KKBQ-FM

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KKBQ
City of license	Pasadena, Texas
Broadcast area	Greater Houston
Branding	The New 93Q
Frequency	92.9 MHz
Format	Country
Callsign meaning	The Q in KKBQ is used in 93Q branding
Owner	Cox Enterprises

KKBQ, "The New 93Q", is a Houston-based Radio station with a country music format. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. Owned by Cox Radio, Inc and is part of the Houston Radio cluster including KHPT, KHTC, & KTHT.

Contents 1 History 2 Rivalry with KRBE 3 The 90s 4 The 2000s 5 Current Talent 6 Former Jocks 7 Moniker History 8 Former Callsigns 9 External link

[edit] History

On July 2, 1982, The New 79Q, launched on 790AM KULF with a Top 40 format. The morning show was comprised of John Lander and the Q-Morning Zoo and proved to be an instant success. The station acquired the KKBQ callsign on August 13, 1982.

The station's owners decided to move the format to KYND (92.5 FM), which ran a "beautiful music" format as KIND 92. The station was starting to flounder as many baby boomers who were eventually being phased into the workforce could not tolerate "elevator music" while they worked.

On December 29, 1982, at 6:00 A.M. CST, "Houston's Stereo Combination" was born (a term coined by morning host John Lander) as KYND became "The New 93KBQ", simulcasting on KKBQ-AM . The FM acquired the KKBQ-FM call letters two months later in February of 1983 and in October was moved to 92.9 FM, to make room for a new station signing on at 92.1fm. For a time the AM would run the morning show live from the FM and the rest of the dayparts would run the same playlist but slightly delayed and would run identical IDs, promos, jock announcements customized for the AM. This continued until the late 80s when it became a full time simulcast.

[edit] Rivalry with KRBE

In late 1984, 104.1 KRBE dropped its Adult Contemporary format and flipped back to top 40/CHR as "Power 104" and went head to head with KKBQ throughout the remainder of the 1980s.

In mid-1987, KRBE-FM took a lean towards dance and began weekend mixshows called "The Friday and Saturday Night Power Mix". To counter, KKBQ began its own weekend mixshow, Club 93Q. In January of 1988, KRBE retaliated by going on location with The Saturday Night Power Mix to a nightclub with the house DJ mixing live on the air. KKBQ scrambled for the next five months to find a club to host a live mixshow. On May 29, 1988, KKBQ launched its first ever weekly live broadcast. It was called "93Q Live On the Cutting Edge from Club 6400. It was different and was nothing like KRBE was doing or ever heard on the radio for that matter, the name said it all, it was cutting edge. KRBE's show was top 40 oriented and leaned towards an older crowd, its club was 21 and up, whereas KKBQ's was an 18 plus crowd, 6400 did not allow top 40 hits and played a mix of industrial, EBM, new wave, goth, synth-pop and Hi-NRG dance. It was an instant and huge hit. (Let it be known that KRBE's show was the first to play some of the music that 6400 became known for). KKBQ beat KRBE at its own game and it set the standard for future mixshows on both stations as well as others. 6400 remains the more memorable of the two mixshows to this day in Houston. "6400 music" has even become a single term for the genre of music the club played. Say that to a Houstonian in their late 20s to early 40s and they know exactly what your talking about.

[edit] The 90s

By 1990 the CHR formatics began to lose its luster. In early 1991, KRBE took the CHR format in a new direction which spelled trouble for KKBQ. On the morning of September 19, 1991 at 6am, KKBQ flipped to soft country as "92.9 Easy Country". One year later relaunching as "93Q Country - Fresh Country Hits", playing current country hits with a top 40/CHR station sound, in fact even recycling some of the jingles, laser sound effects, stingers and music beds from the CHR format. The new morning show was Dave E. Crockett (Steven Craig formerly of Z95 (WYTZ-FM) Chicago) and Nancy Alexander, a hold-over. Harley Colt handled middays while afternoon drive was taken over by "Cactus Jack" Tally (Formerly Jack Da-Wack of Z100 New York). Shotgun Charlie Walker handled nights. During the 93Q Country hayday, which spanned from 1992 to 1998, the station won The CMA Major Market Radio Station of the Year 4 years running and the Billboard Major Market Station once under program director Dene Hallam.

[edit] The 2000s

The station is now part of the Cox Radio Houston cluster, purchased from AM/FM-Clear Channel as a result of their merger in mid-2000. Cox Radio relaunched KKBQ as "The New 93Q" with slogan "52 Minutes of Q Country Every Hour". "The Q-Morning Zoo" title has returned to the morning show.

Since becoming a contemporary country outlet, KKBQ has remained a heavy competitor to heritage country station, KILT, even topping them in the Arbitron ratings numerous times. A feat that was previously unheard of.

[edit] Current Talent

• The New Q-Morning Zoo
  • Tim Tuttle (formerly of WRAX/Birmingham "107-7 the X" Tuttle and Kline mornings)
  • Kevin Kline (formerly of WRAX/Birmingham "107-7 the X" Tuttle and Kline mornings)
  • Jenny Law (recently of KVST/Conroe "K-Star Country 99.7")

• Middays - 10am-3pm
  • Christi Brooks

• Afternoons - 3pm-7pm
  • "Cactus" Jack Tally (formerly of WHTZ/Newark "Z-100")

• Evenings - 7pm-midnight
  • Lia (syndicated)

• Overnights - Midnight-5am
  • Jake Stewart

• Weekend shows
  • Live from Tumbleweed Texas with Tim Tuttle (Saturdays, 10pm-1am)

[edit] Former Jocks

• Top 40/CHR era
  • John Lander (currently on WBMX/Boston "Mix 98-5")
  • Dave E. Crockett currently on dxsradio.com
  • Jackie Robbins
  • Cleat Dumpster
  • John Rio (also the voice of Mr. Leonard)
  • Lou Lou "The Panther of Love" Walters
  • Cat Summers (Tom Entwistle) was also station mascot "The Tookie Bird")(djtom.cc)
  • Dave Shay
  • "Brad Edwards" Claude Hooten
  • Archer
  • CC McCartney
  • Hollywood Henderson
  • Ron Parker (recently of KLDE/KHTC)
  • Barry Kaye (currently on KVST/Conroe)
  • Gary Michael Knight (currently on KHTC)
  • "Easy" Randy Street (debuted as "the Unknown DJ")
  • Blake Lawrence
  • Bob King
  • "Shadow Stevens"
  • Chris Kelly (previously of "Power 104" KRBE)
  • Chris Allen (The Vanilla Gorilla)
  • Dade Moore
  • Michael Hayes
  • Crusin' Susan Wise
  • "Boomer" (aka John Paul West, later at KHMX)
  • "Jammer" Joe Kelley
  • "Kid Cannon" John Gray
  • Mark Landis (recently of KJXK/San Antonio)
  • Eric Chase (previously of "Power 104" KRBE)
  • Dave Thompson
  • Rosie Chance
  • Cleveland Wheeler (The New Q Morning Zoo 1990-1991) previously of "Q105" WRBQ/Tampa
  • T.R. Campbell (The New Q Morning Zoo 1990-1991) previously of "Q105" WRBQ/Tampa
  • Nancy Alexander (The New Q Morning Zoo 1990-1991) previously of ""Q105" WRBQ/Tampa
  • Lupe Casarez
  • Elliot Segal (currently on WWDC DC101)
  • Smokin Joe (Joe Pogge)
  • Tony "The Wild Child" Hamilton
  • Bill Taylor
  • Dr. Dave (Dave Kolin)

[edit] Moniker History

• 93KBQ (1982-1983)
• 93FM (1983-1985)
• Hot Hits 93Q (1985-1987)
• Hot 93Q (1987-1988)
• 93Q (1988-1991)
• Houston's Rock Hits 93Q (stunt) (August 1991-September 1991)
• 92.9 Easy Country (September 1991-September 1992)
• 93Q Country (September 1992-2000) Fresh Country Hits
• The New 93Q (2000-present) 52 Minutes of Q-Country Every Hour

[edit] Former Callsigns

• KLVL
• KYND

(both previously at 92.5)

[edit] External link

• The New 93Q
• Listen to the debut of KKBQ-FM from 1982!
• Listen to the KKBQ flip to Easy Country
• Top 40/KKBQ Legal ID from 1983
• Country/KKBQ Legal ID from 2006