KACC: Where Blue Öyster Cult Still Reigns Supreme

Most listeners, when talking about "The Gulf Coast Rocker" use the words "awesome little rock station", "how rock radio should be done", and just how great it is to have 89-7 on the air in its current incarnation.

This is not one of those instances.

For quite some time, I've sampled KACC. From the days that it lived at 91-3, and now that it has occupied 89-7 for this last near two decades. I'm confounded as to how so many people sing the praises of KACC, yet lament the Cox O&O Eagle duo. I ask you, what in the world is the difference? 106-9/107-5 plays all safe, very predictable rock music. Bob Seger, check. The aforementioned Blue Öyster Cult, check. Foreigner, check. Now, let's take a look at KACC's typical offerings. Hmm...a whole lot of the same artists. Maybe they do play more of the deeper cuts from these performers, but it's still what I consider wuss rock.

The thing that irks me is, why would the folks at Alvin Community College's non commercial radio station feel the need to cover a LOT of the same musical offerings from many of the same artists that the commercialized Eagle plays? Eagle plays the safe stuff because there are stockholders and advertisers that Cox Radio must answer to. A.C.C. does not. Eagle doesn't touch anything harder than Guns N' Roses and AC/DC. Besides the rare occasion that KACC really "cranks it up" by throwing on a 30 year old Metallica song like For Whom the Bell Tolls, well, neither does The Gulf Coast "Rocker". Here in this market, we have a classic rocker, that is as safe and as predictable as a cotton ball, and then an Alternative "new rock" station that's busy spinning Pearl Jam's "Alive" for the third or forth time in any given day. Yet there we have a college station, that answers to no advertisers, no stockholders, they just throw college students and volunteers on the air and let them have at it, but still resigned to playing much of the same thing as The Eagle, and then really going all out and delving into the library to churn out a 25 year old Soundgarden song that is readily available on the bigger Buzz, pretty much any given day.

They don't just blow the barn doors off of KACC and really crank up the rock music being aired from the Alvin stick. Well, why not? Now, you might be sitting there thinking to yourself, well purple, if they start playing Helmet, White Zombie, Slayer, Godsmack, Avenged Sevenfold, Lamb of God, and Pantera, they're ratings would drop and they'd run off a lot of their listener base. Really? I can refer them to one of two 100kW flamethrowing class C facilities if those listeners feel like they'll miss the chicken rock. KACC, instead, follows in the footsteps of their much larger dynamic duo on the right side of your dial.

For years, especially since 2004 when KLOL learned a new language, we've had many discussions over this market not having an Active Rock type station on the dial, but in my opinion, we have the perfect facility already available here to do just that, without fear of repercussion from the powers that be slapping it down over loss of ratings or revenue for the station. The reason? KACC doesn't have any of either. Yet there sits KACC airing another PSA, telling you not to drink and drive or what have you, all the while getting the computer ready to cue up "Godzilla" or "More Than a Feeling" for the umpteenth time.

If there are truly that many listeners in SE Texas disgruntled with our choices for rock music on the dial, and there have been many voices that have expressed much displeasure with the choices of The Buzz and Eagle being our only OTA options available, my question is why isn't KACC held accountable for standing in the shadows of the "corporate behemoths", and "playing it safe" with the same take on the format as their larger corporate owned counterparts?

The floor is open, I'd certainly encourage any and all viewpoints on the subject. I'd personally like to hear all ideas as to why we, as a market, give KACC the "free pass" to simply hide off in the corner and not do something bigger and non existent with the little signal from Alvin.

purpledevil said:

The floor is open, I'd certainly encourage any and all viewpoints on the subject. I'd personally like to hear all ideas as to why we, as a market, give KACC the "free pass" to simply hide off in the corner and not do something bigger and non existent with the little signal from Alvin.

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It's non-commercial. It doesn't matter. It's Alvin's sandbox.

TheBigA said:

It's non-commercial. It doesn't matter. It's Alvin's sandbox.

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...and that's exactly my point. There isn't anything that can discourage them from taking the plunge, and breaking out of the "safe box". This is why I pose the topic, A. They call themselves, "SE Texas' real rock station". Why not prove it by stepping away from mirroring most of The Eagle's rotation? There's nothing for the students, staff, or management to lose, except maybe the fear of finally standing out and making interesting use of the facility they possess.

purpledevil said:

...and that's exactly my point. There isn't anything that can discourage them from taking the plunge, and breaking out of the "safe box". This is why I pose the topic, A. They call themselves, "SE Texas' real rock station". Why not prove it by stepping away from mirroring most of The Eagle's rotation? There's nothing for the students, staff, or management to lose, except maybe the fear of finally standing out and making interesting use of the facility they possess.

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Because when Cathy Forsythe put together the curriculum her vision was to create a college radio station that was run like a commercial radio station that would prepare students for what life is like inside a radio station after they graduate and land their first job.

So they learn how to schedule music, balance genders and tempos, balance sound codes in Selector instead of bringing in their own collection and playing whatever they want.

Cathy passed away in 2007, but the people that have followed haven't changed her curriculum much. For one thing, it's because radio stations like hiring ACC graduates because when they come to work they're familiar with how the station is run. Programs that get graduates hired are important to community colleges.

KACC isn't a toy. It's a laboratory.

If she were alive to read this, she'd be proud of her students to hear you say that the classic rock radio station she set up for her students to operate sounds like the commercial classic rock station at the other end of the dial. Considering that was her vision all along, it's high praise.

Fantastic response, John, and that's the type of counterpoint I was seeking to open up the discussion. I'm pretty familiar with the vision that Cathy Forsythe had for KACC, and under her directive and her tireless effort, KACC survived and even thrived with what limited resources they had. Arguably, her leadership of KACC couldn't have been duplicated by anyone else, and had it not been for her specifically, Alvin Community College could've very well taken the same course as Rice University and sold off the student run station to the highest bidder.

However, without figuratively duplicating the former Arrow and now Eagle playlists, the very same vision of Cathy's could be met with a significantly more hardcore approach to the rock genre, satisfying those that yearn for a harder sounding format, and better utilizing the A.C.C. facility to capture an audience that has no outlet available elsewhere in the market. The same can be said for everyone that constantly complains about the lack of an oldies/classic hits format in Houston. There's no danger of a commercial station hearing how well KACC does with a potential oldies format, then heists it from them on a higher coverage signal, because the commercial operators have no desire to target the demographic that genre caters to. KACC doesn't have to consider advertising dollars lost by serving older demos, since they receive none. To me, and taking nothing away from Cathy's tireless effort and drive to make KACC what it is today, and has been for many years, the time has come for KACC to adapt to the market it serves and do something with itself to give it relevance again.

Cathy Forsythe's vision was and is a good one; preparing her students for a real opportunity in the broadcasting industry. Make no mistake about it. This very same concept can be accomplished without being an almost identical carbon copy of the commercial classic rock station. Times change, John. When Cathy was alive, there were more options available on the dial broadcasting a variable spectrum of rock and roll. Today, there are only two. Her vision can be improved upon. It takes someone with the foresight to build upon the foundation that she sweat and toiled away to lay down for the next generation of KACC. KACC, as it stands, is alright, don't get me wrong. They are certainly doing some things right, else they wouldn't have lasted all these many years, but they have an opportunity to blaze their own trail, and carve a niche for themselves, launching 89-7 into a different stratosphere all of their own. Look no further than KTRU, or the modern day Rice lunch special at 96-1. They have a loyal following, albeit a smaller following than your typical commercial station, but they are well known and well respected for beating their own path; not following in the footsteps in the path of where others have already walked. No commercial facility in this market can afford to take the chance to serve these niches, however KACC can still continue to accomplish the mission and the goals of Cathy Forsythe, all the while still being able to step out of the shadow of the Eagle and it's dual Class C flamethrowers that KACC can never dream of competing against.

Life is about adaptation to the times we live in, and it's high time KACC carves its own niche in the area and steps off the coattails of its commercial counterparts. In the very least, the very topic can give us all an open point/counterpoint discussion that's been missing here on the Houston forum for awhile. So many members spit pure fire because there isn't an available OTA option for Active or Classic Hits. I see an opportunity for a facility with nothing better to offer than a carbon copy with an opportunity in front of it to appease so many within this group.

Just remember that ACC's mission here is to help its graduates get jobs, not blaze a musical trail.

You can get a job in pretty much any format with a good classic rock aircheck. The delivery is similar to other contemporary formats and the music and formatics are familiar to everyone in this business. If you sent a tape of a good show on KACC to any number of small towns in the region, the GM or owner listening to it could imagine you doing a good job executing their format and you'll get a call back to chat.

If you sent the same GM a hard rock aircheck, they may not get far enough into the tape to extend an interview.

As long as their grads keep getting jobs, they have no real reason to mess with what they're doing.

That's a great little station - barely receivable in Cypress. I'd sure be happy if they got more power!

rbrucecarter5 said:

That's a great little station - barely receivable in Cypress. I'd sure be happy if they got more power!

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Yet, you have spoken negatively about the very same format airing on The Eagle, all because it just so happened to replace the beloved KLDE/K-Hits of yesteryear. What other difference is there? We've already established that KACC was programmed to be a clone of The Arrow/Eagle in order to prepare the community college students for a life in radio. I figured you, for one, would be all in on the mention of someone wanting them to step out of the shadow and try something on their own, such as the classic hits I had mentioned previously.

I think the whole community and student run aspect of KACC appeals to Bruce, vs the commercial corporate Eagle.
Personally I've listened to KACC and it isn't half bad!

It isn't bad, and I never said it was. But it could be so much better utilized as a facility focused on a format offering not already available on dual 100kW commercial stations. It would assuredly give the market a format that currently has an audience but no place OTA to listen. Apparently, I'm the one person on the earth that thinks KACC could be so much more than just acting as a clone. As much griping that goes on with all these "format holes" here in Houston, I simply presented an idea to fill one of them. It's not my station, A.C.C. does what it wants with it, after all they're paying the bills, not me. I only brought up the topic to inspire a healthy discussion. A topic all about a underserved population morphed into a 6 page war of words; I propose an interesting idea to have an also ran college station do something different to perhaps serve one of those underserved populaces, and it receives one good response in opposition of my initial post offering, and for that I thank you, John. I honestly appreciate the well thought out and excellent response you presented.

Of course, I suppose there are some that now absolutely despise me for raking the beloved KACC across the coals, and that's ok, too.

purpledevil said:

It isn't bad, and I never said it was. But it could be so much better utilized as a facility focused on a format offering not already available on dual 100kW commercial stations. It would assuredly give the market a format that currently has an audience but no place OTA to listen. Apparently, I'm the one person on the earth that thinks KACC could be so much more than just acting as a clone. As much griping that goes on with all these "format holes" here in Houston, I simply presented an idea to fill one of them. It's not my station, A.C.C. does what it wants with it, after all they're paying the bills, not me. I only brought up the topic to inspire a healthy discussion. A topic all about a underserved population morphed into a 6 page war of words; I propose an interesting idea to have an also ran college station do something different to perhaps serve one of those underserved populaces, and it receives one good response in opposition of my initial post offering, and for that I thank you, John. I honestly appreciate the well thought out and excellent response you presented.

Of course, I suppose there are some that now absolutely despise me for raking the beloved KACC across the coals, and that's ok, too.

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Don't feel bad. I've always wondered the same about KACC. I think back to my college days and always wondered why the university's radio station never spun songs that appealed to me. On the weekends when they weren't running NPR, they had student DJs, but they were playing niche music that appealed only to their obscure tastes.

While most music on KACC isn't considered obscure, not all of it is mainstream either. Even if KACC played mostly 80s, 90s, and 2000s rock, it would likely have more appeal to the students working at the station and attending classes. I.E. programming for the students. After all, a 1975 classic rock song is 41 years old! Hardly college student-aged music.

I know I would certainly listen more often and I would expect others would too. I just don't enjoy most classic rock anymore--I'm burned out on it.

purpledevil said:

Cathy Forsythe's vision was and is a good one; preparing her students for a real opportunity in the broadcasting industry.

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I know similar attempts, and none of the students have been able to adapt to the real broadcasting industry. The students all went into other fields.

Making a living in radio isn't about playing music. It's about making money. If these students want to use this experience in the industry, they're going to have to find a way to pay for it. That will be the REAL learning experience. Anyone can play music on the radio. The challenge is being able to get the finances to stay on the air.

Actually Alvin Community College does quite well is producing well rounded graduates that do get jobs in the industry. I hired a few over the years and every one was great and actually understood radio pretty well...that money is what makes radio happen. After Cathy passed, I think it was a guy named Mark that took the reigns.

Have you thought of it this way: KACC's format intentionally does not appeal to the average student meaning when they get an on air gig, it's not about personally liking the music but being able to adapt to the format and execute it properly. And yes, if I heard an aircheck of a classic rock format versus a more college-aimed format, I'd consider the applicant more adaptable to my station but my think a college age based format might mean an applicant only be looking for a station that plays something similar to their aircheck.

purpledevil said:

Yet, you have spoken negatively about the very same format airing on The Eagle, all because it just so happened to replace the beloved KLDE/K-Hits of yesteryear. What other difference is there? We've already established that KACC was programmed to be a clone of The Arrow/Eagle in order to prepare the community college students for a life in radio. I figured you, for one, would be all in on the mention of someone wanting them to step out of the shadow and try something on their own, such as the classic hits I had mentioned previously.

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I heard a lot of songs on KACC that I have never heard on the Eagle - if it is designed to be a clone, it is a clone with a much better playlist. I have nothing whatsoever against classic rock, and the eagle since the death of 93.7 is infinitely better - no more "Hotel California" every hour on the hour. But there are better classic rock stations around - like KLBJ Austin. And KACC