99.7 FM, Ogallala

Through the Years

• 1978

  KOGA 92.7 FM  co-owned with KOGA AM, signs on with 3,000 watts at 294 feet.  This is a second attempt for a co-owned FM after losing a bid earlier in the 1970’s that went ot 93.5 FM, KIBC (later KCMX).

• 1981

  KOGA-FM substitutes 99.7 for 92.7 calling for KCMX FM substituting 105.1 for 93.5.  Ogallala Broadcasting to reimburse Connel Radiowest Inc., owners of KMCX for expenses incurred in changing frequencies.

• 1982

  Lockhart seeks modification of the construction permit to change KOGA FM frequency to 99.7 to include increase in power to 35,000 watts at 272 feet.  Granted in December, 1982.

• 1983

  KOGA 99.7 FM completes upgrade to 99.7 with 39,000 watts at 277 feet.  Transmitter is south of Paxton, NE, about 20 miles east of Ogallala, just east of Rd East 50 and Paxton-Elsie Rd.

• 1986

  KOGA FM adds ABC.  Format:  Adult Contemporary.

• 1987

  KOGA 99.7 FM upgrades to 100,000 watts at 805 feet.

• 1989

  Operations Manager Kevin Lockhart along with Ray Lockhart develop and establish Prophet Systems, a digital audio storage and playback system that replaces aging tape-based automation systems.  A first in the industry, the system debuts on KOGA and co-owned Colorado stations the following summer and leads the way for computer programming industry-wide.

• 1993

  New co-owned KMCX 106.5 FM, 100,000 watts at 300 feet is purchased by Ray Lockhart from Midwest Broadcasting Company, Inc. for $184,000.  Studios move in with KOGA AM/FM.

• 1997

  Ogallala Broadcasting (Ray Lockhart) sells KOGA AM, KOGA FM and KMCX FM to Goodstar Broadcasting (Alan Goodman, President)  for $3.25 million.  Deal fails to close.

• 1998

  August, 1998-Ogallala Broadcasting (Lockhart) sells KOGA AM, KOGA FM and KMCX FM to Central Star Communications for $4 million. Central Star is a subsidiary of Capstar Broadcasting (Thomas O. Hicks).  The deal includes Prophet Systems, the Lockhart-developed digital automation programming system.  Capstar owns or is buying 245 FMs and 102 AMs.

• 2000

  After a series and mergers and purchases involving Chancellor Media and AMFM Inc., Capstar’s stations become a part of Clear Channel Communications.

• 2001

  KOGA 99.7 FM changes format to Adult Rock.

• 2007

  Clear Channel’s Ogallala group, KOGA 930, KOGA FM 99.7, and KMCX 106.5 was to be included in GoodRadio.TV, LLC’s purchase of Clear Channel markets but the deal fell through when its financing group, American Securities Capital Partners, objected to the deal’s $452 million cost.

• 2014

  Clear Channel becomes iHeart Media, aka IHM.