980 KSGM History

[thebeach33445]

Hey Guys:

Almost done with all of my notes on this markets history but I still have some blanks yet.


Would anybody know the format history of KSGM 980? In the yearbooks it did not give any format listings.

Thanks

T.J.

 

[mbatchelor]

KSGM has been Country since my recollection. I remember it was off the air for an extended period when its transmitter was flooded out in the great flood of '93. I'm imagining it was probably a typical small town block formatted variety station in its earlier days. Perhaps the station owner Elmo Donze could give you more history. I read the Obit when Elmo's father Elmer, the founder of the station passed on a few weeks ago in his nineties, and it said the station was originally put on the air in 1947, and KSGM-FM at 105.7 (Which is now The Point) was added in 67.

KSGM was one of the earliest exceptions to the K/W rule when the station was allowed to relocate across the river from its original city of license of Ste. Genevieve, MO to Chester, IL. in the early 70s.

 

[spiritof67]

While KSGM was a country station, I do recall times when they played AC and pop hits in the late 1970's. There was an evening program called "Nightwatch" that played some Top-40/AOR. What stuck out in my memory of this was that they played edited 45 versions of rock hits (Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever" and Styx' "Come Sail Away come to mind). Eventually they were country throughout their broadcast day, and kept the "Nightwatch" title.

Both KSGM AM and FM signed off at 10 PM.

After the FM was sold off, the AM was a standalone for a few years. In either 1990 or 1991, KBDZ (93.1 MHz) signed on. It has always been a satellite-based country format. Once KSGM returned to the air after the 1993 flood, it simulcast the 93.1 signal.

 

[Ray Diamond]

I believe that KBDZ originally had a soft rock (satellite) format when it first signed on, KSGM had the same format it has now. When KSGM was knocked off the air in '93, KBDZ took over the country format. As I recall KSGM was dark until '97, after the FCC issued them a "use it or lose it" order. I remember there was an article about it in one of the Chicago papers.

 

[easy]

KSGM HISTORY

KSGM has been Country since my recollection. I remember it was off the air for an extended period when its transmitter was flooded out in the great flood of '93. I'm imagining it was probably a typical small town block formatted variety station in its earlier days. Perhaps the station owner Elmo Donze could give you more history. I read the Obit when Elmo's father Elmer, the founder of the station passed on a few weeks ago in his nineties, and it said the station was originally put on the air in 1947, and KSGM-FM at 105.7 (Which is now The Point) was added in 67.

KSGM was one of the earliest exceptions to the K/W rule when the station was allowed to relocate across the river from its original city of license of Ste. Genevieve, MO to Chester, IL. in the early 70s.

When KSGM signed on the air in 1947 the music format was Big Band. Later music shows were added that included country and even a polka show. KSGM broadcast on 1450 with 250 watts in the early years. The station was later re-licensed from Ste. Genevieve Missouri to Chester Illinois and the tower site was moved from Radio Hill to near McBride Missouri along the Mississippi River. At that time the day time power was increased to 1,000 watts. Night time coverage on a directional signal was 500 watts.