KFAQ
Encyclopedia
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station
in the Tulsa, Oklahoma
, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio
affiliate. It airs ABC newcasts along with local news from its own news department and partners with KOKI Fox 23 television for additional local news and weather coverage.
Other Tulsa radio stations owned by Journal include KVOO-FM and KXBL-FM.
. Rollestone, a young oil millionaire, had previously founded another station in Bristow known as KFRU
, which had already been sold to Stephens College
in Columbia, Missouri
.
KVOO was moved to Tulsa on September 13, 1927 after being partially purchased by William G. Skelly. Skelly later purchased the entire company on June 28, 1928. In 1933, radio legend Paul Harvey
began his radio career at KVOO.
From the 1970s until May 2002, the station was also known for its country music heritage, as well as being nationally famous for western swing
music, harboring such musicians as Bob Wills
and his Texas Playboys, Johnnie Lee Wills
and disc jockey Billy Parker
, who has won awards as country music disc jockey of the year. One of the places in Tulsa made famous by KVOO Radio was the Cain's Ballroom
, located on Tulsa's Main Street. Cain's Ballroom was the performing place for Bob Wills, and his show was broadcast on KVOO. In addition, KVOO sponsored The John Chick Show, a full hour of local country music talent on KTUL
-TV until 1979. This program broadcast at 7 a.m., and regularly beat out NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America in the local ratings (this was at a time when CBS had the Captain Kangaroo
kids show and had no morning news program).
In 1971 Billy Parker joined KVOO. While at the station, Parker's awards included the Country Music Association Disc Jockey of the Year honor in 1974 and the Academy of Country Music Disc Jockey of the Year awards in 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1984. Parker was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1992, the Western Swing Hall of Fame in 1993, and scored the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters' Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. The Interstate Road Show was also hosted on the station by veteran country DJ Larry Scott who is also in the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. The last live country show was broadcast by veteran Tulsa radio personality Bob O'Shea, who first worked at Big Country AM 1170 KVOO in 1979. He later rejoined KVOO AM in August 1999 and retired from radio June 26, 2006 after more than 34 years in radio.He recorded the entire program including commercials for posterity. The last three songs Mr. O'Shea played were by Billy Parker, Ray Benson & Asleep at the Wheel and Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys.
At midnight on May 15, 2002 KVOO changed to KFAQ with its current news/talk format. Most of the DJ's moved to co-owned KVOO-FM and that station added more classic country playing having a current/classic country playlist. In 2003 co-owned KXBL
flipped to classic country playing most of the music KVOO AM played and where Billy Parker is currently hosting a weekly show. KXBL is using the "Big Country" slogan, the slogan KVOO AM used when it was at its height.
The NBC
television affiliate in Tulsa, KJRH
, was also known as KVOO-TV for a period of time.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio is the radio service of ABC News, a division of the ABC Television Network. Formerly known as ABC Radio News, ABC News Radio feeds, through Cumulus Media Networks, newscasts on the hour to its more than 2,000 affiliates...
affiliate. It airs ABC newcasts along with local news from its own news department and partners with KOKI Fox 23 television for additional local news and weather coverage.
Other Tulsa radio stations owned by Journal include KVOO-FM and KXBL-FM.
History
Founded by E. H. Rollestone, KFAQ first went on the air on June 23, 1926 as KVOO, the Voice Of Oklahoma. At the time, the 1,000 watt transmission facility was located in Bristow, OklahomaBristow, Oklahoma
Bristow is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bristow is located at ....
. Rollestone, a young oil millionaire, had previously founded another station in Bristow known as KFRU
KFRU
KFRU is a radio station located in Columbia, Missouri, broadcasting with 1 kW of power. Its programming format consists primarily of news, talk and sports. The station is licensed to Cumulus Media.-History:...
, which had already been sold to Stephens College
Stephens College
Stephens College is a women's college located in Columbia, Missouri. It is the second oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college in the United States. It was founded on August 24, 1833 as the Columbia Female Academy. In 1856, David H. Hickman turned it into a college,...
in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
.
KVOO was moved to Tulsa on September 13, 1927 after being partially purchased by William G. Skelly. Skelly later purchased the entire company on June 28, 1928. In 1933, radio legend Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
began his radio career at KVOO.
From the 1970s until May 2002, the station was also known for its country music heritage, as well as being nationally famous for western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
music, harboring such musicians as Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
and his Texas Playboys, Johnnie Lee Wills
Johnnie Lee Wills
Johnnie Lee Wills was an American Western swing fiddler popular in the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Wills was born in Jewett, Texas, and was the younger brother of Bob Wills. He played banjo with Bob as a member of the Texas Playboys starting in 1934, the year the ensemble began playing on KVOO-AM...
and disc jockey Billy Parker
Billy Parker (singer)
Billy Parker is an American country music disc jockey and singer. Parker was named Disc Jockey of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1974 and by the Academy of Country Music in 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1984...
, who has won awards as country music disc jockey of the year. One of the places in Tulsa made famous by KVOO Radio was the Cain's Ballroom
Cain's Ballroom
Cain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, built in 1924 to serve as a garage for one of Tulsa's founders, Tate Brady. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it , where he charged 10¢ for dance lessons. The academy was the site of the Texas Playboys'...
, located on Tulsa's Main Street. Cain's Ballroom was the performing place for Bob Wills, and his show was broadcast on KVOO. In addition, KVOO sponsored The John Chick Show, a full hour of local country music talent on KTUL
KTUL
KTUL, virtual channel 8, is the ABC-affiliated television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, owned by Allbritton Communications Company. KTUL broadcasts from its studios on Lookout Mountain in west Tulsa...
-TV until 1979. This program broadcast at 7 a.m., and regularly beat out NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America in the local ratings (this was at a time when CBS had the Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
kids show and had no morning news program).
In 1971 Billy Parker joined KVOO. While at the station, Parker's awards included the Country Music Association Disc Jockey of the Year honor in 1974 and the Academy of Country Music Disc Jockey of the Year awards in 1975, 1977, 1978 and 1984. Parker was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1992, the Western Swing Hall of Fame in 1993, and scored the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters' Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. The Interstate Road Show was also hosted on the station by veteran country DJ Larry Scott who is also in the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame. The last live country show was broadcast by veteran Tulsa radio personality Bob O'Shea, who first worked at Big Country AM 1170 KVOO in 1979. He later rejoined KVOO AM in August 1999 and retired from radio June 26, 2006 after more than 34 years in radio.He recorded the entire program including commercials for posterity. The last three songs Mr. O'Shea played were by Billy Parker, Ray Benson & Asleep at the Wheel and Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys.
At midnight on May 15, 2002 KVOO changed to KFAQ with its current news/talk format. Most of the DJ's moved to co-owned KVOO-FM and that station added more classic country playing having a current/classic country playlist. In 2003 co-owned KXBL
KXBL
KXBL is a Classic Country station known as "Big Country 99.5.". Located in Henryetta, Oklahoma, it broadcasts to the Tulsa, Oklahoma area on 99.5 FM...
flipped to classic country playing most of the music KVOO AM played and where Billy Parker is currently hosting a weekly show. KXBL is using the "Big Country" slogan, the slogan KVOO AM used when it was at its height.
The NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television affiliate in Tulsa, KJRH
KJRH
KJRH-TV, virtual channel 2, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. KJRH broadcasts from its studios in the Brookside district in midtown Tulsa on South Peoria Avenue and its transmitter is located in Oneta, Oklahoma.The station...
, was also known as KVOO-TV for a period of time.
Current Monday to Friday Schedule
- 12-4am - Coast to Coast AM
- 4-5am - Wall Street This Morning
- 5-6am - America's Morning News
- 6-9am - Pat Campbell
- 9-12pm - Glenn Beck
- 12-2pm - America's Radio News
- 2-5pm - Jerry Doyle
- 5-8pm - Mark Levin
- 8-10pm - Michael Savage
- 10-12am - Laura Ingraham