Historic Houston Radio Stations

[Mark F. Barnes]

Totally forgot that XM radio has an old time radio channel

"The Whistler"

[Poppahop]

Those scary stories might have been Mystery Theater, hosted by EG Marshall. They were still making these from 1974 to 1982

[Gilder]

Those scary stories might have been Mystery Theater, hosted by EG Marshall. They were still making these from 1974 to 1982

That's it! Mystery Theatre! I remember now.

Wow Mystery Theater. Something else to Google now.

Thanks Poppahop!

[Guest Marty]

The Shadow Know's >

[FreakyDude]

Those scary stories might have been Mystery Theater, hosted by EG Marshall. They were still making these from 1974 to 1982

Wow man! You nipped it right on the bud! Mystery Theater was what I used to listen to. Man those stories were scary!

I could not remember the name of that program. Thanks Poppahop for taking down memory road!

[Fez1964]

BruceSW,

What a great picture of station WEV from the Hurlburt-Still Electric Company service garage! I wish I had found it for my book, Kotton, Port, Rail Center. The gentleman to the right of the photo is Ben Still, owner of WEV. To the left and standing is Alfred Patrick Daniel. Mr. Daniel shortly would go on to install station WCAK and his home on Bagby St. and would later install KPRC in 1925.

Thanks for the nice complements on my book. It makes me feel good knowing that I was able to bring across such a terrific part of Houston history.

Yes, you should do everything you can to get your research on Houston's radio history published. I self-published my work and would enjoy giving advice on how to do this.

[editor]

FEZ1964's book is an amazing accomplishment, undoubtedly one of the best books on broadcasting history in a single market ever published, and I highly recommend it. I had been researching radio history in Houston for 8 months before I found it. I had not gone back nearly as far as his book does, having mostly concentrated on the period from 1922 forward, and have compiled a chronology of AM stations down to about 1980 and FM stations down to about 1968; I have about 100 pps in a word processor and someday will get around to getting it on line.

As a large part of HAIF's mission is to promote and preserve Houston history, I can make space and bandwidth available on HAIF to host this work. If it's just a word processor file, you can e-mail it to me when you're done and I'll put it online.

[brucesw]

BruceSW,

What a great picture of station WEV from the Hulburt-Still Electric Company service garage! I wish I had found it for my book, Kotton, Port, Rail Center. The gentleman to the right of the photo is Ben Still, owner of WEV. To the left and standing is Alfred Patrick Daniel. Mr. Daniel shortly would go on to install station WCAK and his home on Bagby St. and would later install KPRC in 1925.

Thanks for the nice complements on my book. It makes me feel good knowing that I was able to bring across such a terrific part of Houston history.

Yes, you should do everything you can to get your research on Houston's radio history published. I self-published my work and would enjoy giving advice on how to do this.

FEZ1964 - The only reason I managed to put your book down when I first got it was to pick my jaw up off the floor and poke my eyes back in from amazement at all you had uncovered . The history of the development of wireless in TX has mostly been about Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin; that's one of the reason's I got interested in the subject. I can't praise your book highly enough. I'll be bringing it to the attention of several national scholars on the history of radio who also seem totally oblivious to anything going on here. There are more great stories to be told, particularly in the 30s and 40s. Someone could write a whole book on KPRC.

I self-published a genealogical surname journal for a couple of years but I'm sure there are many pointers you could give me on the state of the art today. I'll email you soon; the project has been pretty much on hold for several months.

As a large part of HAIF's mission is to promote and preserve Houston history, I can make space and bandwidth available on HAIF to host this work. If it's just a word processor file, you can e-mail it to me when you're done and I'll put it online.

Wow, what a great offer. Thanks. It's no where near finished (that's why I thought of doing a website - works in progress thing - instead of waiting until I could do a book). It'll include a lot more than text - pictures, memorabilia, contributions from listeners/viewers and those who worked in the industry. Well, that's all projected, anyway.

I'll get in touch to discuss it further.

Bruce

[FreakyDude]

That's it! Mystery Theatre! I remember now.

Wow Mystery Theater. Something else to Google now.

Thanks Poppahop!

I found this link on the Internet. It's the Mystery Theatre live online. I haven't listened to it or determined if it's the same stories I heard as a kid, but here it is!

http://www.live365.com/stations/myafchak

[57Tbird]

Didn't see Mystery Theater listed, but there are some other pretty good ones here, including the ones I mentioned above in a previous post.

[FreakyDude]

Didn't see Mystery Theater listed, but there are some other pretty good ones here, including the ones I mentioned above in a previous post.

Nice link! Thanks 57Tbird! Wolfman would be proud of you!

[Gilder]

The Shadow Know's >

Does the shadow know if there are any current story-telling type radio programs currently?

[gonzo1976]

Does the shadow know if there are any current story-telling type radio programs currently?

I'm sure there are. You just have to really look for it. "Prairie Home Companion" comes to mind. The BBC, available online, sometimes runs new radio shows.

Does KTRH still run "When Radio Was" late Saturday nights? That was always fun to listen to.

[Guest Marty]

KTRH stop playing those when they went to more of a talk format.

[editor]

I'm sure there are. You just have to really look for it. "Prairie Home Companion" comes to mind. The BBC, available online, sometimes runs new radio shows.

Does KTRH still run "When Radio Was" late Saturday nights? That was always fun to listen to.

The best way to listen to the BBC is through their podcasts. I get BBC on satellite and shortwave, but you really only get a slice of their total output that way. Since I've subscribed to series like From Our Own Correspondent and Documentary Archives, I get way more news and information than I would have thought possible.

[worldlyman]

Seems to me you're the one who needs to chill. You're the one who said you still have stickers promoting Moby and Matthews on your car, but let's put that aside. I was just kidding, and it's not worth arguing about.

Let's be serious for a moment. I have known Matthews for a very long time, and I can tell you he has always been a self absorbed jerk with an over-inflated opinion of himself. I have to say I was not completely surprised when I read about his troubles in Sugarland.

I would be interested in getting your thoughts on where Matthews' life is now going to take him. I have zero sympathy for pedophiles, NONE, but it saddens me to observe that here is a guy in his sixties, who lost his career in the radio business when he got in trouble. The judge gave him probation and a chance to get his act together, but he blew that and now he's probably going to prison.

I have no idea how much time he'll do, but when he gets out he'll never get another job in radio or any part of the broadcasting business. His life is taking a very dark turn, and unless he has income or resources I don't know about, it's going to be very hard for him to make a living. I must say it appears to me that his life is probably over. I'm saying this because of what happened to a guy who was a living legend in Houston radio until his sad demise a few years ago.

Richard Dobbyn was the most creative, talented and funny radio genius this town has ever seen. He was also the most self-centered, self-absorbed, irresponsible, outrageous, racist, and amoral person in local radio history. He thought the world revolved around him, and he did and said whatever pleased him at the moment, with no regard for whether it was right or wrong. He got away with it for a long time because he was Richard Dobbyn.

He's the guy who, after a major riot at Texas Southern University in the late sixties, said on the air at KIKK that "the city needs to send some steamrollers over there and just blacktop Wheeler Street". He promoted altering KIKK's popular bumper sticker by razoring the letter "I" out of the logo, which left the letters "KKK", and which was used to adorn the bumpers of a lot of redneck pickup trucks.

He created KILT 20-20 News back in the early 60s, until Manager Dickie Rosenfeld got tired of his crap and fired him. Dobbyn then took that same news format to KIKK, and it made a lot of money for KIKK until KIKK's owner, Leroy Gloger, also got tired of his crap and fired him.

KILT and KIKK were the high points of Dobbyn's career, and after that he floated around Houston area radio for years, going downhill from job to job because he was also a famous drunk. A few years ago in the early 90s, he got a job working nights at KNUZ, probably with help from his old friend Arch Yancy, who worked with him at several stations years ago.

One night in the late 90s, Dobbyn fell in his apartment and hit his head on something. He was nearly dead by the time someone found him, and he was in the hospital for months. He ended up with brain damage, and when he got out of the hospital he lost the job and his apartment kicked him out because he had no money. It's believed that he also had a stroke, but whatever, the great Richard Dobbyn ended practically living on the streets. He finally died in September of 1999, and it just doesn't get any sadder than that.

Trust me, it's really true that nobody knows you when you're down and out, but no matter what he's done, I sincerely hope John Matthews doesn't end up the same way.

Did you know Matthews personally?

I remember he had a talk show on Sunday nights on 97 Rock in the early 1980s that was issues oriented. And I have to say, yes he did come off as a know-it-all jerk.

There was this one topic about English in America and what its status should be. Interestingly enough, he had some KKK honcho or white supremacist as a guest. One caller factually explained that English is not the official language of America. (That's a fact. English is the dominant one but not official) But Matthews kept overriding and insisting that it was. ("Yes it is, yes it is" before cutting off the caller.)

Then another time, there was the (historical) draft-vs-drinking age when the reactionary blowhard Matthews said that the two were different. The way it came from his mouth was like a "that's it and that's the way it is because I said so" kind of thing.

Well, I believe that if a young man can learn to pick up a gun and kill people (or learn to) then why shouldn't he be able to get himself a cheap pisswater six pack at eighteen years of age?

[worldlyman]

During the 80's, I used to listen to 97Rock with Moby & Matthews in the morning. Was it KSSR or KSRR?

KLOL 101 was always good in the evenings. I still have a lighter somewhere with 97Rock on it. It's probably not worth anything. I still have a 97Rock sticker on my guitar case.

In the 70's KRBE was a rock-n-roll station. I remember listening to Don McClean's "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie." They played a lot of Jackson Brown, Elton John, ABBA, Alice Cooper, Eagles, Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, KC & the Sunshine Band, David Bowie, The Doobies, KISS, etc. Those were the days!

Peace Man!

On REO Speedwagon's Good Trouble album and it would have to be the LP on the back of the cover, there is a picture of the band sitting on top of guitar cases and one of them has an old KLOL sticker on it.

[FilioScotia]

Did you know Matthews personally?

No I didn't know him personally, but he and I were acquainted because we often came into contact with each other back in the late 70s when he was PIO and spokesguy for LifeFlight at Hermann Hospital.

He was always friendly and helpful, in those days, but later when he got into talk radio, it seemed to me that he succumbed to a malady that afflicts most of the people who go into that field.

Sooner or later, people who do talk radio start believing they really are "important" people, whose opinions trump everybody else's. Working for the single most obnoxious radio personality in Houston history -- Dan Patrick -- John Matthews fit right in.

[enviromain]

On REO Speedwagon's Good Trouble album and it would have to be the LP on the back of the cover, there is a picture of the band sitting on top of guitar cases and one of them has an old KLOL sticker on it.

Wow, that's great to know! I'd like to see that. Do you have a picture?

[Gilder]

During 2000-2001, Houston had a station that played any type of music. Country, Rock, Pop, etc. Is that station still around?

[FilioScotia]

During 2000-2001, Houston had a station that played any type of music. Country, Rock, Pop, etc. Is that station still around?

Yes. It's KPFT - 90.1 the Pacifica station. It's called "block programming". It sets aside time periods for every kind of music. The result: KPFT struggles to stay on the air as a listener funded station.

No commercial radio station does block programming because it doesn't work. A station just can't be all things to all people and have any hope of making money. It's been proven time and again.

[gnu]

During 2000-2001, Houston had a station that played any type of music. Country, Rock, Pop, etc. Is that station still around?

or maybe he means the Jack format? Sort of like shuffle radio.

I can't ever remember a houston station doing it, but i might have missed it.

Dallas has one

http://www.jackontheweb.com/

quote from an us news & wr article

The format--no DJ s and a wide selection of songs played with no regard for smooth transitions (think Quiet Riot's "Cum On Feel the Noize" next to Billy Joel's "Piano Man" )--has been likened to the shuffle feature on portable MP3 players. Jack made its U.S. debut last year and is now in 23 different cities, from Dallas to New York ( www.jack.fm for stations where it airs).

the article says jack made its debut on '04 but i thought i remember hearing about it farther back.

KPFT still has shows dedicated to one type of music. I regularly listen to the bluegrass zone and the blues brunch with nuri nuri on the weekends. I know they have an irish music show and some other ones too.

but they don't do the "texas" music (i think that's what they called it) like they did for a year or two, where they played a lot of local stuff and eliminated a lot of national programming from pacifica. that may be what filio is referring to.

[Gilder]

or maybe he means the Jack format?

I thought it was the pioneer to the "Jack Format." It would have been in 2000 or 2001 and I seem to remember the DJ's stating that our nation's radio stations and the national association of broadcasters were listening in on that radio station's format. I thought it was the first radio station to break the already-established formats.

It had been an established radio station (country, I think) prior to being converted to this new format.

Anyone remember?

[Ashikaga]

KTRH stop playing those when they went to more of a talk format.

Did KTRH ever play music? I've only known it as a talk radio station.

[enviromain]

I found these in the June 1975 issue of the Houston Home & Garden magazine.

[sak]

Wasn't Paul Berlin on KNUZ? He was on at least one other station, but I seem to remember him from KNUZ.

Does the name Jim Wood ring a bell? I think he was one of Houston's first "shock jocks", and he got fired from KILT for singing a little ditty about "Flies between my thighs".

I remember, will never forget, Two-in-a-row-on-the-Jim-Wood-show! Is that what happened to him?! He disappeared overnight! It was very mysterious. We had to shift to Buddy McGregor on KNUZ.

[enviromain]

I remember, will never forget, Two-in-a-row-on-the-Jim-Wood-show! Is that what happened to him?! He disappeared overnight! It was very mysterious. We had to shift to Buddy McGregor on KNUZ.

Speaking of KNUZ.....

I found this picture at http://www.scarletdukes.com/st/tmhou_venues1.html

[Guest Marty]

August 7 1983

Radio Station List: Houston TV guide

FM Stations

KSBJ ( 88.1 ) Christian music

KUHF ( 88.7 ) Jazz music and NPR affiliate

KJIC (89.3 ) Southern and country gospel music

KPFT ( 90.1 ) NPR affiliate

KTSU ( 90.9 ) Texas Southern University station

KACC ( 91.3 ) Alvin Community College station

KTRU ( 91.7 ) Rice University radio station

KKBQ (92.5 ) Contemporary hit radio-Top 40 ( Simulcast with KKBQ-AM )

KRLY ( 93.7 ) Contemporary music

KLEF ( 94.5 ) Classical music

KIKK ( 95.7 ) Country music

KSRR ( 96.5 ) Album-rock music ABC affiliate

KFMK ( 97.9 ) Adult contemporary music-oldies

KODA ( 99.1 ) Beautiful music station

KILT ( 100.3 ) Country music

KLOL ( 101.1 ) Album-rock music

KMJQ ( 102.1 ) Rhythm-jazz music

KQUE ( 102.9 ) Easy listing-oldies-big band

KRBE ( 104.1 ) Adult contemporary music

KFRD ( 104.9 ) Country music

KHCB ( 105.7 ) Christian radio station

KJOJ ( 106.9 ) Christian radio station

KGOL ( 107.3 ) Christian radio station

[Guest Marty]

August 7 1983

AM radio list

KILT ( 610 ) Country music

KIKK ( 650 ) Country music

KTRH ( 740 ) All news-talk station: CBS-MBS affiliate

KKBQ ( 790 ) Top-40 music

KEYH ( 850 ) Contemporary Spanish music

KYST ( 920 ) All Beatles Music Mutual affiliate

KPRC ( 950 ) News-talk NBC affiliate

KFRD ( 980 ) Country-Mexican-Czech-Polish music station

KLAT ( 1010 ) Spainish music

KRBE ( 1070 ) Contemporary music ABC affiliate

KACO ( 1090 ) Country-top 40 music MBS affiliate

KTEK ( 1110 ) Country music

KNUZ ( 1230 ) Vintage rock and roll-oldies: ABC affiliate

KXYZ ( 1320 ) Contemperary Spanish music

KBUK (1360 ) Country music

KCOH ( 1430 ) Soul music; NBN affiliate

KLVL ( 1480 ) Spanish music

KYOK ( 1590 ) Rhythm and blues-jazz

[Firebird65]

KYST ( 920 ) All Beatles Music Mutual affiliate

I remember that station. Talk about an interesting concept.