KOKE-FM (99.3 MHz) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican radio format. Licensed to Thorndale, Texas, KOKE-FM serves the Greater Austin radio market. The station is owned by Genuine Austin Radio, LP, with a sale to Norsan Media pending.[2] The transmitter site is located on County Road 470 in Coupland, Texas.[3] The studios and offices are along Loop 360 in Southwest Austin.
| Broadcast area | Austin, Texas |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.3 MHz |
| Branding | Mexicanísima 99.3 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Regional Mexican |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Genuine Austin Radio, LP (sale to Norsan Media pending) |
| KTXX-FM, KTAE | |
| History | |
First air date | September 30, 2005 (as KLGO) |
Former call signs | KLGO (2005–2012) |
Call sign meaning | Coke |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 88370 |
| Class | C3 |
| ERP | 24,000 watts |
| HAAT | 100 meters (328 ft) |
| Repeater(s) | 104.9 KTXX-HD3 (Bee Cave) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
History
editThe Original 95.5 KOKE-FM
editFrom a Texas Monthly cover story (April 2012):
"In the summer of 1972, Willie Nelson moved into Austin, just 6 months after KOKE-FM switched to its new format called Country Rock or the more politically correct term at the time "progressive country." Country Radio would never be the same. From the Carter Family to the Rolling Stones, to Waylon and Willie, you could hear the music that Austinites were listening to on I-35 and on South Congress. In 1974 Billboard named KOKE-FM the most innovative station in the country."
KOKE-FM played a role in the careers of all the "outlaws"..Waylon, Willie and the boys lead the way with KOKE-FM to help promote some of the most iconic singer/songwriters of the time thanks to program director Joe Gracey. When Jerry Jeff Walker needed an audience to record "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother," he called KOKE-FM to get the crowd he needed.
One of the characteristics of a regional music business was that the players, operating out of the glare of the big media centers, often made their own rules. "Redneck Rock" was created by KOKE-FM where the "outlaws" played by their own rules. No one realized that what had started in that little studio on North Lamar would have such a profound effect on country music all across the world.
Joe Garcia has been the vanguard and proprietor of the KOKE call letters at its home in Giddings, Texas at AM 1600. Joe’s Hall Of Fame broadcasting lineage includes his father, Jose (Jaime) Garcia, who blazed the trail and set the standard for Hispanic and Tejano broadcasting in Texas.
"Austin's on Track, 'Cause KOKE-FM is Back"
editOn June 28, 2012, KLGO moved "The Word" to KFON 1490 AM. Subsequently, 99.3 changed call letters to KOKE-FM and began stunting with a live recording of Dale Watson's "Country My Ass" played in a continuous loop, calculated on-air as being played 1,694 times, the most times a radio station has looped a song as a stunt since 1995. This example of stunting is notable for the station-specific nature of the song's lyrics. Watson re-recorded the song for the occasion, adding a new coda in which he sings, "Now Austin's on track, 'cause KOKE-FM's back."
On July 8, 2012, the progressive country format pioneered in 1972 by the original KOKE-FM (now KKMJ-FM 95.5) was resurrected on 99.3 FM and K253AN (98.5 FM).[4][5]
On April 19, 2014, translator K287FG (105.3 FM) dropped its simulcast of KOKE-FM and became "105.3 The Fringe", a freeform Triple-A station.
Norsan Media ownership
editOn April 19, 2024, Norsan Media announced a deal to buy out Genuine Austin Radio.[6] On May 17 of that year, an early morning info spot ran indicating KOKE-FM would move to exclusively stream online on June 1, 2024, later confirmed via an online announcement on the 30th.[7][8]
On June 1, 2024, KOKE-FM changed their format from progressive country to Regional Mexican, branded as "Mexicanísima 99.3".[9]
Previous logo
edit
References
edit- ^ "Facility Technical Data for KOKE-FM". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
- ^ "KOKE-FM Facility Record". United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division.
- ^ Radio-Locator.com/KOKE-FM
- ^ "KOKE-FM Returning to Austin".
- ^ Austin American-Statesman: "New, locally owned radio station with iconic call letters - KOKE-FM - to debut Sunday", July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Norsan Strikes Deal To Buy Remainder Of Genuine Austin Radio". Insideradio.com. 2024-04-19. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Killingsworth, Kristina. "KOKE-FM Streaming Transition". KOKE FM. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ "KOKE-FM & The Horn Promoting Online Move". RadioInsight. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
- ^ Norsan Media Launches Three New Brands in Austin Radioinsight - June 2, 2024
External links
edit- Facility details for Facility ID 88370 (KOKE-FM) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- KOKE-FM in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
- Facility details for Facility ID 148785 (K300DU) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
- K300DU at FCCdata.org