Re: [IRCA] Call letter change
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Re: [IRCA] Call letter change



Pete

KMO and KOL didn't change their calls directly to KKMO and KKOL. There were other calls in between. Here's what I'm able to dredge up from my memory banks.

KOL became KMPS in 1975, after it was purchased by the then owners of KRAK. I think it was simply a case of the owner wanting a different set of call letters that sort of spelled out the slogsn they were looking for, "Compass". The KMPS calls remained until 1997, when the format flipped from country to talk. The new owners probably wanted to get the legacy KOL calls back, but KKOL was the best they could do.

The second or third hand story I heard about KMO goes something like this. In the early 80s, KMOs owners were concerned about the station's low ratings, and thought it might be because listeners were getting KMO confused with KOMO (both calls had been used in the same market for 50-60 years at that point, so its not clear why that hadn't been a problem earlier). KMO's owner first applied for a call change to KOL, but the FCC turned them down, so they went with KAMT ("AM Tacoma"). I doubt if the ratings improved any.... After a series of different formats, the station eventually became KKMO and at some point after that adopted an all-Spanish format, even though the first two letters of are pronounced in Spanish like that naughty slang word, caca.

Bruce

Pete Taylor wrote:
Scott,

I question your statement. I do not think the buyers of KMO and KOL voluntarily relinquished those calls in favor of KKMO and KKOL. Also, you may remember that it took some sort of special plea for the owners of KKHJ to get the calls KHJ back. Would you compare these instances with your statement about WIL possibilities? Thanks.

Pete Taylor
Tacoma, WA

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