I was a regular listener to KOMA during the 1970s. If (local station) 15/KSTP played a song I didn’t like, I’d turn my dial just barely to the right and “Oklahoma City” would come in. I cried in disbelief on September 12, 1980 when KOMA droped their Top 40 format and flipped to Country. Two years later, I “forgave” them enough to aircheck KOMA Country as part of my routine dial scan.
I grabbed this from Apple Valley, MN, using a Pioneer SX-3900 receiver and longwire antenna. The recording was made using a Technics stereo cassette deck and Scotch Dynarange tape.
#1 by Yah Shure on November 25, 2009 - 2:23 pm
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I was doing PM drive on KOMA at the time, and that’s Olen Wells on this aircheck, who followed me from 7-midnight.
KOMA used to do “interstate weather” summaries at night, and when I heard Olen give the particulars for “Bismarck, South Dakota” one night, I immediately headed for the control room. Olen was absolutely convinced that Bismarck was the capital of South Dakota, so I asked him what North Dakota’s capital city was.
“Bismarck.”
Once we got the Bismarck vs. Pierre deal straightened out, it was on to part two: “It’s pronounced ‘Pier’, not ‘Pee-AIR’.” He looked at me like I was from Mars at that point.
An Oklahoma native, Olen had arrived at KOMA from WIBW-FM/Topeka, and later worked at OKC’s KEBC and KKNG.
#2 by Drew on November 25, 2009 - 7:57 pm
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I wish I had more on tape. As I said, I wasn’t too fond of KOMA after they “went Country” on me. Now that I look back, I’m surprised they held on with Top 40 as long as they did. KATT and KOFM had to be rockin’ on FM by 1980, right?