 | |
| Frequency | 1340kHz |
|---|---|
| Branding | Newsradio 1340 KLOO |
| Programming | |
| Format | Talk Radio |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KDUK-FM,KEJO,KFLY,KLOO-FM,KODZ,KPNW,KRKT-FM,KTHH | |
| History | |
First air date | August 23, 1947; 77 years ago (1947-08-23) |
Former call signs | KRUL (1947–1957) |
Call sign meaning | "Locally owned and operated"[1] |
| Technical information[2] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 67594 |
| Class | C |
| Power | 1,000watts |
Transmitter coordinates | 44°35′38″N123°13′30″W / 44.59389°N 123.22500°W /44.59389; -123.22500 |
| Translator(s) | 96.5 K243CW (Corvallis) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Website | klooam.com |
KLOO (1340kHz) is anAMradio station broadcasting atalk radioformat. It islicensed toCorvallis, Oregon, and is owned by Bicoastal Media, via subsidiary Bicoastal Media Licenses V, LLC.[3][4] The studios and offices are on South Marion Street inAlbany.
KLOO is powered at 1,000watts as aClass C radio station. Programming is also heard onFM translatorK243CW at 96.5MHz in Corvallis.
On Oct. 31, 1946, the Pacific States Radio Company obtained aconstruction permit for a new full-time radio station. Thecall sign was KRUL, broadcasting on 1340kilocycles at 250 watts.[5] The station would be the first commercial outlet to serve Corvallis.[6] The president of the company was J. C. Haley, head of the Brown & Haley Co., a candy manufacturer inTacoma, Washington.[7]
The stationsigned on the air on August 23, 1947; 77 years ago (August 23, 1947).[8] Its offices and studios were located at 1221 S. 15th Street in Corvallis.[7] Three months after signing on, Haley bought all of the shares he did not already own in Pacific States Radio from various Corvallis-area investors. He cited differences of opinion in the station's operation.[9]
Haley died in 1954.[10] That prompted changes and caused a trio of men involved withKJR inSeattle to take an option on the Corvalis station.[11] No transaction panned out with that group, but Pacific States Radio was sold in 1956 toPortland appliance dealer John G. Severtson.[12]
A year later, Severtson sold KRUL to Benton Broadcasters, Inc., a group of three men involved with other Oregon radio stations.[13] After taking control, Benton Broadcasters changed KRUL's call sign to its present KLOO, for "locally owned and operated".[1] The new owners filed for and received federal approval to increase power to 1,000 watts on 1350 kHz.[5] The change never came to pass, and instead Benton sold KLOO to the Paul H. Raymer Company of Chicago in 1960.[14]
KLOO would get another new owner when KLOO, Inc., run by the Houglum family of Eugene, completed its purchase of the station in 1964.[15] It was the second attempt by Raymer to sell: a previous deal with the Mur-Rand-A Broadcasting Corporation had fallen apart.[5] The new owners were able to increase the station's power to 1,000 watts after the FCC approved a two-year-old application in 1964.[5] Houglum established himself as an on-air presence as well with his daily "Toast and Coffee" show. He also made an offer of $10,000 to anyone who could bring an extraterrestrial lifeform to the station, as he wanted "to bring all the UFO talk down to earth".[16] In January 1973, an FM station was added,KLOO-FM at 106.1 MHz.[17] KLOO-FM initiallysimulcast the AM programming. (Today, KLOO-FM broadcasts at 106.3 MHz and carries aclassic rock format.)
In late 1977, Houglum concluded arrangements to sell KLOO-AM-FM toMedford–based California–Oregon Broadcasting Inc., remaining on air to host his "Toast and Coffee" program.[18] The show continued until he retired in 1987.[19] During its ownership, California–Oregon pursued a new tower site and power increase for the FM station to maximize its facility. However, a split within the controlling Smullin family led to Donald E. Smullin becoming owner of the KLOO stations plusKPRB nearBend andKOTI television inKlamath Falls in 1981.[20] By that time, KLOO AM was airing afull service format, featuringmiddle of the road music with news, sports and talk.[21] KLOO-FM changed its call letters to KFAT and began separate programming.
Smullin owned KLOO and KFAT until he sold the pair in 1995 to Oregon Trail Productions ofBroomfield, Colorado.[22] Under Oregon Trail, KLOO adopted asports radio format. It shifted to the present talk format in 1998 when it was bought byJacor, a large owner of radio stations. Under Jacor, KLOO added popular nationally syndicated talk programs suchThe Rush Limbaugh Show,The Dr. Laura Show withLaura Schlesinger andCoast to Coast AM withArt Bell.[23] Eventually, Jacor became part ofClear Channel Communications, a forerunner to today's iHeartMedia.
Bicoastal Media bought KLOO from Clear Channel in 2007. It was part of the purchase of the former Clear Channel clusters in Medford,Eugene and Corvallis.[24]