KIOC
Encyclopedia
KIOC is an active rock
formatted radio station
in Beaumont, Texas
. It serves the entire Golden Triangle region and is owned by Clear Channel
.
's country music
format after GulfStar sold the former 93.3, KYKR's home for decades to Tichenor Broadcasting who wanted to use it as a Houston station, leaving K106 as Southeast Texas' CHR
standard bearer. In 1993, K106 moved in a rock-based top 40 direction, using the slogan "all rock, no rap." After briefly taking on an alternative
format and returning to Top 40 as "Hot 106" in the mid-90s, KIOC became "Big Dog 106" in 1997.
Former DJ's on the station included Steven Wild The Love Child, Mark Landis & The Nut Hut, Derek Hayes, Angel Sonnier, Jack "Dangerous" Daniels, Slade Ham
, Chris Chambers, and Kurt Kruzer.
In 2009
, KIOC adopted Clear Channel
's Premium Choice active rock
format, becoming musically identical outside of morning drive to several of its rock and alternative sister stations.
Ironically, the 95.1 and 106.1 frequencies, which were once bitter rivals, are now co-owned.
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
formatted radio station
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 Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
. It serves the entire Golden Triangle region and is owned by Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
.
History
Originally, 106.1 (K106) was built and signed on the mid to late 1970s (1977 or 78). Programming was the Drake Chenault CHR / Top40 format. Its one and only antenna site has been on the side of the Channel 4 (KJAC, now KBTV) tower in Vidor, Texas, making 106.1 the highest FM (~1000ft) in the immediate Golden Triangle (not counting the rimshots to the west trying to program for the Houston market). During the 1980s, KIOC as "K106", locked in a fierce battle with crosstown Top 40 KZZB ("B95"). In 1991, B95 went silent after its new owner bankrupted it. Gulf Star (owned by Steven Hicks of the Hicks Broadcast family from Beaumont) bought the silent 95.1 and eventually took on KYKR-FMKYKR-FM
KYKR is a radio station broadcasting an Country format. Licensed to Beaumont, Texas, it serves the Beaumont/Port Arthur metropolitan area. It first began broadcasting at 93.3 FM under the current call sign. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:For many years,...
's 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...
format after GulfStar sold the former 93.3, KYKR's home for decades to Tichenor Broadcasting who wanted to use it as a Houston station, leaving K106 as Southeast Texas' CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
standard bearer. In 1993, K106 moved in a rock-based top 40 direction, using the slogan "all rock, no rap." After briefly taking on an alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
format and returning to Top 40 as "Hot 106" in the mid-90s, KIOC became "Big Dog 106" in 1997.
Former DJ's on the station included Steven Wild The Love Child, Mark Landis & The Nut Hut, Derek Hayes, Angel Sonnier, Jack "Dangerous" Daniels, Slade Ham
Slade Ham
Slade Ham is a comedian and radio personality from Beaumont, Texas. Ham has toured the United States and twenty two countries overseas through the USO program, and was formerly the owner of the comedy club Comedy, TX in Beaumont.Aside from comedy, Ham is part of the ensemble cast of the Outlaw...
, Chris Chambers, and Kurt Kruzer.
In 2009
2009 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2009.- Events :* January 1: Kurdish TV starts broadcasting in Turkey.* January: Michael Smerconish, morning host at talk radio WPHT Philadelphia, begins syndication of his morning show to WHFS in Washington and WOR in New York City.* January 17: Two well...
, KIOC adopted Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
's Premium Choice active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
format, becoming musically identical outside of morning drive to several of its rock and alternative sister stations.
Ironically, the 95.1 and 106.1 frequencies, which were once bitter rivals, are now co-owned.