


## traxx

> For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.


Pretty sure the BOK doesn't have an NBA team to schedule around for 7 months (or more if they make the playoffs and the finals). And what are these great concerts that Tulsa gets that we're not getting? I looked at the BOK site and saw Arianna Grande, an 80s show with Def Leppard, Tesla and someone else, Florida Georgia Line, and Toby Mac (who was also at Frontier City). 

You guys keep talking about rock music made in the last 20 years. It depends on what you're calling rock. I saw Imagine Dragons mentioned. That's pop. The Kooks is more in line with rock. Some of the better rock being made is by old grunge bands reuniting or the Foo Fighters. There's not a whole lot of popular rock music being made these days. If you're describing rock as heavy guitars, drums, etc. You can find some good rock music if you look for it, but you've gotta go looking. Dance and EDM seem to be more popular these days.

I've got teenagers and from my observation they don't get a lot their music from the radio. They get if from friends, social media, etc.

----------


## bchris02

It looks like Tyler Media has launched yet another Spanish language station on 96.5.

----------


## zookeeper

I think what's missing is a personality-driven classic oldies channel with upbeat jingles, contests, and a huge playlist from the 50's to about '72. Anybody who loved old "Boss Radio" will love this full-blown re-creation of KYA in San Francisco.
*Oldies Radio 1260 KYA - Golden Gate Great Oldies - Oldies Music* 
KYA's Gary Mora bought the rights to the name, jingle packages, etc. He even calls it "1260 - KYA." But, it's only online. I listen all the time.

----------


## bchris02

It really all depends on what you like.  OKC had an oldies station on 99.7 that was pretty good before they changed to country.  I would be totally on board with one of the classic rock stations going oldies.  There's only so much 70s rock and 80s hair metal one can listen to.  There doesn't need to be three stations doing the same format.

OKC is missing alternative rock and hip-hop.  I wouldn't be surprised if its the largest market in the nation without those formats, especially alternative rock.

----------


## zookeeper

> It really all depends on what you like.  OKC had an oldies station on 99.7 that was pretty good before they changed to country.  I would be totally on board with one of the classic rock stations going oldies.  There's only so much 70s rock and 80s hair metal one can listen to.  There doesn't need to be three stations doing the same format.
> 
> OKC is missing alternative rock and hip-hop.  I wouldn't be surprised if its the largest market in the nation without those formats, especially alternative rock.


Just a note on KOMA...I finally quit listening when Tyler made the boneheaded move and let Fred Hendrickson go. Fred was an Oklahoma City radio institution.

----------


## bchris02

Jan Jeffries Exits Cumulus Media | AllAccess.com

This could mean changes for some Oklahoma City stations.   Jan Jeffries was very commited to a "one size fits all" formula for radio programming and music selection and ruined a great many stations after he took control of the former Citadel stations, including KKWD and KYIS here in OKC.   Rumor is that Cumulus is going to shift back to allowing local programming directors to choose the music played according to what works in their market rather than having it piped in from corporate.  Will be very interesting to see if this helps improve radio in OKC being that Cumulus is such a big player here.

----------


## baralheia

Boy I sure hope music choices return to being under the control of the local program director. That could resuscitate some of our stations here. Here's hoping!

----------


## bchris02

If I was overseeing the Cumulus cluster in OKC, I would make the following changes.

KYIS - Should go mainstream Top 40 and compete directly with KJYO
KKWD - Shift to a "Party Station" format.  I would program it similar to its current format during the day, with a mix of Top 40 and hip-hop, and then go full hip-hop and r&b in the evenings and on weekends
KQOB - Flip it to another format entirely.  My top choices would either be Variety like Bob FM stations are in most other markets, or alternative rock

----------


## bchris02

Cisco, the PD at KKWD and KATT also resigned a couple of weeks ago.  This happened concurrently with Jan's departure.

I wonder if Cumulus plans on tweaking the formats of those two stations going forward?  I wonder if the new PD, if allowed, will do things differently?

KKWD could be restored to its former glory if they would stop playing it so safe with newer music and drop songs older than three years unless its Throwback Thursday.   The station sounds terrible with songs more than a decade old in regular rotation while claiming to be a current hit music station.

KATT should go back to the modern rock format it once had and drop the classic rock.

----------


## theparkman81

I also notice that Joey and Heather are no longer on Wild, I hope that Cumulus will also make changes at every one of their stations.

----------


## theparkman81

Joey and Heather are still there, my bad............

----------


## bchris02

Yeah Joey and Heather have been there since almost the beginning.  Cisco had also been PD since the station launched, despite control of programming being consolidated to Jan Jeffries after absorption into Cumulus.  It will be interesting to see if there are any changes to the station in coming months.  Though Cumulus pretty much destroyed what was once a great station, the real downhill slide began when Citadel did a signal swap, moving the station from 97.9 to 104.9.  Prior to that it was one of the top stations in the market and since the swap the ratings have never recovered.

I think the biggest problem with the station today is the way the music is programmed.  The Cumulus formula for music selection (primary focus on only top 15, conservative on new adds, heavy on gold) doesn't fit the CHR/Rhythmic format and makes the station sound small market and dated.  Now 92.9 sounds much better despite its marginal signal.

----------


## warreng88

Just got back from a one week trip to Orlando, FL and had a rental car without bluetooth so we were forced to listen to the radio the entire time. I feel like the radio landscape there was actually worse than OKC. I counted four stations that were the equivalent of KJ 103, only worse and if felt like they played the same eight songs over and over. I found one descent rock station and it was outside of Orlando so the reception was terrible. There were several other Rap/R&B stations that did the same thing as the KJ 103 stations playing the same things over and over. I was really surprised.

----------


## bchris02

> Just got back from a one week trip to Orlando, FL and had a rental car without bluetooth so we were forced to listen to the radio the entire time. I feel like the radio landscape there was actually worse than OKC. I counted four stations that were the equivalent of KJ 103, only worse and if felt like they played the same eight songs over and over. I found one descent rock station and it was outside of Orlando so the reception was terrible. There were several other Rap/R&B stations that did the same thing as the KJ 103 stations playing the same things over and over. I was really surprised.


I think unique, creative radio is dying everywhere honestly.  This is what you get in a country where a few corporations own all the stations and they have streamlined them in all of their markets.  It's become a lot worse since ClearChannel Communications became iHeartMedia and they have begun doing the same thing that Cumulus does (which has ruined many former Citadel stations).  What bothers me about OKC stations so that there are so many country, classic rock, and sports stations yet major formats are missing.  I would probably feel differently about the radio here if I liked modern pop country and 80s hair metal and actually cared about sports.  

For Top 40, I like Now 92.9 in OKC pretty well.  Unlike KJ-103 and Wild 104.9, they keep it current with a wider playlist and don't ignore hip-hop and new artists, and they keep all of the overplayed hits from last decade to a minimum.

----------


## bradh

Huge fan of V-103 here, but I guess that's the equivalent of liking classic rock.  Oh well I don't care

----------


## bchris02

> Huge fan of V-103 here, but I guess that's the equivalent of liking classic rock.  Oh well I don't care


I like V-103 sometimes, but I have most of the songs they play on my iPod so I generally end up listening to that instead when I want late '90s/early '00s hip-hop.

----------


## OKCretro

heard this morning that joey and heather are leaving 104.9?  are the moving stations or is the show getting cancelled?

----------


## bchris02

> heard this morning that joey and heather are leaving 104.9?  are the moving stations or is the show getting cancelled?


Interesting.

My guess is that a format flip or at least tweak is on the way.  I could be wrong but the signs are there.  Cisco, the PD, was ousted a few weeks ago and now Joey and Heather are leaving.

I really hope that whatever they do with the station is something good.  Hopefully they don't do another country station or sports station.

----------


## bchris02

Personally, it wouldn't surprise me if Cumulus plans to roll out their NASH Icon format on 104.9.  This would mean there would now be three classic country stations in the market.  I hope I am wrong on that as OKC needs another country station like it needs another Wal-Mart, but if a format flip happens, this seems like the direction they might take.

----------


## theparkman81

> Personally, it wouldn't surprise me if Cumulus plans to roll out their NASH Icon format on 104.9.  This would mean there would now be three classic country stations in the market.  I hope I am wrong on that as OKC needs another country station like it needs another Wal-Mart, but if a format flip happens, this seems like the direction they might take.


Please we don't need any more country stations in OKC, we have too many, if they do something, please flip it to something else.

----------


## bchris02

> Please we don't need any more country stations in OKC, we have too many, if they do something, please flip it to something else.


I agree.  The only reason I predict that is because Cumulus is doing that in a lot of their other markets.  Country is Cumulus' top format and the fact that they don't currently own any country stations in OKC means that this market is in "danger" of getting one.

----------


## bchris02

I think if Cumulus decides to try country, 104.9 isn't a good signal for it since it fades quickly after you get outside of the immediate metro area.  Country's primary listener base is in the suburban and rural areas surrounding OKC.  It would be a better fit for 96.9 or 98.9.

Hopefully though, Cumulus will see that the market is already saturated with country stations as it is and do something new with 104.9.

----------


## OKCretro

So they are going to 98.9 Kyis.

I wonder where jack and ron are going?

----------


## trousers

> Hopefully though, Cumulus will see that the market is already saturated with country stations as it is and do something new with 104.9.


I know when I think of original programming I think of Cumulus.

----------


## bchris02

> So they are going to 98.9 Kyis.
> 
> I wonder where jack and ron are going?


They are going to 96.9.

At this point I will be surprised if there isn't a format flip on 104.9 on Dec 3rd.

----------


## OKCretro

> They are going to 96.9.
> 
> At this point I will be surprised if there isn't a format flip on 104.9 on Dec 3rd.


So "they" you were referring to was Jack and Ron, who are going to 96.9.

And joey and heather are going to 98.9


I guess Bob and Tom are history?

----------


## bchris02

> So "they" you were referring to was Jack and Ron, who are going to 96.9.
> 
> And joey and heather are going to 98.9
> 
> 
> I guess Bob and Tom are history?


That's what was said on KKWD's Facebook.

96.9 was playing Christmas music this morning.  Have they done this in years past?

----------


## theparkman81

Just watched the announcement on Jack and Ron Facebook page, the way their talking after Christmas, 96.9 maybe flipping to all talk, but I don't know, maybe it will change to Alternative rock, something that OKC needs.

----------


## bchris02

> Just watched the announcement on Jack and Ron Facebook page, the way their talking after Christmas, 96.9 maybe flipping to all talk, but I don't know, maybe it will change to Alternative rock, something that OKC needs.


Sports or conservative political talk?  OKC doesn't need either.

----------


## Dubya61

> Sports or conservative political talk?  OKC doesn't need either.


Where do you get conservative political talk already? and why don't you think you can find liberal political talk (see NPR)?

----------


## bchris02

> Where do you get conservative political talk already? and why don't you think you can find liberal political talk (see NPR)?


Liberal talk stations are usually not very successful.  It was tried with Air America and that was a pretty big failure. The traditional radio medium doesn't really appeal to the demographic they are going for.  If I was in the radio business, I probably wouldn't do liberal talk.

----------


## bchris02

Per KKWD's Facebook, 104.9 will keep its format and 98.9 will be tweaked to be more current.  Will be interesting to see if they keep their AC lean or go full-on CHR and compete directly with KJ-103.

Signs are really pointing to 96.9 being the station getting a format flip being that Bob and Tom are getting the boot and they have gone all Christmas.

----------


## SoonerDave

> Per KKWD's Facebook, 104.9 will keep its format and 98.9 will be tweaked to be more current.  Will be interesting to see if they keep their AC lean or go full-on CHR and compete directly with KJ-103.
> 
> Signs are really pointing to 96.9 being the station getting a format flip being that Bob and Tom are getting the boot and they have gone all Christmas.


Wonder if that means KMGL (104.1) isn't doing all-Christmas this season?

----------


## bchris02

> Wonder if that means KMGL (104.1) isn't doing all-Christmas this season?


Was wondering that myself.

Was listening to 96.9 on my lunchbreak and they said they will be doing all-Christmas until Dec 28th and then unveil a new format.

----------


## Jersey Boss

> Where do you get conservative political talk already? and why don't you think you can find liberal political talk (see NPR)?


Conservative political talk can be found at 1000 am. NPR is not political talk in that vein. Splendid table, BBC news hour, morning edition, etc.

----------


## bchris02

> Conservative political talk can be found at 1000 am. NPR is not political talk in that vein. Splendid table, BBC news hour, morning edition, etc.


Yeah 1000 AM is the main one that has all the big names in conservatism, Rush, Beck, Levin, etc.  Sometimes I confuse all the Christian talk stations with conservative talk radio since much of the time the conversation is political, especially on American Family Radio which has a few frequencies that can be picked up in OKC.

I agree, NPR isn't political talk at all.

----------


## zookeeper

> Wonder if that means KMGL (104.1) isn't doing all-Christmas this season?





> Was wondering that myself.


I can't imagine Magic not doing Christmas music as it's been an institution of sorts since 1990. I don't think they'd let Cumulus intimidate them into not doing Christmas music. Of course, with Magic 104 now being a Tyler station, it's not nearly as predictable as it was for all those years. Um, I'm not a Tyler fan.

----------


## bchris02

> I can't imagine Magic not doing Christmas music as it's been an institution of sorts since 1990. I don't think they'd let Cumulus intimidate them into not doing Christmas music. Of course, with Magic 104 now being a Tyler station, it's not nearly as predictable as it was for all those years. Um, I'm not a Tyler fan.


Actually KMGL used to only do Christmas music for 24 hours; 12pm on Christmas Eve to 12pm on Christmas Day.  The first station in OKC to do 24/7 Christmas music was KQSR Soft Rock 94.7 in 2000.  After it flipped to the Buzz in 2002, KMGL started doing the 24/7 Christmas format.  I don't think OKC has ever had more than one station doing Christmas all season long.

----------


## Bunty

I like country, but there is enough of it.  I would sooner there be an all jazz station, but it seems a rare breed of station in a lot of metros, especially on commercial frequencies.

----------


## bchris02

> I like country, but there is enough of it.  I would sooner there be an all jazz station, but it seems a rare breed of station in a lot of metros, especially on commercial frequencies.


I agree that there's enough country.  I really hope whatever ends up on 96.9 that it isn't country.  It's good to see classic rock going away on that frequency.  That leaves 94.7, 100.5, and 104.5 doing the format which is plenty.  94.7 and 100.5 are technically active rock, but they both have a lot of classic rock in their rotation.

As for Jazz, I am not sure how commercially viable it is these days.  Much like adult standards, its more of a niche format.  The last time OKC had a commercial jazz station was in the late '90s on 97.9 before it became Wild.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

I'd like to see a party station on 96.9. Something like part time EDM and some pop music.

I would also like to see a full jazz station that plays a mix of jazz and then has about 4-5 hours at night of some 1920s-1940s pop music.

----------


## zookeeper

> Actually KMGL used to only do Christmas music for 24 hours; 12pm on Christmas Eve to 12pm on Christmas Day.  The first station in OKC to do 24/7 Christmas music was KQSR Soft Rock 94.7 in 2000.  After it flipped to the Buzz in 2002, KMGL started doing the 24/7 Christmas format.  I don't think OKC has ever had more than one station doing Christmas all season long.


I beg to differ. Magic may have changed the lengths of Christmas music here and there, but I know for a fact Christmas music was longer than 24-hours in '90-'96. I lost track around that time. And no, KFNB did Christmas music for several days around the clock in the late 70's! KQSR was definitely not the first station to do 24/7 Christmas music in Oklahoma City. If they thought that, they were wrong. I guarantee you.

----------


## bchris02

> I beg to differ. Magic may have changed the lengths of Christmas music here and there, but I know for a fact Christmas music was longer than 24-hours in '90-'96. I lost track around that time. And no, KFNB did Christmas music for several days around the clock in the late 70's! KQSR was definitely not the first station to do 24/7 Christmas music in Oklahoma City. If they thought that, they were wrong. I guarantee you.


It seems like right now they are still doing regular programming during the day and Christmas music in the evenings during Delilah.  Will be interesting to see if they stick to that formula after Thanksgiving or if they go 24/7 Christmas.

Speaking of Delilah, it's hard to believe she is still on the air.

----------


## OKCretro

I think they (104.1) normally starts on thx giving or black Friday.

Anyone remember when KJ103 played the adam sandler thanksgiving song for 24 hours straight on thanksgiving?

Bring back the Martini!

----------


## bchris02

> Bring back the Martini!


I agree.  I miss that station.  The format is also a rare breed these days outside of markets like Las Vegas and South Florida.

----------


## SomeGuy

> So they are going to 98.9 Kyis.
> 
> I wonder where jack and ron are going?


They're going to 96.9 BOB fm apparently.  That being said, hopefully they start adding  current Alternative music on KYIS Fm because they seem to play the same 10 songs over and over again.

----------


## Soonerman

Hoping for an Alternative Rock station on 96.9.

----------


## bchris02

> Hoping for an Alternative Rock station on 96.9.


Hopefully Cumulus will see this and give the format a try. I think OKC is ready for a real alternative rock station and with no competition it could do very well in the ratings. I am not sure how the concert business works, but with the new Live Nation venue going in Bricktown, it would be nice if they would work with Cumulus or iHeartMedia in terms of getting a station here as it's important for concert promotion. With OKC's current radio landscape, they will have to rely on word of mouth and things like the Gazette to promote concerts, which doesn't reach as many people as a radio station would.

----------


## bchris02

So tomorrow is the first day for Joey & Heather on 98.9 Kiss FM.  It will be interesting to see how that goes and what kind of changes happen at the station with it.

Wild 104.9 is launching a new morning show with Mike on the Mic called the Wild Wake Up.

It's still a mystery as to what format will end up on 96.9.

----------


## Dubya61

> It's still a mystery as to what format will end up on 96.9.


They say they'll start their (as yet unidentified) new format on December 28.

----------


## bradh

was 105.3 killed?  Where the hell am I gonna listen to Jim Rome now?

----------


## Jersey Boss

> was 105.3 killed?  Where the hell am I gonna listen to Jim Rome now?


Hey clone, I feel your pain. Living in Norman I have not been a regular listener for some time.  I first started listening he was being sponsored by "BANG". I had a substitute for a while when the "Slam Man" was on 1340 but it was not the same.  When "Elk" was on I was constantly expelling coffee on my keyboard via my nose. Were you in Houston when Dickey was there?

----------


## bchris02

> was 105.3 killed?  Where the hell am I gonna listen to Jim Rome now?


A lot of stations have been having trouble because of the ice storm.  96.9 only came back on the air yesterday.  Power 103.5 is still off the air.  It's possible that a similar thing has happened to 105.3.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> A lot of stations have been having trouble because of the ice storm.  96.9 only came back on the air yesterday.  *Power 103.5 is still off the air.*  It's possible that a similar thing has happened to 105.3.


It's back on now.

----------


## bradh

> A lot of stations have been having trouble because of the ice storm.  96.9 only came back on the air yesterday.  Power 103.5 is still off the air.  It's possible that a similar thing has happened to 105.3.


thanks for the heads up, that's likely

----------


## bradh

> Hey clone, I feel your pain. Living in Norman I have not been a regular listener for some time.  I first started listening he was being sponsored by "BANG". I had a substitute for a while when the "Slam Man" was on 1340 but it was not the same.  When "Elk" was on I was constantly expelling coffee on my keyboard via my nose. Were you in Houston when Dickey was there?


Doesn't ring a bell.  My dad listened back when I was in HS in the mid to late 90's.  I really started listening around 2005 when I was in Phoenix and was spending a lot of my days in the car.  

I'm not gonna lie, I kinda plan my day around the Smack Off when that day comes lol

----------


## bchris02

Has anybody heard anything new regarding the format that 96.9 will be flipping to after Christmas?

The most solid rumor is country, but can anybody confirm that?

----------


## Jersey Boss

This town needs a good blues/hybrid jazz station. Do jazz for a 4/8 block then blues for a 4/8 hour block.

----------


## bchris02

Jazz today is a niche format that usually is not successful outside of large markets.  This is especially true now that such formats are easily available on XM or streaming.  The last time OKC had a jazz station was in the late '90s on 97.9 before it became Wild.  I would like to see more creative, niche radio make its way to OKC but it isn't likely to happen with the way the industry currently works.

Assuming that the new station will be country, will OKC really be able to support five country stations?  I know country is very popular here, but this town will now have 93.3, 96.1, 96.9, 99.7, and 101.9 all doing country.  I don't know if even Nashville has that many.

----------


## stile99

I'm going to say there is absolutely no chance it will be country, simply because I don't see Jack and Ron on a country station.  I suppose we'll know in a week though.

If it does turn out to be country, I give it three months before J&R are gone or the format is gone.

----------


## bchris02

> If it does turn out to be country, I give it three months before J&R are gone or the format is gone.


I agree.  Country failed on the frequency before and there is so much country already on the dial I don't see another one being successful.  Before it was Classic Rock, it was 96.9 The Bull.  That was under Citadel though and now that is Cumulus they might want to give it another try.

What format do you think would best suit Jack and Ron?  I am thinking AC or adult album alternative.

----------


## zookeeper

> What format do you think would best suit Jack and Ron?  I am thinking AC or adult album alternative.


I don't get anybody caring about Jack & Ron. They are two sixty year old disc jockey's that act like teenagers with raging hormones. I said before they are "Crass & Crasser" but really it's Crude and Cruder. If they can fit a sexual joke into *anything* - they will do it. Those guys need to grow up, or better yet - retire and do what they want.

Speaking of age in radio...Ronnie Kaye is still at KOMA and *still* sounds great.
This past September he turned -- 78!

----------


## bchris02

> I don't get anybody caring about Jack & Ron. They are two sixty year old disc jockey's that act like teenagers with raging hormones. I said before they are "Crass & Crasser" but really it's Crude and Cruder. If they can fit a sexual joke into *anything* - they will do it. Those guys need to grow up, or better yet - retire and do what they want.
> 
> Speaking of age in radio...Ronnie Kaye is still at KOMA and *still* sounds great.
> This past September he turned -- 78!


Apparently that have a lot of followers though.  I personally don't care for them.   I agree with those who say the style of their morning show doesn't fit a country station.  Hopefully that means the rumors that the new station will be country are false.

Does anybody know how 107.7 The Franchise is doing?  About six months ago I read on here that a flip was likely after OU football season if their ratings didn't increase.  Personally I would love to see Now 92.9 moved to 107.7 to take on KJ-103.  

Now 92.9 is the only station in OKC doing current hits the right way. KJ-103 is too teenybopper and ignores certain hits and Wild 104.9 focuses way too much on last decade (songs like 'Back That Thang Up' and 'Hot In Heere' don't belong on Top 40 in 2015).  Now 92.9 is the only station really playing "all the hits" and I believe the station deserves a better signal.

----------


## theparkman81

> Apparently that have a lot of followers though.  I personally don't care for them.   I agree with those who say the style of their morning show doesn't fit a country station.  Hopefully that means the rumors that the new station will be country are false.
> 
> Does anybody know how 107.7 The Franchise is doing?  About six months ago I read on here that a flip was likely after OU football season if their ratings didn't increase.  Personally I would love to see Now 92.9 moved to 107.7 to take on KJ-103.  
> 
> Now 92.9 is the only station in OKC doing current hits the right way. KJ-103 is too teenybopper and ignores certain hits and Wild 104.9 focuses way too much on last decade (songs like 'Back That Thang Up' and 'Hot In Heere' don't belong on Top 40 in 2015).  Now 92.9 is the only station really playing "all the hits" and I believe the station deserves a better signal.


It looks like The Franchise jumped up in the ratings, they are just behind WWLS, and yeah everytime I come to the city, Now 92.9 is the most I listen too besides KXY and Kiss FM,as for 96.9, I hope they don't go country.

----------


## bradh

> This town needs a good blues/hybrid jazz station. Do jazz for a 4/8 block then blues for a 4/8 hour block.


"Jazz is stupid, just play the right notes!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpVrqci17no

----------


## bradh

> Apparently that have a lot of followers though.  I personally don't care for them.   I agree with those who say the style of their morning show doesn't fit a country station.  Hopefully that means the rumors that the new station will be country are false.
> 
> Does anybody know how 107.7 The Franchise is doing?  About six months ago I read on here that a flip was likely after OU football season if their ratings didn't increase.  Personally I would love to see Now 92.9 moved to 107.7 to take on KJ-103.  
> 
> Now 92.9 is the only station in OKC doing current hits the right way. KJ-103 is too teenybopper and ignores certain hits and Wild 104.9 focuses way too much on last decade (songs like 'Back That Thang Up' and 'Hot In Heere' don't belong on Top 40 in 2015).  Now 92.9 is the only station really playing "all the hits" and I believe the station deserves a better signal.


103.1 deserves a better signal, as does 105.3 (only because of Rome)

----------


## bchris02

> 103.1 deserves a better signal, as does 105.3 (only because of Rome)


I would say 103.5 over 103.1. I like Power 103.5 but can't listen unless I am on the south side.

----------


## Plutonic Panda

> I would say 103.5 over 103.1. I like Power 103.5 but can't listen unless I am on the south side.


I agree. Power 103.5 is a great station.

----------


## bchris02

I think the country rumor for 96.9 is false.

Somebody posted it on Jack and Ron's Facebook page, stating they would not longer listen if they switched to country.  Jack and Ron liked the comment, which they wouldn't have done if they were in fact flipping to country.  This is good news for OKC radio as this city needs another country station like it needs another Super Wal-Mart.

----------


## In_Tulsa

Welcome to The Edge!!!!

----------


## hfry

I dunno if it has been said on another page but the lost ogle tweeted there was a rumor that a new alternative station was starting today at 5 on 92.9. I'm not near a radio but would be good news if true.

----------


## bchris02

Yeah Now 92.9 is gone. It's now the Edge 92.9.  OKC needed this. Surprised they would kill Now 92.9 though.  My guess is because they failed to knock KJ-103 out of top spot. The intention of that station was to take enough listeners from KJ to allow 93.3 Jake FM to be #1.

----------


## theparkman81

Listening to the Edge now, sounds great.

----------


## Soonerman

Awesome news

----------


## zookeeper

This is bad form. You'd think when you're ready to roll-out a new format, you'd truly be ready. This is still up:



*EDIT: No re-direct or anything, they have an all new url:
92.9 The Edge | OKC's Rock Alternative*

----------


## Swake

Are they stealing The Edge in Tulsa's name, color scheme and tag line or is The Edge in Tulsa helping with running the station? 

In any case, that's great for OKC.

----------


## stile99

For all we know they're just piping Tulsa into OKC.  The website has literally no information, just click here to listen, and click here to tell us what you think of us.  I think you need a better web designer, for one.

----------


## Urbanized

Eve 6? Fall Out Boy? Pass.

*switches back to Sirius*

----------


## TheTravellers

> Eve 6? Fall Out Boy? Pass.
> 
> *switches back to Sirius*


Ha, I know, we listened to it yesterday while out running around for a few songs, then flipped around until we found a non-Xmas-music station that wasn't airing stupid DJ blather or commercials (ended up on 103.1, I think)....

----------


## windowphobe

I haven't found any connection between the two Edges; the only thing they seem to have in common, other than the name of a format and a brand image, is that their group owners are in-state (SMG in Tulsa, Tyler in OKC).

----------


## baralheia

On their Twitter account, they confirmed there was no connection between the stations outside of the name.

----------


## Questor

Listen live here:

92.9 The Edge

I don't listen to local radio anymore, but I'll plan on trying to listen if for no other reason to support them and also hopefully learn of interesting concerts around town.

----------


## stratosphere

Oh wow this is great news!

----------


## loveOKC

103.5 is a great station and I've been listening to the station since their 1140am days. But seriously, that signal is horrible. I'm trying to listen now and it's just static. I bet since it's sleeting and snowing, static will be all we can here for the next week. This is a common occurrence

----------


## bchris02

The new station is "Fun 96.9", playing variety hits from the 60s through the 80s.

----------


## Soonerman

> The new station is "Fun 96.9", playing variety hits from the 60s through the 80s.


So basically a KOMA clone.

----------


## bchris02

> 103.5 is a great station and I've been listening to the station since their 1140am days. But seriously, that signal is horrible. I'm trying to listen now and it's just static. I bet since it's sleeting and snowing, static will be all we can here for the next week. This is a common occurrence


Issue is there antenna is out west of Anadarko and OKC is in the "distant" coverage area.  In my current car, if I am north of I-40 the station has too much static to be listenable.  Lawton actually gets better coverage from the station than OKC does.  For me, Power 103.5 doesn't cut it as a hip-hop station for OKC because the signal doesn't cover OKC.  It also doesn't compete in OKC's PPM market so for all intents and purposes, OKC is still without a hip-hop station unless you count the classic V-103 station.  For current music, I might as well listen to Pandora and not have to hear static.

----------


## bchris02

> So basically a KOMA clone.


Yeah.  I haven't listened much yet but I hope they lean more in the easy listening direction as opposed to classic rock.

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## theparkman81

I am just happy to see KOMA getting some competition, I listen to 969 on I heart this morning, cause in Ada, I can't pick it up barely, it sounded pretty good to me.

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## bchris02

> I am just happy to see KOMA getting some competition, I listen to 969 on I heart this morning, cause in Ada, I can't pick it up barely, it sounded pretty good to me.


I personally like the format, especially since KMGL dropped most of their softer hits from the 70s and 80s in favor of current music.

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## Bunty

> The new station is "Fun 96.9", playing variety hits from the 60s through the 80s.


I assume the station transmitter is having  issues with ice at the transmitter site this afternoon.  I can only hear a very weak signal on 96.9.  It usually has a pretty strong stereo signal.

----------


## loveOKC

> Issue is there antenna is out west of Anadarko and OKC is in the "distant" coverage area.  In my current car, if I am north of I-40 the station has too much static to be listenable.  Lawton actually gets better coverage from the station than OKC does.  For me, Power 103.5 doesn't cut it as a hip-hop station for OKC because the signal doesn't cover OKC.  It also doesn't compete in OKC's PPM market so for all intents and purposes, OKC is still without a hip-hop station unless you count the classic V-103 station.  For current music, I might as well listen to Pandora and not have to hear static.


Knowing this, you would think they would put some type of repeater antenna or booster or something in OKC. But since they don't have to actually compete in the OKC market, I doubt anything like this happens.

----------


## bchris02

> Knowing this, you would think they would put some type of repeater antenna or booster or something in OKC. But since they don't have to actually compete in the OKC market, I doubt anything like this happens.


I agree.  I am not sure but I think they could put a translator on 103.5 in OKC to properly cover the market, leaving their main stick out in Western Oklahoma.  I doubt they do this though until somebody else tries to give urban/hip-hop a try in OKC.  If another station decided to do hip-hop, that would be it for Power 103.5 given their poor signal.

This may be a pipe dream, but hopefully V-103.1 eventually transitions to mainstream urban.  Classic hip-hop usually hasn't lasted very long in other markets before adding more currents.  The issue is that there isn't enough material to draw from to avoid repetitiveness, resulting in stations that are very popular in the beginning but quickly lose their luster.  Wild 104.9 with its gold-heavy playlist plays a lot of the same stuff anyways.  

If I was in control at Tyler Media, I would flip V-103 to mainstream urban with specific time slots dedicated to classic hip-hop.

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## jbkrems

Does anyone know what happened to the Rick Roberts show on KTOK ?

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## baralheia

So, I've been listening to 92.9 The Edge, and it's piqued my interest for sure. Interesting playlist and they're playing stuff I don't think I've actually heard on the radio here before, which is definitely awesome... They're covering all ends of the Alternative Rock genre. My only real gripe is that I would LOVE to have some new music from the active rock playlist thrown in there for good measure, to make the station sound a little bit closer to The EDGE in Tulsa (Z104.5) - but that's a pretty minor gripe, honestly. I'm extremely glad Tyler is giving Alternative a go here and I hope they stick around for a good long while!

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## bchris02

Power 103.5 has been off the air for the past couple of weeks.

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## hfry

Not true. Two days ago is the first day their signal hasn't been on but they are still tweeting and on Facebook so I assume it's more of a location in the city thing.

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## loveOKC

> Not true. Two days ago is the first day their signal hasn't been on but they are still tweeting and on Facebook so I assume it's more of a location in the city thing.





> 103.5 is a great station and I've been listening to the station since their 1140am days. But seriously, that signal is horrible. I'm trying to listen now and it's just static. I bet since it's sleeting and snowing, static will be all we can here for the next week. This is a common occurrence


Since I made my last comment, all I've heard is static, and I've been all around the city trying to tune in.  I've been on the Northside, Eastside, and Southside of OKC and all I hear is static.  Its been consistent static, not in and out.

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## windowphobe

The AM 1140 facility also seems to be down -- though the translator on 92.1 is working.

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## Zorba

I've been listening to 92.9, I like it a lot. Seems to be a good mix of The Edge in Tulsa and The Edge in Dallas, or pretty similar to The End in Seattle. It is the first radio station I've really liked in OKC, so I am pretty happy. I wish the signal was stronger though, I was having trouble picking it up on Coffee Creek and out by Tinker. 

I haven't heard any DJs yet, anyone know if they plan on adding them at some point?

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## bchris02

Way too much '90s Green Day on 92.9.  Not that '90s Green Day is bad or shouldn't be played, just a little less of it would be nice.  Other than that, it's a decent station. It's the only OKC station other than Power 103.5 (on occasion I am actually able to get it) that I can make it more than one or two songs on.

With Now 92.9 gone, it seems like Wild 104.9 is doubling down on the suck.  I am getting very close to just being done with OKC radio and getting XM.

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## TheTravellers

Heard Ferris as a DJ on The Spy last night while wife was watching the Thunder (she lets me play music during the Thunder games so we don't have to hear the inane blather and shoe-squeaking for 2+ hours), didn't remember that in the past (just seemed like an automated playlist, no humans involved at night), seems like he's going to be on each M-F night, different themes each night.  Played some good stuff.

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## stratosphere

> So, I've been listening to 92.9 The Edge, and it's piqued my interest for sure. Interesting playlist and they're playing stuff I don't think I've actually heard on the radio here before, which is definitely awesome... They're covering all ends of the Alternative Rock genre. My only real gripe is that I would LOVE to have some new music from the active rock playlist thrown in there for good measure, to make the station sound a little bit closer to The EDGE in Tulsa (Z104.5) - but that's a pretty minor gripe, honestly. I'm extremely glad Tyler is giving Alternative a go here and I hope they stick around for a good long while!


Yes it sounds great!  Eventually there will be too many commercials but for now it's a breath of fresh air.  Loved hearing 90's REM and Oasis next to Death cab and Florence & the Machine.

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## warreng88

Been listening to 92.9 and 103.1 almost nonstop. I have been switching back and forth from 92.9 to 100.5 and 94.7 and it seems like they have changed to a more of an alt rock than classic rock. I still hear some Zepplin and Rush from time to time, but mostly what you would hear on The Edge.

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## Zorba

> Way too much '90s Green Day on 92.9.  Not that '90s Green Day is bad or shouldn't be played, just a little less of it would be nice.  Other than that, it's a decent station. It's the only OKC station other than Power 103.5 (on occasion I am actually able to get it) that I can make it more than one or two songs on.
> 
> With Now 92.9 gone, it seems like Wild 104.9 is doubling down on the suck.  I am getting very close to just being done with OKC radio and getting XM.


I haven't noticed the excessive Green Day, although now that you say that, I am sure I will. My huge problem with XM is their best Alternative channel plays the Red Hot Chili Peppers every 5th song. Nothing against the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but isn't like they are the king of Alt music, and there is no band I want to hear that much day after day.

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## Zorba

> Been listening to 92.9 and 103.1 almost nonstop. I have been switching back and forth from 92.9 to 100.5 and 94.7 and it seems like they have changed to a more of an alt rock than classic rock. I still hear some Zepplin and Rush from time to time, but mostly what you would hear on The Edge.


It would be nice if 100.5 became closer to 97.5 KMOD in Tulsa. They have a very good mix of modern and classic. 

I am just really glad there is now a station that you can reliably hear new rock on.

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## Questor

> I haven't noticed the excessive Green Day, although now that you say that, I am sure I will. My huge problem with XM is their best Alternative channel plays the Red Hot Chili Peppers every 5th song. Nothing against the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but isn't like they are the king of Alt music, and there is no band I want to hear that much day after day.


Check out XMU, it's way better than Alt Nation.

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## Zorba

Thanks, I'll try to remember that next time I am in a car with XM.

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## loveOKC

Welcome back 103.5

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## stratosphere

> Check out XMU, it's way better than Alt Nation.


this is true

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## bchris02

I found this sample from Wild 97.9, back before Cumulus Media destroyed it by turning into a glorified iPod shuffle.  I think this is from New Years Eve '06.

https://www.mixcloud.com/djunity/

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## theparkman81

I notice when I was on I heart radio that now they added the Tyler Broadcasting stations except for the Edge, maybe they'll add it later.

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## bchris02

Rumor is Tyler will be launching another station on a translator soon (KMGL-HD2 i believe).  I've heard it will be contemporary Christian but I strongly doubt that, being that CCM stations are usually non-profit.  Plus, I can't see Tyler trying to get into the already very crowded Christian radio market in OKC with a translator.

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## theparkman81

I just turn back on I heart and yes the edge is on it, as for CCM on KMGL HD2, I can see it happening, but I think it should be something else should be on it.

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## bchris02

> I just turn back on I heart and yes the edge is on it, as for CCM on KMGL HD2, I can see it happening, but I think it should be something else should be on it.


True.  Not only does OKC not need another CCM station, but it would be unusual for a for-profit broadcaster to try to do the format, especially on a translator and in a market as crowded with CCM stations as OKC.  Tyler won't be able to make a dent in K-LOVE (with its 3? frequencies), Air1, or RadioU.

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to do easy listening or smooth jazz of some sort.  Maybe they could do the classic AC format that KMGL had prior to 2010, focusing on the softer hits of the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

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## bchris02

Under the new CEO Mary Berner, Cumulus Media has turned programming decisions back to local PDs rather than stations being required to play the nationally syndicated playlist. This was much, much needed. KKWD and KYIS are sounding a lot better, more like they did during the Citadel era. It's nice listening to Wild 104.9 without hearing dated rhythmic tracks from the early 2000s every few songs.

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## baralheia

92.9 The Edge has pretty much become my default go-to radio station since my last post in this thread. I think they play an impressive variety of music (some of which perhaps only barely clings to the "Alternative" label) but it still could use a bit more in the way of rock. They also seem to shy away from playing the same songs over and over, which is a definite relief.

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## bchris02

> 92.9 The Edge has pretty much become my default go-to radio station since my last post in this thread. I think they play an impressive variety of music (some of which perhaps only barely clings to the "Alternative" label) but it still could use a bit more in the way of rock. They also seem to shy away from playing the same songs over and over, which is a definite relief.


Yeah I like 92.9 The Edge as well.  With that station and Cumulus shifting to local programming decisions, OKC radio is getting much better than it has been in quite a while.  It's nice to hear current music without having to resort to satellite or streaming.

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## theparkman81

Listen to Wild and KISS the other day and they sound great especially Wild, I also been listening to 96.9 alot lately, it's nice to see KOMA getting some competition, cause there's times I don't like listening to KOMA.

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## TheTravellers

10 classic rock songs that radio stations need to stop playing now - Salon.com

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## bchris02

> 10 classic rock songs that radio stations need to stop playing now - Salon.com


I especially agree with "Sweet Home Alabama" and "We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions."  Those two songs are ridiculously overplayed.

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## TheTravellers

> I especially agree with "Sweet Home Alabama" and "We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions."  Those two songs are ridiculously overplayed.


Ha, *any* song by anybody on that list should be on a moratorium (and I love early Floyd and 71-78 Stones), enough of the same crap, dig deep instead, but it won't happen.

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## bchris02

> Ha, *any* song by anybody on that list should be on a moratorium (and I love early Floyd and 71-78 Stones), enough of the same crap, dig deep instead, but it won't happen.


Yeah, classic rock today has become almost as bad as CHR when it comes to playing the same stuff over and over again, but the difference is classic rock doesn't change, so whatever is overplayed now still will be in six months.  Apparently it is still very popular though because around Christmas when there was speculation that 96.9 would be changing formats, there were a lot of people upset about it possibly not being a classic rock station.

I agree with StillwaterTownie that Wild and KISS FM are sounding a lot better these days than they were for a long time.  I like that Wild has cut back significantly on the early 2000s songs.  They haven't cut it out completely but they have scaled it way back.  Nothing against early 2000s hip-hop as some great stuff came out during that era, but most of its overplayed and doesn't sound good when played alongside today's music.  If I want to listen to early 2000s hip-hop, I'll listen to my iPod or V-103.  There are plenty more recent recurrent and gold songs that sound good without having to go back to Nellyville.  It seems that for now that is the direction Wild is taking and I hope it stays that way.

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## TheTravellers

I'll have to listen to Wild and KISS, don't listen to much radio except KGOU on weekends when they do their blues (loosely defined) and The SPY, which is fantastic, as always - electronic last night, New Wave Thursdays (not all old stuff, some new covers of old songs, as well as things not heard often like "Our Lips Are Sealed" live by Fun Boy Three), and the other Ferris shows on weeknights when I remember.

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## OKCbyTRANSFER

I recently found the Edge 92.9, I like most of the music they play, not 100%. I find the alternative aspect interesting,  I like more than I thought,  but funny, I really don't know half the bands singing by name.

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## trousers

92.9 always seems to cut out on me.  Makes it unlistenable.

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## bchris02

> 92.9 always seems to cut out on me.  Makes it unlistenable.


It's running on a translator and its broadcasting from around 63rd and Broadway. Up in Edmond I have found 92.9 Bob FM in Tulsa tends to bleed into the signal.

They need to do away with 107.7 The Franchise and go with 107.7 The Edge.

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## windowphobe

If you're one of those hardy souls who actually has HD Radio, you can get the Edge at KOMA-FM HD2, hanging off the edge of 92.5.  (V103 is there too, at KOMA-FM HD 3.)

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## Soonerman

> It's running on a translator and its broadcasting from around 63rd and Broadway. Up in Edmond I have found 92.9 Bob FM in Tulsa tends to bleed into the signal.
> 
> They need to do away with 107.7 The Franchise and go with 107.7 The Edge.


I agree, 107.7 would give them very good coverage in Norman which would be a huge asset to the Edge.

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## bchris02

> I agree, 107.7 would give them very good coverage in Norman which would be a huge asset to the Edge.


True.  Even if they didn't want to do away with the Franchise entirely, they could do a signal swap.  However, I can't see them touching 92.5, 93.3, 104.1, and 106.7, all of which are performing very well.  Nonetheless, The Edge deserves better than a translator.

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## Soonerman

I noticed KXY is playing more modern country. I wonder if they quit playing Classic Country?? That's a shame if that's the case.

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## bchris02

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...oklahoma-city/

Does anybody know which station is about to flip?

My bet is on 105.3, currently a sports station.  It was sold this past summer to Perry Broadcasting and stations that carry the moniker "The Vibe" typically are urban or rhythmic Top 40 stations.  If my speculation is correct, it's a long (and by long I mean decades) overdue arrival to the OKC radio landscape.  As far as I know, OKC has never had a city-grade urban station on the FM dial.  KKWD has always stayed more or less in that gray area between a mainstream Top 40 station and an urban and I don't count Power 103.5 since their antenna is in Anadarko and difficult to pick up in OKC north of I-40.

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## baralheia

> https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...oklahoma-city/
> 
> Does anybody know which station is about to flip?
> 
> My bet is on 105.3, currently a sports station.  It was sold this past summer to Perry Broadcasting and stations that carry the moniker "The Vibe" typically are urban or rhythmic Top 40 stations.  If my speculation is correct, it's a long (and by long I mean decades) overdue arrival to the OKC radio landscape.  As far as I know, OKC has never had a city-grade urban station on the FM dial.  KKWD has always stayed more or less in that gray area between a mainstream Top 40 station and an urban and I don't count Power 103.5 since their antenna is in Anadarko and difficult to pick up in OKC north of I-40.


I'm betting it's FUN 96.9 (KQOB-FM). It's owned by Champlin Broadcasting, but LMA'd to Cumulus. Jack and Ron just announced on Facebook that today was their last show on FUN 96.9, and they were told right after the end of their show this morning that after 23 years with the company, they were being let go... The story they were given was that it was due to budget cuts.

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## stile99

Very interesting timing though, right at the end of the year.  I can't imagine budget is really much of an issue or it's not much of a surprise, because don't they have contracts?  Maybe they don't and they're just like the rest of us mere mortals and can be let go at any time, but last work day of the year, right before a possible format change?  Either they've known since October and part of the buyout was "keep your mouths shut or you get nothing", or the station is is a serious hole and buying them out actually somehow made sense to someone.

That said, with how well Cumulus is being run...it really did come as a surprise,  To everyone, including station management. 

So the question at this time is will someone snap them up, or will they take this as a chance to 'retire'?  I could see Ron being willing to continue, but I think Jack would be happy to retire and just do the occasional commercial/appearance.

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## bchris02

> Very interesting timing though, right at the end of the year.  I can't imagine budget is really much of an issue or it's not much of a surprise, because don't they have contracts?  Maybe they don't and they're just like the rest of us mere mortals and can be let go at any time, but last work day of the year, right before a possible format change?  Either they've known since October and part of the buyout was "keep your mouths shut or you get nothing", or the station is is a serious hole and buying them out actually somehow made sense to someone.
> 
> That said, with how well Cumulus is being run...it really did come as a surprise,  To everyone, including station management. 
> 
> So the question at this time is will someone snap them up, or will they take this as a chance to 'retire'?  I could see Ron being willing to continue, but I think Jack would be happy to retire and just do the occasional commercial/appearance.


It wouldn't surprise me if a flip is coming and Jack and Ron simply aren't appropriate for the new format (or it will be a syndicated station like many Cumulus stations were when Jan Jeffries was CEO).  Format changes tend to happen near the end or beginning of the year.   OKC has too many stations competing for the same audience (92.5, 94.7, 100.5, and 104.5) in addition to 96.9.  I was really surprised that they kept the classic rock format when they rebranded the station a couple of years ago.  It also wouldn't surprise me if KINB flips once their contract with CBS Sports Radio is up because that's another format that is oversaturated here.  If it is because of budget cuts, I wonder if there will be any shakeup at the other Cumulus stations (Wild, KATT, the Sports Animal).

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## u50254082

How about they bring back that one station with the stand up comedian clips? That was great to listen to while commuting.

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## bchris02

> How about they bring back that one station with the stand up comedian clips? That was great to listen to while commuting.


Yeah that was two format flips back on 92.9.  The comedy station was a nationally syndicated stream that went belly up.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/8...s-the-country/

It was a rhythmic CHR for several months before becoming 92.9 The Edge.  In my opinion, 92.9 The Edge deserves a stronger signal.

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## HOT ROD

IMO the FCC needs to come in and redo the OKC radio market signal priority.

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## theparkman81

96.9 is now known as Alice FM, is kinda like Jack FM, playing anything they want.

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## stile99

Hmmmm.  SO...not entirely different format, DJs let go due to "budget cuts", a fairly common format.

I'm guessing there's one DJ, his name is "Intel Inside", and he's located in a server room somewhere cheap.

I generally like the "we play anything" type stations, though the only one I've found that truly worships at that altar is Bob FM in Austin.  One time they played Holiday Road, something I don't hear often on the radio.  And another time they played "Do the Bartman", something I've not heard otherwise on the radio since the early 90s.

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## OKCretro

> 96.9 is now known as Alice FM, is kinda like Jack FM, playing anything they want.


wasn't it called "fun"?  wonder what that does to Jack and Ron in the mornings?

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## stile99

> wasn't it called "fun"?  wonder what that does to Jack and Ron in the mornings?


Posts #398-400.

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## Jeepnokc

> wasn't it called "fun"?  wonder what that does to Jack and Ron in the mornings?


Since they were let go....I am assuming sleeping in

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## Bunty

> IMO the FCC needs to come in and redo the OKC radio market signal priority.


No, a smart pirate or two needs to invade the OKC FM airwaves to show people what a good radio station should be like.  But should sound more sophisticated than a kid uttering obscenities while fooling around  with a radio transmitter.  If pirates broadcast only on weekends and don't interfere with public service stations, they might last a good while from an FCC raid.

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## u50254082

Unrelated to the current discussion but Hudiburg has lost my business forever with its stupid radio commercial that has been running for the past few weeks. ("heidiburg"? "hudiborg"?)

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## scottk

No need for a pirate to move in. The general audience, especially millennials, already find good radio/music in other places, especially on their smart devices. For $5-10 a month you can get any song you want, commercial free. Want it for free? Pandora can customize any station and eliminate artist or songs you hate hearing and the commercials are much more customized to your listening habits.  Have interest in entertainment, sports, technology, current events, etc...you can easily find a podcast that dives in way deeper than the traditional "clock" of a radio station that limits a break to 2 minutes. 
Ask anyone under the age of 30 if they even own a radio outside of their vehicle. The answer is probably not.
FM has been trying to innovate and thanks to the corporate side of radio, many stations are simply Voice tracked, boring ,and a generic safe playlist. 

Owners of these stations should realize they are in the music and information business, not the broadcasting business. The desire for music/info is still there by the public, just the medium is changing. Many are refusing to change with it because it is easier to "kick the can down the road" than try to actually innovate or try something new with a risk.

Additionally, companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify, Pandora etc have already pushed ahead with music and information services and getting those compatible devices in homes and vehicles. 

Everything has become on-demand in media. The model of broadcasting to the masses has run its course. Yes, certain events still demand a live audience, but for day to day music/info, many find it easier just to look somewhere else.

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## bradh

The only AM/FM radio I've listened to in the last few years has been The Jim Rome show, and now that I'm in a market he's not in it's all XM

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## Bunty

> No need for a pirate to move in. The general audience, especially millennials, already find good radio/music in other places, especially on their smart devices. For $5-10 a month you can get any song you want, commercial free. Want it for free? Pandora can customize any station and eliminate artist or songs you hate hearing and the commercials are much more customized to your listening habits.  Have interest in entertainment, sports, technology, current events, etc...you can easily find a podcast that dives in way deeper than the traditional "clock" of a radio station that limits a break to 2 minutes. 
> Ask anyone under the age of 30 if they even own a radio outside of their vehicle. The answer is probably not.
> FM has been trying to innovate and thanks to the corporate side of radio, many stations are simply Voice tracked, boring ,and a generic safe playlist. 
> 
> Owners of these stations should realize they are in the music and information business, not the broadcasting business. The desire for music/info is still there by the public, just the medium is changing. Many are refusing to change with it because it is easier to "kick the can down the road" than try to actually innovate or try something new with a risk.
> 
> Additionally, companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify, Pandora etc have already pushed ahead with music and information services and getting those compatible devices in homes and vehicles. 
> 
> Everything has become on-demand in media. The model of broadcasting to the masses has run its course. Yes, certain events still demand a live audience, but for day to day music/info, many find it easier just to look somewhere else.


Nevertheless, the Internet nor the FCC can discourage pirate FM radio stations and make them go away, such as in Colorado, New York and Florida.

http://diymedia.net/paper-tiger-roar...9309#more-9309

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## bchris02

Oklahoma City radio has really suffered in my opinion since Citadel sold out to Cumulus and since Renda was snapped up by Tyler.   Cumulus and Tyler are small market operations and their stations sound like it.  iHeartMedia stations are also a train-wreck, largely due to national syndication of their stations (this is what Cumulus tried after snapping up Citadel and look where it's led them).  Big Radio these days seems to only want to invest in major markets while syndicating the stations to the lowest common denominator in smaller markets.  I think that will ultimately be their demise.  There is still a market for decent FM radio but it's getting harder to find these days outside of the major markets.

----------


## aDark

The only time I am listening to radio is if my drive is so short that I don't want to mess with my phone/spotify. So, like, driving less than 2 miles. Is anyone under 40 listening to radio?

----------


## Roger S

> The only time I am listening to radio is if my drive is so short that I don't want to mess with my phone/spotify. So, like, driving less than 2 miles. Is anyone under 40 listening to radio?


I'm over 40 and don't listen to the radio... Most of the music I listen to doesn't get played on local radio.

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## baralheia

> The only time I am listening to radio is if my drive is so short that I don't want to mess with my phone/spotify. So, like, driving less than 2 miles. Is anyone under 40 listening to radio?


I'm 33 and I listen to a a fair bit of terrestrial radio when I'm driving, even though my car can do both XM and bluetooth audio streaming from my phone. I can't stand XM's audio quality, and while I do sometimes use bluetooth streaming to listen to EDM podcasts, I generally like being able to just have music without being distracted from driving, having to build my own playlists, or fuss with Pandora/Spotify/etc. It does help that I also rather like most of what 92.9 The Edge plays to begin with.

That said, at home, I stream the vast majority of my music and don't listen to much radio outside of the car.

----------


## stratosphere

> I'm 33 and I listen to a a fair bit of terrestrial radio when I'm driving, even though my car can do both XM and bluetooth audio streaming from my phone. I can't stand XM's audio quality, and while I do sometimes use bluetooth streaming to listen to EDM podcasts, I generally like being able to just have music without being distracted from driving, having to build my own playlists, or fuss with Pandora/Spotify/etc. It does help that I also rather like most of what 92.9 The Edge plays to begin with.
> 
> That said, at home, I stream the vast majority of my music and don't listen to much radio outside of the car.


Same here,  except for being 33.  I do like 92.9 though i wish the Spy was avail instead of NPR during my drive times.  Oh well.  

also,  what happened to Jack & Ron's channel,  did that go away?

----------


## stile99

> also,  what happened to Jack & Ron's channel,  did that go away?


Depends what you mean by go away.  The station is still there, very similar format, but is now called 'Alice', and is one of those "we play anything, as long as our server in a central location has it" stations.

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## TheTravellers

> Depends what you mean by go away.  The station is still there, very similar format, but is now called 'Alice', and is one of those "we play anything, as long as our server in a central location has it" stations.


When we moved back to OKC in 2009, only listened to the SPY when it was on during daytime hours, listened to CDs the rest of the time, but now the CD player's dead, so I listen to radio again, and it's better than it was, but still no great shakes.  Do the "we play anything" stations *really* do that (like freeform FM used to do decades ago)?

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## scottk

"Jack and Ron" are in the process of launching a podcast. They have episode one posted on their facebook page for now and it looks like as time goes on they will put it into the traditional podcast locations (iTunes, etc). Not sure if it will be daily, weekly, or random. It would appear that their listening base will follow them to on-demand and they would be seeking advertisers to help support the new show.

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## Jersey Boss

> When we moved back to OKC in 2009, only listened to the SPY when it was on during daytime hours, listened to CDs the rest of the time, but now the CD player's dead, so I listen to radio again, and it's better than it was, but still no great shakes.  *Do the "we play anything" stations *really* do that (like freeform FM used to do decades ago)*?


Ha ha, nope. I listen to a fm station on the internet from NYC. The call letters are WFUV and it is as close to free form as available. In fact one of the afternoon talents, Dennis Ellisis was an on air talent in the late 60's early 70's on WNEW FM, one of the pioneers of free form radio.  I think he also works on the weekends on the Sirrus Classic Vinyl station.

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## TheTravellers

> Ha ha, nope. I listen to a fm station on the internet from NYC. The call letters are WFUV and it is as close to free form as available. In fact one of the afternoon talents, Dennis Ellisis was an on air talent in the late 60's early 70's on WNEW FM, one of the pioneers of free form radio.  I think he also works on the weekends on the Sirrus Classic Vinyl station.


Interesting, thanks for the tip, I'll have to check them out, looks like they're on TuneIn, and listen to them on my phone in the car instead of the 1/4-way (not really even halfway yet) decent radio here.

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## emtefury

Does anyone know what happened to Tod Tucker on 1520 AM in the mornings.  I have not been able to find any news stories.

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## TheSteveHunt

> IMO the FCC needs to come in and redo the OKC radio market signal priority.


Tell me more.. I know a few people good with this kind of stuff.

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## PaddyShack

> Does anyone know what happened to Tod Tucker on 1520 AM in the mornings.  I have not been able to find any news stories.


As far as I know he had taken some time off for medical reasons and he was replaced before coming back. He was out for less than a week and they were looking at replacements. I have not been able to listen to 1520 in the mornings because it always a previous episode of The Ride with Chad and Mac or one of their fill-ins which just regurgitate the same headlines each time they are on. I sure miss Tod Tucker.

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## TheSteveHunt

The Thunder broadcasting on Sports Animal is an absolute disgrace. They are Cumulus (were Citadel at the time they got the contract) and received the
contract because Citadel was tanking, and didn't have anything to lose by giving them a sweetheart deal (owners get all ad revenue during game, the reason
you basically only hear CHK, Devon, Midfirst ads during the games..which does very little for the people of OKC) and then made their co. look better when they
sold out to equally crappy Cumulus.... a local entity should have received the broadcast rights which would have been great, local businesses would get exposure
and a local entity would have equity in the team, as would many others......   radio is OKC is really messed up like this because of a handful of very wealthy individuals
with little regard for anything but themselves, but does not have to be...

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## PhiAlpha

> The Thunder broadcasting on Sports Animal is an absolute disgrace. They are Cumulus (were Citadel at the time they got the contract) and received the
> contract because Citadel was tanking, and didn't have anything to lose by giving them a sweetheart deal (owners get all ad revenue during game, the reason
> you basically only hear CHK, Devon, Midfirst ads during the games..which does very little for the people of OKC) and then made their co. look better when they
> sold out to equally crappy Cumulus.... a local entity should have received the broadcast rights which would have been great, local businesses would get exposure
> and a local entity would have equity in the team, as would many others......   radio is OKC is really messed up like this because of a handful of very wealthy individuals
> with little regard for anything but themselves, but does not have to be...


Your sponsor comment doesn’t make any sense and weakens your already weak argument. Those are the largest sponsors of the Thunder so those are the ads you hear during Thunder games... There is no conspiracy there...you pay to advertise, you get to advertise. No one is preventing other companies from paying the Thunder to advertise during their broadcasts, you hear a lot of Homeland advertisements too. No one involved with Devon, CHK, nor Homeland have any involvement in the Thunder’s ownership group either.

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## TheSteveHunt

Well, maybe I'm dating myself on the ownership bit -- forgetting Aubrey is gone and therefore no more CHK involvement? 
  That aside, it isn't good that a Nevada company got the contract. OKC people paid a lot for the team to come here, and should
have equity...anyway... whatever.

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## PhiAlpha

> Well, maybe I'm dating myself on the ownership bit -- forgetting Aubrey is gone and therefore no more CHK involvement? 
>   That aside, it isn't good that a Nevada company got the contract. OKC people paid a lot for the team to come here, and should
> have equity...anyway... whatever.


Aubrey was the owner, not CHK, and Aubrey was out at CHK in 2013.

The Sports Animal is the largest, most widely available, and most listened to sports network in the state. It is natural that they got the contract for broadcasting games for the state’s only professional franchise. The Franchise is the only other reasonably sized FM sports station in OKC and it didn’t even exist as an option until 5 years after the Thunder got here. Quit looking for conspiracy where there is none. There is plenty of room for the radio landscape to improve here but taking issue with the largest sports station in the state getting the broadcast rights for our NBA team is a dumb road to go down if your real goal is improving OKCs radio content.

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## bchris02

I have pretty much given up listening to terrestrial radio in OKC.  I know radio has seen better days everywhere and streaming services are killing it but it's especially bad here.  You would think being a Top 50 market there should be a little more variety on the dial.

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## PhiAlpha

> I have pretty much given up listening to terrestrial radio in OKC.  I know radio has seen better days everywhere and streaming services are killing it but it's especially bad here.  You would think being a Top 50 market there should be a little more variety on the dial.


I was really excited when we finally got an alternative rock station again but the broadcast range for the Edge is so weak that it’s hard to listen to.

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## bchris02

> I was really excited when we finally got an alternative rock station again but the broadcast range for the Edge is so weak that it’s hard to listen to.


You'd think a station like The Edge would be deserving of a stronger signal.  It's one of the better stations in this market.  I'd be satisfied if I could pick up Power 103.5 downtown but that station is unlistenable in OKC until you get west of I-44, at least in my vehicle.

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## jompster

> You'd think a station like The Edge would be deserving of a stronger signal.  It's one of the better stations in this market.  I'd be satisfied if I could pick up Power 103.5 downtown but that station is unlistenable in OKC until you get west of I-44, at least in my vehicle.


The Edge is on a translator from KOMA.  That's why it doesn't have a strong signal.  It was the same when The Edge was temporarily on 96.5.

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## HOT ROD

^ this is why I say the FCC should come in and revamp OKC's radio spectrum. Having stations on low power translators and 100's of miles away so not to interfere with a market 95 miles away just doesn't make any sense. OKC is the largest market in the state, by far - it should therefore have signal priority and not be relegated to what it is today and has been for far too long.

BChris can give more details but this is what I was referring to earlier; OKC does have the lead on tv signals (and rightfully so) but radio, we're a 2nd class market in our own state.

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## TheSteveHunt

For now, you can listen to my awesome playlist!!!
https://open.spotify.com/user/121453...Q6qu4SJGG38d3A

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## Bunty

Were there any pirate FM radio stations on in OKC during the Memorial Day weekend?  Holiday weekends are a good time for them to come on the air, since FCC agents aren't on the job then.

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## TheSteveHunt

Holland Vandenewienheisen is at sea so prolly not

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