KAAY
Encyclopedia
KAAY is a 50,000-watt, class-A AM radio station in Little Rock, Arkansas
, licensed on 1090 kHz.
was created from it in 1955, KTHS was sold to LIN Broadcasting, who turned it into a Top 40 station in 1962 under its present call sign. It has been a stalwart of Christian radio
since 1985, and has been owned by Cumulus Media
since its 2011 merger with Citadel Broadcasting
(which bought the station in 1998).
KAAY's cult status was forged in the late 1960s, when, after 11:00 each evening, the station abandoned the standard Top 40 format for three hours of underground music
with the program Beaker Street
hosted by Clyde Clifford
.http://www.todaysthv.com/news/search/results.aspx?storyid=14818
During the station's heyday, KAAY featured a full-service Top-40 format, and was the dominant station for most of the state of Arkansas. During the 1960s and 1970s, on-air personalities included Mike McCormick, Doc Holiday, Jonnie King, Buddy Karr, Ken Knight, Sonny Martin, newsman George J. Jennings, Wayne Moss, Phil North, and Ray Lincoln of the "Ray and Ram Program." The station also broadcast University of Arkansas football
games. Its nighttime signal extended well beyond Little Rock and Arkansas, covering much of the Great Plains
, North Central, and mid-south regions of the United States, leading to its sobriquet "The Mighty Ten Ninety." KAAY could be heard clearly at night in Key West, Florida, and as far to the northwest as Jamestown, North Dakota. It could also be heard late at night clearly as far south as Cozumel, Mexico. This radio station was a big inspiration to Cuban rock musicians and rock fans who listened Beaker Street every night to keep informed about American music and underground music in the 70's. They listened undercover with Soviet made transistor radios. In the late 1960s the jingle started out with roaring thunder followed by a deep voice...FIFTY THOUSAND WATTS OF MUSIC POWER K>>DOUBLE-A Y Little Rock.
By the 1980s, as music shifted to FM
, KAAY began to change direction. Aside from adult contemporary currents and some country music
, no tunes released past 1977
were being played since the station was now targeting baby boomers. Music was abandoned every night for up to nine hours of religious programming. The station abandoned the music format altogether in the mid-1980s, and underwent several changes in ownership. Since 1982, religious broadcasters have utilized KAAY's signal to spread messages nationwide. It was mainly a Southern gospel
station when it entered Christian radio in 1985, but it switched to contemporary Christian music
in 2000.
KAAY is among the most powerful AM Christian stations in the United States, with 50,000 watts of day and night power. After dark, its nighttime signal reaches over 12 states.
KAAY currently is a Christian Talk and Teaching Radio station.
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, licensed on 1090 kHz.
History
KAAY was founded as KTHS in 1924 in Hot Springs; it moved to Little Rock in 1953. After the TV station KTHVKTHV
KTHV , is the CBS network affiliate television station serving the Little Rock/Pine Bluff television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Gannett Company, which purchased the station in 1994...
was created from it in 1955, KTHS was sold to LIN Broadcasting, who turned it into a Top 40 station in 1962 under its present call sign. It has been a stalwart of Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
since 1985, and has been owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
since its 2011 merger with Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
(which bought the station in 1998).
KAAY's cult status was forged in the late 1960s, when, after 11:00 each evening, the station abandoned the standard Top 40 format for three hours of underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
with the program Beaker Street
Beaker Street
Beaker Street with Clyde Clifford was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station in the central US. Beaker Street began on Little Rock, Arkansas clear channel, 50,000 watt AM radio station KAAY late in 1966 and ran through 1972...
hosted by Clyde Clifford
Clyde Clifford
Dale Seidenschwarz, aka Clyde Clifford, is the host of Beaker Street, a weekly freeform rock radio program.Beaker Street, which first aired on clear channel KAAY AM 1090 from 1966 through 1972, was the first underground music program broadcast regularly on a commercial AM radio station...
.http://www.todaysthv.com/news/search/results.aspx?storyid=14818
During the station's heyday, KAAY featured a full-service Top-40 format, and was the dominant station for most of the state of Arkansas. During the 1960s and 1970s, on-air personalities included Mike McCormick, Doc Holiday, Jonnie King, Buddy Karr, Ken Knight, Sonny Martin, newsman George J. Jennings, Wayne Moss, Phil North, and Ray Lincoln of the "Ray and Ram Program." The station also broadcast University of Arkansas football
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
games. Its nighttime signal extended well beyond Little Rock and Arkansas, covering much of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
, North Central, and mid-south regions of the United States, leading to its sobriquet "The Mighty Ten Ninety." KAAY could be heard clearly at night in Key West, Florida, and as far to the northwest as Jamestown, North Dakota. It could also be heard late at night clearly as far south as Cozumel, Mexico. This radio station was a big inspiration to Cuban rock musicians and rock fans who listened Beaker Street every night to keep informed about American music and underground music in the 70's. They listened undercover with Soviet made transistor radios. In the late 1960s the jingle started out with roaring thunder followed by a deep voice...FIFTY THOUSAND WATTS OF MUSIC POWER K>>DOUBLE-A Y Little Rock.
By the 1980s, as music shifted to FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
, KAAY began to change direction. Aside from adult contemporary currents and some country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, no tunes released past 1977
1977 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977.-January–February:*January 1 – The Clash headline the gala opening of the London music club, The Roxy....
were being played since the station was now targeting baby boomers. Music was abandoned every night for up to nine hours of religious programming. The station abandoned the music format altogether in the mid-1980s, and underwent several changes in ownership. Since 1982, religious broadcasters have utilized KAAY's signal to spread messages nationwide. It was mainly a Southern gospel
Southern Gospel
Southern Gospel music—at one time also known as "quartet music"—is music whose lyrics are written to express either personal or a communal faith regarding biblical teachings and Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music...
station when it entered Christian radio in 1985, but it switched to contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
in 2000.
KAAY is among the most powerful AM Christian stations in the United States, with 50,000 watts of day and night power. After dark, its nighttime signal reaches over 12 states.
KAAY currently is a Christian Talk and Teaching Radio station.