Radio

After tuning to 1460 on their AM dials for ten years to hear KADY, listeners heard a total identity change in July of 1968.

The studios were located in a small building in Boschertown, near St. Charles. New owners Mike Rice and his father changed the format from easy listening music to Top 40, pointing out that the old format had not only been unsuccessful; the KADY owners had actually declared bankruptcy in 1965.The Rices targeted listeners who were between 18 and 34 years old, competing directly against longtime powerhouse KXOK.

KIRL was sold in 1979 to Bronco Broadcasting, whose investors included several pro sports figures. It was the first black-owned radio station in the market. Upon completion of the sale, the format was changed to gospel music. 

Crawford Broadcasting purchased KXOK in late 1993. By May of the following year, the call letters were changed to KJSL, with a format described as “Talk Radio Hell Hates.”

Completion of the staff of KSTL, new 1,000 watt station on 690kc in St. Louis, Mo., was announced this week by General Manager Frank E. Pellegrin. The station expects to take the air June 1.

Studios and offices of KSTL are in the American Hotel, 7th Street at Market, St. Louis. The transmitter and tower are at 999 South 6th Street, East St. Louis, Ill. Raytheon transmitting and studio equipment and a 352 foot Wincharged tower are in use.

Program policy calls for KSTL to be “the good music station for St. Louis,” Pellegrin said. Pointing out that the station will carry no hillbilly or “hot jive” programs, he added that “at the other extreme we will not be too high-brow or long-hair. We intend, however, to program the station chiefly with good ‘middle-of-the-road’ music, with accent on melody rather than novelty.”

The station will also feature a “less yakity yak” policy, he said. “We will not have any disc jockeys as such. Our announcers will introduce the programs and musical numbers with a minimum of chatter.”

A series of “salute” broadcasts from other stations throughout the country and from national, state and local dignitaries is planned for the opening day’s ceremonies.

(Originally published in the St. Louis Advertising Club Weekly 5/31/1948).

In a short-lived, unsuccessful effort at increasing the station’s bottom line, owner Richard Miller revamped KADI-AM in July of 1978, removing the album-oriented format and replacing it with pop music and christening the station KKOJ – “OJ-13, Turn on the Juice.” The effort lasted a little more than a year, when the KADI call letters returned.

Radio Station KXOK has purchased a 2 1/2 acre tract in midtown St. Louis as the new site of its studios and offices. To be known as “Radio Park,” the location fronts on the east side of Kingshighway Memorial Boulevard facing Sherman Park, and extends from Warwick Avenue on the north to Aldine Place on the south.

A two-story brick, concrete and steel office building on the property which contains over ten thousand square feet of floor space is being completely remodeled to provide new and larger quarters for the KXOK studios and offices.

The plans provide for engineering, program and continuity departments, studios, control rooms, news room, music library and business office on the first floor, and sales, traffic and executive offices on the second floor.

(Originally published in the Ad Club Weekly 8/8/1955). 

In 1974, KKSS came to life on the FM band at 107.7 mHz., owned by the Amaturo Group. With a lively, pop format, the station established itself in the market. Seeing an opening in formats, management segued to disco, and finally, a popular Black format. With power increased to 100 KW in 1977, commercial success continued. Station call letters were changed to KMJM in January, 1980.