660 AM, Omaha

Through the Years

• 1922

  April 25, 1922- WAAW, owned by the Omaha Grain Exchange, is authorized for daytime only.

  April 25, 1922- First Broadcast on 360 meters, 15 watts, at Grain Exchange Building, 19th & Harney in Omaha.  Station broadcasts Agricultural Reports and Crop Prices.

  May 22, 1922- Power increase to 150 watts, then to 200 watts

  September, 1922- Authorized additional wavelength at 485 meters.

• 1924

  April, 1924- Authorized at 500 watts with new 90-foot towers on top of the Grain Exchange building.

  July, 1924- Moved to 1050 on the new broadcast band.

  November, 1924- Moved to 1080 Khz.

• 1925

  November, 1925- Moves from 1080khz to 780khz.

• 1927

  June, 1927-  moved to 800 khz.

  October, 1927- moved to 680 khz.

• 1928

  November, 1928-  Moved to 660 khz, final move.

• 1931

  Transmitter move from Grain Exchange Building to new location at 60th & Girard.

• 1938

  May, 1938- Joins NBC Blue network.

• 1939

  April, 1939-  station purchased by the Omaha World-Herald.

  April, 1939- Call letters are changed from WAAW to KOWH, “Omaha World Herald”.

  1939-  Studios moved from Grain Exchange Building to Omaha World Herald Building, 15th & Farnam, Omaha.

• 1945

  Loses NBC Blue network to KOIL.

• 1947

  Builds new transmitter site and 500 ft. tower at 60th & Hartman, Omaha.

• 1949

  April, 1949-  Sold to Todd Storz for $75,000, which includes new KOAD FM.(92.9 ).  Mid-Continent Broadcasting.
  Principals:  Robert Storz, President; Todd Storz, General Manager; B.C. Corrigan, Commercial Manager; Gaylord Avery, Program Director;  George Armstrong, Promotion Manager.

• 1950

  February, 1950- KOAD FM is silenced.  KOWH begins programming moves on AM toward a hit music format.

  Sandy Jackson, Omaha’s first DJ, joins station from KBON, 1490 AM .

• 1951

  Tops ratings.  “Most listened to Independent Radio Station” in the country for the next 6 years.

• 1956

  Gives in to rock and roll playlist, thanks to Elvis.

• 1957

  June, 1957- station sold to National Review, owned by William Buckley for $822,500.

• 1960

  January 1, 1960- Changes call letters to KMEO and format to lush orchestral music as “Cameo” music.

• 1961

  Moves studios to 60th & Hartman transmitter site.

• 1965

  Power increased from 500 watts to 1,000 watts.  Still limited to daytime only operation.

• 1967

  June, 1967- Studios move to Prom Town House motel and restaurant complex, 70th & Dodge, Omaha.

• 1968

  January 22, 1968- Changes call letters to KOZN, and format change to Country as “Country Cousin”.

• 1970

  Changes format to Soul/R&B.

• 1971

  January, 1971-  Sold to Black-owned Reconciliation Broadcasting for $375,000, which includes FM (94.1) , keeping Soul/R&B format.  Two of the owners of Reconciliation were sports stars Bob Gibson and Bob Boozer.

  May, 1971-  Changes call letters back to KOWH.

  1971- Studios are moved to 3910 Harney St., Omaha.

   

• 1975

  January, 1975-  gets Pre-Sunrise authorization.  Can go to 50 watts as early as 6 a.m. until sunrise.

• 1976

  October, 1976-  Soul format drifts and completes change to Religious and Gospel format.

• 1979

  April 23, 1979- Purchased by Radio Omaha, Inc. for $435,000. (Samuel Smulyan, President &  Jack Marsella owners; Bill Butler, General Manager.  [Emmis Communications formed in 1980, by Samuel Smulyan & Jeff Smulyan]). AM only. 94.1 FM is sold to Great Empire Broadcasting.

  1979-  Studios move to old KYNN studios, 3615 Dodge St., Omaha.

  1979- Call letters change to KCRO, “Christian Radio Omaha”.

• 2001

  Station sold to Eternal Broadcasting for $2 Million, then immediately leased to Waitt Media.

• 2003

  January, 2003- Begins full time operation when authorized to operate with 54 watts during nightime hours.  Night signal has to protect Clear Channel station WFAN, 660 AM, New York City, NY.

• 2004

  Studios move to 11717 Burt Street, Omaha.

• 2005

  January, 2005- Station sold to Salem Broadcasting for $3.1 million.

• 2013

  Adds FM translator, 250 watts at 94.5.

• 2018

  July, 2018- Hickory Radio ( Steve Seline) purchases KCRO, along with co-owned KOTK (1420AM) plus two translators from Salem Media.  Sale consummates on October 31, 2018 for $1.375 Million.