In a post under Arizona radio is detail on KBUX in Quartzsite, run from the home of the owner. This was followed up by Simon Geller's WVCA.
To start this one off, the station might be called 'interesting' because it bucked the trends in radio.
When the internet was new and the personal computer was just gaining traction, even before 56k connections, was KTEO FM 90.5 in Wichita Falls.
KTEO was Classical and under the shadow of WRR, the City of Dallas owned FM that aired a classical music format and was received like a local station in Wichita Falls. In fact, WRR's legacy of decades in the format may have been why the station changed format after a few years going to a Christian format aimed at children.
KTEO was computer driven classical music 24/7. It played a fine mix of classical music centering on the recognized and known classical pieces. The mix was good, from a Sousa march to quiet and relaxing lush orchestrated material. You might say the flow of material was well rounded and recognized. Even a track like the main theme from South Pacific might be tossed in (such a tune perhaps every 4 or 5 hours).
The format was totally unannounced. All the talk you heard was the ID and time on the hour with a short plea to financially support the station every hour or two. Yes, there was the Saturday afternoon opera from the Met. Sunday mornings was Christian music from 6 to noon with a station ID every 30 minutes.
The ploy was if the listener wanted to plan their listening or wanted to know what aired, the monthly program guide was essential, the bait to get the listener donation. There were no membership levels, just a donation to get the monthly program guide. I cannot say if the actual printed guide had advertisements but I guess it might have since the station did not sell underwriting although they were 'seeking a sponsor for the opera'. The listener could download the program guide online (I still have a month's programming in print...a hefty stack of papers containing about 100 or so pages of music listings that not only taxed my huge 1 megabyte hard drive and 28.8 kb phone connection on my custom built $1,600 computer that was a good one back in the day).
In speaking with the GM, they managed to get about $2,000 through the doors each month. I'm sure operating expenses were several multiples over the income generated. It seemed they were trying anything that might work. As I recall, the weekly opera was fairly new to the station. In drive time hours, they eventually added the hour-long segments of syndicated classical music (called The Beethoven Network offered by WFMT). Not long after this was added, the switch to the satellite service of a children's Christian network began.
KTEO didn't air the syndicated orchestras or Performance Today in the evening like many classical stations, just a good mix of classical music around the clock. One can try to break apart the elements to determine why the station did not last but I think it is safe to say it is an uphill climb to get a city of 125,000 to support a classical station and doubly hard to do with WRR in Dallas offering classical music with a decent signal in the city.
The concept is at minimum, interesting. It seems the funding option revolved around the program guide and not announcing the music on air. It seems they were liked by the community's classical music fans.
The truth be told, I really liked KTEO when I had the chance to hear it.
To start this one off, the station might be called 'interesting' because it bucked the trends in radio.
When the internet was new and the personal computer was just gaining traction, even before 56k connections, was KTEO FM 90.5 in Wichita Falls.
KTEO was Classical and under the shadow of WRR, the City of Dallas owned FM that aired a classical music format and was received like a local station in Wichita Falls. In fact, WRR's legacy of decades in the format may have been why the station changed format after a few years going to a Christian format aimed at children.
KTEO was computer driven classical music 24/7. It played a fine mix of classical music centering on the recognized and known classical pieces. The mix was good, from a Sousa march to quiet and relaxing lush orchestrated material. You might say the flow of material was well rounded and recognized. Even a track like the main theme from South Pacific might be tossed in (such a tune perhaps every 4 or 5 hours).
The format was totally unannounced. All the talk you heard was the ID and time on the hour with a short plea to financially support the station every hour or two. Yes, there was the Saturday afternoon opera from the Met. Sunday mornings was Christian music from 6 to noon with a station ID every 30 minutes.
The ploy was if the listener wanted to plan their listening or wanted to know what aired, the monthly program guide was essential, the bait to get the listener donation. There were no membership levels, just a donation to get the monthly program guide. I cannot say if the actual printed guide had advertisements but I guess it might have since the station did not sell underwriting although they were 'seeking a sponsor for the opera'. The listener could download the program guide online (I still have a month's programming in print...a hefty stack of papers containing about 100 or so pages of music listings that not only taxed my huge 1 megabyte hard drive and 28.8 kb phone connection on my custom built $1,600 computer that was a good one back in the day).
In speaking with the GM, they managed to get about $2,000 through the doors each month. I'm sure operating expenses were several multiples over the income generated. It seemed they were trying anything that might work. As I recall, the weekly opera was fairly new to the station. In drive time hours, they eventually added the hour-long segments of syndicated classical music (called The Beethoven Network offered by WFMT). Not long after this was added, the switch to the satellite service of a children's Christian network began.
KTEO didn't air the syndicated orchestras or Performance Today in the evening like many classical stations, just a good mix of classical music around the clock. One can try to break apart the elements to determine why the station did not last but I think it is safe to say it is an uphill climb to get a city of 125,000 to support a classical station and doubly hard to do with WRR in Dallas offering classical music with a decent signal in the city.
The concept is at minimum, interesting. It seems the funding option revolved around the program guide and not announcing the music on air. It seems they were liked by the community's classical music fans.
The truth be told, I really liked KTEO when I had the chance to hear it.
Last edited: