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KONO (AM)
KONO (860 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in San Antonio, Texas. The station is owned by Cox Media Group, and airs a business news/talk radio format. KONO's studios are located in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas Medical Center complex. The transmitter site with two towers is located on Creekview Drive, near the Salado Creek Greenway and Interstate 35.
KONO broadcasts with 5,000 watts, with a non-directional signal by day. Because AM 860 is a clear channel frequency reserved for CJBC in Toronto, KONO reduces power at night to 900 watts, using a directional antenna, to avoid interfering with other stations.
KONO is the fourth-oldest radio station in San Antonio. It was first licensed, as KGRC, on January 17, 1927, to Gene Roth & Company. On January 24, 1930, the station changed its call letters to KONO.
The station began as a hobby for Eugene Roth in a room over his garage in downtown San Antonio. As the broadcasting industry grew, Eugene Roth's son, Jack, began working with his dad, later inheriting the station. At first, it only transmitted with 100 watts of power, broadcasting on 1370 kilocycles and having to share time on the air with other stations. It later moved to AM 1400 before relocating to its current home on AM 860.
In February 1947, an FM station was added, KONO-FM at 92.9 MHz. (The FM station later took the call sign KITY and is currently KROM.) Eugene Roth served as the president of Mission Broadcasting, while Jack was the station's general manager.
In the 1950s, KONO's format was country & western music. In 1957, Mission Broadcasting put KONO-TV (now KSAT-TV) on the air. It was San Antonio's third television station, an ABC Network affiliate.
In the 1960s and 70s, KONO, "The Big 86," was one of the leading Top 40 stations in San Antonio. Some of the on air personnel were Howard Edwards, Don Couser, Woody Roberts, Skinny Don Green, Lee 'Baby' Simms, Dave Mitchell, Johnny Shannon, Charlie Scott, Nick St John and Frank Jolley. KONO won national awards in the 60s for its popularity and creativity. In 1965, Bob Pearson and Howard Edwards were selected as two of the top radio personalities in the country. KONO and its sister station KITY would remain at 317 Arden Grove, attached to the KSAT-TV building, until the early 1990s, when they moved to a location on NE Loop 410.
In the 1970s, KONO and KTSA battled in the Top 40 format. Although KONO's more recurrent-based style frequently played second-fiddle to the more current-oriented KTSA, it continued to do well. The two stations provided a nice 1-2 punch that made WOAI regret its brief flirtation with the top-40 format in the mid-'70s. The two also ran AM/FM simulcast KQAM/KSAQ (“Q-100”) out of the format after a few years.
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KONO (AM)
KONO (860 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in San Antonio, Texas. The station is owned by Cox Media Group, and airs a business news/talk radio format. KONO's studios are located in Northwest San Antonio near the South Texas Medical Center complex. The transmitter site with two towers is located on Creekview Drive, near the Salado Creek Greenway and Interstate 35.
KONO broadcasts with 5,000 watts, with a non-directional signal by day. Because AM 860 is a clear channel frequency reserved for CJBC in Toronto, KONO reduces power at night to 900 watts, using a directional antenna, to avoid interfering with other stations.
KONO is the fourth-oldest radio station in San Antonio. It was first licensed, as KGRC, on January 17, 1927, to Gene Roth & Company. On January 24, 1930, the station changed its call letters to KONO.
The station began as a hobby for Eugene Roth in a room over his garage in downtown San Antonio. As the broadcasting industry grew, Eugene Roth's son, Jack, began working with his dad, later inheriting the station. At first, it only transmitted with 100 watts of power, broadcasting on 1370 kilocycles and having to share time on the air with other stations. It later moved to AM 1400 before relocating to its current home on AM 860.
In February 1947, an FM station was added, KONO-FM at 92.9 MHz. (The FM station later took the call sign KITY and is currently KROM.) Eugene Roth served as the president of Mission Broadcasting, while Jack was the station's general manager.
In the 1950s, KONO's format was country & western music. In 1957, Mission Broadcasting put KONO-TV (now KSAT-TV) on the air. It was San Antonio's third television station, an ABC Network affiliate.
In the 1960s and 70s, KONO, "The Big 86," was one of the leading Top 40 stations in San Antonio. Some of the on air personnel were Howard Edwards, Don Couser, Woody Roberts, Skinny Don Green, Lee 'Baby' Simms, Dave Mitchell, Johnny Shannon, Charlie Scott, Nick St John and Frank Jolley. KONO won national awards in the 60s for its popularity and creativity. In 1965, Bob Pearson and Howard Edwards were selected as two of the top radio personalities in the country. KONO and its sister station KITY would remain at 317 Arden Grove, attached to the KSAT-TV building, until the early 1990s, when they moved to a location on NE Loop 410.
In the 1970s, KONO and KTSA battled in the Top 40 format. Although KONO's more recurrent-based style frequently played second-fiddle to the more current-oriented KTSA, it continued to do well. The two stations provided a nice 1-2 punch that made WOAI regret its brief flirtation with the top-40 format in the mid-'70s. The two also ran AM/FM simulcast KQAM/KSAQ (“Q-100”) out of the format after a few years.