by: JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
11/11/2007 12:00 AM
KVOO pulls the plug on all locally produced programming
Since the 1930s, radio station KVOO has been the voice of Oklahoma. In fact, its call letters stand for just that.
In those early days, it was known as a "clear channel" station. Many nights, the station could literally be heard from coast to coast, broadcasting the most popular and influential music of the time.
Over the decades, the call letters have become synonymous with all things Okie -- classic country, western swing, red dirt music and more.
Until recently, original programming highlights still included Sunday evening's "Red Dirt Radio Hour" and "Billy Parker's Country Junction" shows, highlighting classic -- and modern -- music that has made Oklahoma legendary.
"You could make the case the red dirt music now is to Oklahoma what western swing was then -- it's a kind of music that's come out of Oklahoma and made inroads around the world," said former Tulsa World music writer John Wooley, an expert on western swing and Oklahoma music, who also worked for the radio station for many years.
"Here was a show ('The Red Dirt Radio Hour') where you could hear Stoney LaRue, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland, Robert Earl Keene live, performing in-studio. But that's all over now," he said.
As Oklahoma western swing legend Bob Wills once sang, probably live from the stage of Cain's Ballroom during the daily broadcasts that both he and brother Johnnie Lee sent out over the KVOO airwaves, "Time Changes Everything."
Indeed, just a little over three weeks ago, both shows were unceremoniously canceled -- the station heads at Journal Broadcasting Group (located in Milwaukee) instead favoring a "set format," where listeners can tune in any time, day or night, and hear the same pre-programmed set of pre-selected, newer country music, according to John Cooper and Brad Piccolo, former hosts of the "Red Dirt Radio Hour" and members of the popular area music act the Red Dirt Rangers.
So, "someone who heard our show Sunday night won't wake up Monday morning and think it's still a red dirt station," mused Cooper.
Plus, the duo was originally told that their show was canceled because "veterans complained" about popular red dirt and blues/folk musician Chuck Dunlap, formerly of Stillwater, who was invited to perform "Patriot's Plea," a song that has won honors on Neil Young's "Living With War Today" Web site.
"He was never very political," said Cooper of Dunlap. "It's just one man's opinion about the war, nothing more, nothing less, no hating women, no bashing the troops."
Dunlap was born to a Baptist preacher in Oklahoma City, and is one of hundreds of guests who have appeared on the show.
"I'm a vet, and I didn't complain," said Wooley. "Who are these mysterious 'complainers?' "
To hear Piccolo, Wooley and Cooper tell it, the show was pretty tame.
"The second song he played for us was a gospel tune," said Cooper. "When things are de cided from Milwaukee, what could they possibly know about the history of the station? Of Bob Wills? Of Gene Autry? It's a rotten situation."
The company's Web site proclaims itself "America's Best Local Broadcast Company." The Journal Broadcast Group took over KFAQ-AM, KVOO-FM and KXBL-FM in Henryetta in 1999. It owns more than a dozen radio stations in at least four states.
Calls and messages left with company leadership in Milwaukee regarding the show cancellations had not been returned at the time of publication.
"KVOO has been a huge force in country music over the years, and it never went with the mainstream," Wooley said. "But now, with absentee, corporate ownership, there is no attention paid to tradition. That's why I left about six months after they (Journal Broadcast Group) took over."
And after 36 years with KVOO, Parker's show was moved up the dial to 99.5 FM, the frequency for KXBL, Big Country Music.
Parker declined comment for this story.
Since the change in ownership, there's been a push to win a younger demographic, according to Piccolo, Cooper and Wooley.
The three are upset that a consultant in Schenectady, N.Y., or Milwaukee -- or anywhere, for that matter -- can decide that there is no room on the airwaves for two such different music styles as western swing and red dirt.
"In 1934, KVOO was where Bob Wills came when he was kicked outta Texas," said Wooley.
"It's astonishing," Wooley said, "that out-of-state consultants for the radio station would take the clear channel flamethrowers of radio and change the most well-known call letters in Oklahoma radio to KFAQ.
"The AM station became a bomb-thrower of hate speech," he said. "Those guys in Milwaukee proved that they didn't know much about our community -- the station was more famous than the Cain's Ballroom."
The FM counterpart, 98.5 FM, has since turned most of its programming into "aural wallpaper," as well, he said.
"This is music anyone can get anywhere," Wooley said. "It's all familiar. There is no personality radio anymore, except where it fits into some preconceived formula, like morning radio."
Piccolo agreed, adding, "Ratings are going down for the station. Arbitron numbers show that our show was one of the highest-rated in the listening area. For more than four years it was . . . Then for this to happen . . . I'd like to have a real explanation.
"It's a shame, and it's typical with out-of-area interests owning local treasures and playing music that they're paid to play by outside corporate entities. It's bad music and bad business," Piccolo said.
In the meantime, Cooper and Piccolo are hoping to garner support for an online version of their popular show, as well as looking at area radio stations that might pick up the weekend show.
"It's practically a done deal," Piccolo said.
"KVOO offered us a 'conciliation prize,' a once-a-month kind of deal, kind of like throwing a dog a bone after running over it," he said.
"We turned the station down.
"And we're not dead; we're just regrouping. We'll be back, on our own terms," Piccolo said.
Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com
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