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KBME (AM)
Encyclopedia
KBME AM is a sports-talk radio station in the Houston, Texas
metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
. The station airs local sports-talk every weekday from 6am until 9pm and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio
programming.
, The Motion Picture) with Captain James T. Shmirk, his trusted Lt. Bones and their weird little robot, ACDC. In early 1983, Gannet Publishing (USA Today), through its broadcast subsidiary, bought the station, announced to the employees that were left (S&P had left for Dallas before the sale), on what was called Black Friday, that everyone was fired as of the following Monday and relaunched it as the top 40 station KKBQ (79Q). John Lander, program director, ran the morning show, called the Q-Zoo and took the station to the top of the Houston ratings after one rating period - a feat unheard of for an AM music station in the 1980s. KKBQ was among the first stations in the city to broadcast in AM stereo
; originally using the KAHN system and then later switching to the Motorola CQUAM system.
AM 79Q and KKBQ-FM
(93Q) simulcast until the late 1990s. At that point, the AM station became adult standards
790 KBME (for "Best Music Ever"), branded as "Star 790 KBME". In 2004, the station flipped to an all sports station, as "790 ESPN Radio
, the Sports Animal." In October 2006, ESPN, which wanted to begin affiliating with FM stations in some markets, signed an affiliation deal with KFNC, 97.5FM, owned by Cumulus Media
. The new affiliation began in January 2007. At that point, Clear Channel dropped the ESPN name and all its network programming; today, the lineup is a mix of local shows and programs from Fox Sports Radio
.
Play-by-play coverage includes Houston Cougars football and basketball
, Texas A&M Aggies
& some Texas Tech sporting events, games from the Westwood One
, games from Sports USA Radio Network
and ESPN Radio networks, and the Houston Dynamo
of Major League Soccer
. In addition, many Houston Astros
spring training
games from Florida
are aired on KBME instead of on the flagship station, sister KTRH.
In late 2009 the station launched "Matt & Adam in the Morning" airing 6-10am with Matt Jackson and Adam Wexler, who each moved over from KILT_AM in December 2009 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6746190.html. In the fall of 2011, the station added another hour to the morning show, launching "The Big Show" which now also featured Lance Zierlein.
Daily Programming Schedule
"The Big Show" with Adam Wexler, Matt Jackson & Lance Zierlein airs from 6-11am. Following them is "The Mighty Gwinn" with Dylan Gwinn from 11-noon, then "The Matt Thomas Show" with Matt Thomas airs 12-3pm. That's followed by "The Drive Home" with Charlie Pallilo
, and The Doug Pike Show (Weekends). KBME is an affiliate of FOX Sports Radio.
Previous hosts include Brad Davies, Carl Dukes, Ted Deluca, John Lopez, David Dalati, Tom Franklin.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. The station airs local sports-talk every weekday from 6am until 9pm and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
programming.
History
The station first went on the air as KTHT in 1944. It moved from the Class C channel (1,000 watts) 1230 kHz to the current Class B (5,000 watts) frequency of 790 kHz in 1948. During the 1960s, KTHT was known as "Demand Radio 79", playing pop music. In the early 1970s, it became adult contemporary KULF, hosting some great radio personalities like Stevens and Pruett in the early 1980s. Stevens and Pruett had formerly been on KILT 610AM as the last Hudson and Harrigan team before KILT's switch to country. S&P brought to KULF their "Not ready for Drive time Players" and their daily short production of "Star Trots" (modeled after Star TrekStar Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, The Motion Picture) with Captain James T. Shmirk, his trusted Lt. Bones and their weird little robot, ACDC. In early 1983, Gannet Publishing (USA Today), through its broadcast subsidiary, bought the station, announced to the employees that were left (S&P had left for Dallas before the sale), on what was called Black Friday, that everyone was fired as of the following Monday and relaunched it as the top 40 station KKBQ (79Q). John Lander, program director, ran the morning show, called the Q-Zoo and took the station to the top of the Houston ratings after one rating period - a feat unheard of for an AM music station in the 1980s. KKBQ was among the first stations in the city to broadcast in AM stereo
AM stereo
AM stereo is a term given to a series of mutually incompatible techniques for wireless radio broadcasting stereo audio in the AM band in a manner that is compatible with standard AM receivers...
; originally using the KAHN system and then later switching to the Motorola CQUAM system.
AM 79Q and KKBQ-FM
KKBQ-FM
KKBQ-FM, "The New 93Q", is a Houston-based Radio station with a country music format. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. The station is owned by Cox Radio and is part of the Houston Radio cluster including KGLK, KHPT & KTHT. KKBQ has been nominated twice for Country Music...
(93Q) simulcast until the late 1990s. At that point, the AM station became adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
790 KBME (for "Best Music Ever"), branded as "Star 790 KBME". In 2004, the station flipped to an all sports station, as "790 ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
, the Sports Animal." In October 2006, ESPN, which wanted to begin affiliating with FM stations in some markets, signed an affiliation deal with KFNC, 97.5FM, 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...
. The new affiliation began in January 2007. At that point, Clear Channel dropped the ESPN name and all its network programming; today, the lineup is a mix of local shows and programs from Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
.
Play-by-play coverage includes Houston Cougars football and basketball
Houston Cougars
Houston Cougars is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football...
, Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
& some Texas Tech sporting events, games from the Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
, games from Sports USA Radio Network
Sports USA Radio Network
The Sports USA Radio Network is the largest independent nationwide sports broadcasting radio network, specializing in live broadcasts of American football, specifically of the NCAA football Division I-A and National Football League...
and ESPN Radio networks, and the Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. In addition, many Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
games from Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
are aired on KBME instead of on the flagship station, sister KTRH.
In late 2009 the station launched "Matt & Adam in the Morning" airing 6-10am with Matt Jackson and Adam Wexler, who each moved over from KILT_AM in December 2009 http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/6746190.html. In the fall of 2011, the station added another hour to the morning show, launching "The Big Show" which now also featured Lance Zierlein.
Daily Programming Schedule
"The Big Show" with Adam Wexler, Matt Jackson & Lance Zierlein airs from 6-11am. Following them is "The Mighty Gwinn" with Dylan Gwinn from 11-noon, then "The Matt Thomas Show" with Matt Thomas airs 12-3pm. That's followed by "The Drive Home" with Charlie Pallilo
Charlie Pallilo
Charles Pallilo grew up in Bayport on Long Island, New York Through high school, Charlie was a competitive tennis player, but he realized at an early age that this was not in his future....
, and The Doug Pike Show (Weekends). KBME is an affiliate of FOX Sports Radio.
Previous hosts include Brad Davies, Carl Dukes, Ted Deluca, John Lopez, David Dalati, Tom Franklin.