KHPT (106.9 FM broadcasting, "Houston's Eagle @ 106.9 & 107.5") is a classic rock-formatted radio station licensed to Conroe, Texas, which simulcasts KGLK (107.5 FM). It is owned by Urban One, and is part of a five station Houston cluster that also includes KGLK, KBXX, KKBQ and KMJQ. It is headquartered in Suite 2300 at 3 Post Oak Central in the Uptown Houston district in Houston.[" Contact Us ." KHPT. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.][" Uptown District Map ." Uptown Houston District. Retrieved on January 30, 2009.] KHPT's transmitter is located in Splendora, Texas, once shared with KSBJ.
Between KHPT and KGLK, "The Eagle" covers more square miles than any station in southeast Texas.
History
KNRO-FM
The station began broadcasting on February 14, 1965, with the call letters KNRO-FM.
In 1968, the station began operating 24 hours a day, having previously signed off at midnight.
[" KNRO in New Format", Billboard. August 10, 1968. p. 23. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] In the early 1970s, the station aired a contemporary hits format.
[ 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1972. p. B-202. Retrieved August 17, 2018.][ 1974 Broadcasting Yearbook, Broadcasting, 1974. p. B-203. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] By 1975, the station had adopted a MOR format.
[ Broadcasting Yearbook 1975, Broadcasting, 1975. p. C-183. Retrieved August 17, 2018.]
First religious era
In 1978, the station was sold
Jimmy Swaggart Evangelistic Association for $803,750.
[" Changing Hands", Broadcasting, April 17, 1978. p. 53. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] The station's call sign was changed to KMCV, and the station adopted a
religious radio format.
[ Broadcasting Yearbook 1980, Broadcasting, 1980. p. C-220. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] In 1981, the station's call sign was changed to KJOJ, and contemporary Christian music was replaced with southern Gospel music.
[Bornstein, Rollye (1987). Mediatrix Market Profile: Houston. Vol. 1. No. 8. pp. 56, 157. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] The station also aired brokered religious programming.
The slogan for KJOJ was "Houston's Joy of Jesus."
During the 1980s, hosts of the station's southern Gospel programming included Bert Salas, Mike Sheeran, and Lyle Countryman.
In 1989, the station was sold to Six Chiefs Company for $8 million.[ Public Notice Comment, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2018.][" Ownership Changes", Broadcasting, August 7, 1989. p. 86. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] The station would go on to air a contemporary Christian format, as part of a simulcast with KJOJ-FM in Freeport, Texas.[" KJOJ Becomes NAC KJZS", Radio & Records. January 11, 1991. p. 26. Retrieved August 17, 2018.]
Early 1990s formats
On December 25, 1990, the call sign KJOJ moved from 106.9 to 103.3 in Freeport, and the station's call sign was changed to KJZS.
[Unmacht, Robert. " Call Letter Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 7, No. 52. January 24, 1990. p. 4. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] The station adopted a new AC / smooth jazz format.
[Unmacht, Robert. " Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 8, No. 1. January 7, 1991. p. 2. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] In March 1992, the station's call sign was changed to KKHU, and it became "You 106.9", airing a
hot talk/
oldies hybrid format.
[Westbrook, Bruce. "KJZS jettisons jazz, changes to talk radio", The Houston Chronicle, February 28, 1992.][Unmacht, Robert. " Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 9, No. 10. March 9, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved August 18, 2018.][" Street Talk", Radio & Records, September 4, 1992. p. 30. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] In September 1992, the station's call sign was changed to KKZR and the station became "Z-Rock 106.9", airing ABC Radio Networks' satellite-fed
Z-Rock network from Dallas.
[Unmacht, Robert. " Format Changes", The M Street Journal. Vol. 9, No. 36. September 9, 1992. p. 1. Retrieved August 18, 2018.][Parks, Louis B. "KKHU cans staff, format", The Houston Chronicle, August 27, 1992.][Parks, Louis B. "This time FM station chooses hard-rock music format", The Houston Chronicle, September 5, 1992.]
The Word
In early 1995, the station was purchased by Salem Communications, a company that specializes in Christian radio stations, for $12 million.
[Stark, Phyllis. " Vox Jox", Billboard. November 19, 1994. p. 81. Retrieved August 18, 2018.][ Application Search Details, fcc.gov. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] In March 1995, the station adopted a Christian talk and teaching format, airing programming such as
Truth for Life with Alistair Begg,
In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley,
Focus on the Family with James Dobson, and
Janet Parshall's America.
[" Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 12 No. 11. March 15, 1995. p. 2. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] The station was branded "The Word".
In 1998, Salem Communications built a new 1,928 foot tower for the station, in Splendora.
[Carroll, Chris. " Houston Press acquires Public News assets as alternative folds", Houston Business Journal. July 19, 1998. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] It was the tallest religious broadcasting tower in the world at the time.
In 2000, Salem sold the station to
Cox Radio, and in return received
WFSH-FM in Atlanta, Georgia,
KLUP in San Antonio, Texas, and
WTWD in Plant City, Florida.
[Turner, Missy. " Who can it be now? Cox turns to '80s hits to respin KKHT format", Houston Business Journal. October 15, 2000. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] "The Word" signed off at Midnight on September 28, 2000, and moved to 1070 AM.
[" 106.9 KKHT becomes 80's "The Point" KHPT", Format Change Archive. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] (The Word now airs on
KKHT-FM.)
[ 100.7 FM The Word, KKHT-FM. Retrieved August 18, 2018.]
The Point
106.9 then began stunting with a countdown and with monikers saying "MP3 Radio" and "Radio Free Houston".
In addition, the station also filed for the KZJZ call letters, which led to rumors stating that the station may return to its former
smooth jazz format. On October 4, 2000, KKHT's callsign was officially changed to KZJZ
and "Jazzy 106.9" signed on with
Kenny G's "Songbird".
However, this was only a ruse, as seconds later, "106-9 The Point" signed on, with an all-'80s hits format, playing
Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)".
[" Format Changes & Updates", The M Street Journal. Vol. 17 No. 40. October 4, 2000. p. 2. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] The call letters changed to KHPT on October 17, 2000.
The Zone
At 6 a.m. on November 8, 2010, KHPT changed its format to classic
alternative rock (with a 1980s and 1990s centric playlist) as "106-9 The Zone".
[Venta, Lance. " 106.9 The Zone Debuts in Houston", Radio Insight. November 8, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2018.] The final song on "The Point" was
Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive", while first song on "The Zone" was
Foo Fighters' "Learn to Fly".
In January 2011, KHPT's format shifted to refocus on 1990s alternative rock, also adding some titles from the 2000s, with its slogan changed from "106.9 The Zone, Alternative Hits From the '80s & '90s" to "106.9 The Zone, Houston's Best Alternative Hits."
[" KHPT Shifts To 'Houston's Best Alternative Hits'", All Access Music Group. January 28, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2018.]
The Eagle simulcast
On June 20, 2011, KHPT began simulcasting sister station
KGLK's
classic rock format as "The Eagle".
[" Cox Houston Changes In The Works", All Access Music Group. June 17, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2018.][Venta, Lance. " 107.5 The Eagle Houston To Simulcast On 106.9", Radio Insight. June 20, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2018.] This was due to "The Zone" having low ratings, consistently ranging from a 0.3-1.5 share of the market.
Not long afterwards, the previous 1980s-oriented adult hits format, along with "The Point" branding, was revived on the HD2 sub-channel, replacing "Pat FM", a jockless 1980s and 1990s-shifted alternative format not unlike the franchised
Bob FM format.
In April 2023, it was announced that Urban One would acquire the Houston radio cluster of Cox Media Group.[ Radio One Acquires Cox Houston Cluster]
External links
