The Texas Radio Thread - Then And Now (Houston, Dallas: store, title)

[case44]

Hello, once again, fellow posters. And also a special hello to fellow listeners! That's right. Some of you that are typing right now might be listening to some radio station that plays your favorite music. Oftentimes, I listen online to stuff from Texas and around the country; that is, when I'm not listening to my stereo. I'm also, in a way, a minor enthusiast in Texas radio and am familiar with the history of different stations even across Texas, not just D/FW. I'll share some of that with you later.

But let's go beyond the now and try to reminisce, if we can, about what you grew up listening to. I grew up in Texas (D/FW area) and have experienced more than just a share of history with great stations, formats, and disk jockeys who were very popular with listeners. And the same would hold true for you, as well. If you grew up in Texas and have some great things to share about the stations in your town or city, whether they're in the past, or maybe you have something from today's stations, you can chime in on this thread. Everyone has a favorite program or favorite jock and that was always part of our experience. Also, if you are a radio or broadcast insider and have a history in Texas radio or are in it now, we definitely want to hear from you. I'll preface with this, as well: Stations and frequencies tend to change formats or make slight adjustments from time to time. Call letters can get changed. Some channels have kept the same format for many years. Many are legendary, and some are lesser-known. To the casual listener, it's a way of life. To others, it's a business. That said, we should have some fun with this thread.

Now, a few guidelines. It doesn't have to all be reminiscing, but I know we'll do plenty of that. The thread's title is 'Texas Radio', so we'll talk all things Texas radio, too. But we must keep this involving Texas stations only, please. This has the makings of a great thread.

So, here we go. Texas radio is our subject, and you, the Texas faithful, plus me, yours truly, have much to share. Without further adieu and with no commercial interruptions, what say we let 'er rip? How about it??

[case44]

I'll start us off just to give you an idea. Many people in my part of the state remember KZEW-FM way back in the 80s. They played an album-rock format that many of my old classmates used to listen to. They had LaBella and Rody, who were real popular and had a great morning show at the time and I can still remember Mike Rhyner (who is currently at The Ticket in Dallas) doing sports for the Morning Zoo. He would always butcher his mentioning of the sponsor of the sportscast, and I actually thought that was pretty funny (though I'm not sure the sponsor at the time felt the same way). In addition, in junior high, there used to be an AM station in Sherman (north of Dallas) that I would pick up on my old world band radio. They did Top 40 in those days, but it was the most fun for me to listen to. I even remember a DJ by the name of Gil Nelson, who, I believe, worked nights at the old KIKM. The names of other personalities that were there escape me.

[lonestar2007]

KLIF 1190 AM (DFW) back in the sixties playing that GOOD old rock 'n roll. Almost mentioned XERF which had Wolfman Jack doing his thing nightly, but actually it was just across the border of Del Rio, Texas and a Mexican station, not a Texas one. I was editing this and noticed WillysB's post, so I might be wrong. I know I thought for years it was a Del Rio station, then someone corrected me, but who knows, maybe they were wrong too. Anyone know for sure?

KLUV FM with Debbie Diaz rocks and there is a station out of Cleburne that plays old country.

[WillysB]

My teens were wasted in Abilene, Tx, a couple hundred miles west of DFW on I-20. Around the time of my early/mid teens we would listen to Wolf Man Jack, from Del Rio, Texas. Word was his antenna was in Mexico so he could broadcast at a higher power. It was a Friday nite staple. AAAAAAOOOOOOUUUUUUUU. After he went off we'd listen to KOMA, Oklahoma City.

In August '69 I moved to Dallas where KLIF was the usual station. One Saturday morning I called them to tell them they didn't play enough Janis Joplin. So the guy played three in a row.

In the 70's and 80's in Houston it was KLOL, 101FM... Mother's Family. At a time in the late 70's I think, they had Country Sunday, Marshall Tucker Band, Charlie Daniels, and concerts somewhere out in a field.

Select times I'd listen to Pacifica, KPFT in Houston. Some week nites there were good programs with weird a$$ music, lots of Al Yankovic, Bob called himself gawd, had some good dreams to that stuff. Remember, in the early 70's their antenna was bombed a couple times, knocked 'em of the air. But they always came back. It was generally understand the HPD was the perp but no one ever got charged. Late 70's I'd get up on Sunday mornings, have a toke or several and listen to the blues, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Over the years I heard just about every genre of blues there was, from the 20's to the 70's. There were six Pacifica Foundation stations in the country. Three in CA (San Fran and LA) Houston, NYC and WashDC.

Today, I listen to KLBJ on the net, or XM/siri 76 Bluesville. All God's children got the blues....

[case44]

I wonder if anyone remembers Moby and Matthews from the old 97 Rock in Houston (KSRR-FM)? They had some cool billboards back in 1980s.

[case44]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

KLIF 1190 AM (DFW) back in the sixties playing that GOOD old rock 'n roll. Almost mentioned XERF which had Wolfman Jack doing his thing nightly, but actually it was just across the border of Del Rio, Texas and a Mexican station, not a Texas one.

KLIF was once owned by the great Gordon McLendon, who founded the Top 40 radio format. He was one legendary figure.

[case44]

Originally Posted by WillysB

My teens were wasted in Abilene, Tx, a couple hundred miles west of DFW on I-20. Around the time of my early/mid teens we would listen to Wolf Man Jack, from Del Rio, Texas. Word was his antenna was in Mexico so he could broadcast at a higher power. It was a Friday nite staple. AAAAAAOOOOOOUUUUUUUUAWWWWW After he went off we'd listen to KOMA, Oklahoma City.

In August '69 I moved to Dallas where KLIF was the usual station. One Saturday morning I called them to tell them they didn't play enough Janis Joplin. So the guy played three in a row.

Today, I listen to KLBJ on the net, or XM/siri 76 Bluesville. All God's children got the blues....

I don't frequent KLBJ-FM that much, but I need to give it a try on the web. On my Austin trips, I'd listen to it for a little bit while scanning the dial. But for a lot of years, I sometimes listened to KLBJ-AM (590), which is a news-talk station. Back in the nineties, I had them on my radio, and their signal could be heard in Dallas on a good day. They used to do news hours way back when.

[WillysB]

Originally Posted by case44

I wonder if anyone remembers Moby and Matthews from the old 97 Rock in Houston (KSRR-FM)? They had some cool billboards back in 1980s.

Yeah, K Star Radio... Moby in the morning

[destin04]

I have fond memories of being in 6th or 7th grade and listening to KLIF at night. Me and my girlfriends would call the DJ ...I think his name was Jim Tabor and request songs....and ask to dedicate songs to our boyfriends. The other thing I remember about that was that every 30 minutes on weekend nights they would talk about anything that was going on that was a crime. I remember they would talk about a store being robbed ....that kind of stuff.
I listened to I....I think it was KNUS? I remember Ken Dow and Granny Emma were on in the morning. That's what I listened to in HS. As I became an adult I switched to KVIL and Ron Chapman. The finally to KISS just for the morning show...I am to old to like that kind of music. Now when I'm in the Dallas area I listen to KLUV because ....it plays "the oldies" from the 70's. LOL

[kacvb1974]

I grew up in Dallas listening to big band and standards on what I believe was 1310 (KAAM). Now I tune into the format on 770 AM out of Garland. I am not going to earn any cool points with my friends... 'cause a 34 year old singing along with Perry Como will never be considered the epitome of hipness. But what can I say? I just dig the classics and feel you shouldn't have to be a senior citizen to appreciate them.

"Europe Today" with Hermann Bocklemann, broadcasting on Fridays at 6PM on 770, is hands down the most entertaining radio show I've ever run across. The dude is nutjob. In the best possible way.