Format Change: 92.5 KYND Houston becomes 93Q
Jul 02, 2006 
9 Comments
In June of 1982, 79Q KKBQ signed-on as a rare Top 40 launch on AM at a time when most CHR’s were moving to FM. After 7 short months, the station had become a major success under Scott Shannon and John Lander. Sister station 92.5 KYND was a floundering Beautiful Music station. Promoting the move for a few weeks before it occured on December 29. 1982, 93Q would become a Top 40 powerhouse for the remainder of the 80′s.
The launch sequence at 6:00am may sound familiar to some as the 6:00am launch with “Eye of the Tiger” would be repeated in New York some eight months later when Scott Shannon debuted Z100.
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I don’t believe Scott Shannon was directly involved with KKBQ’s sign-on unless he was a consultant.
He didn’t, Scott Shannon was at Q105 in Tampa Bay till he moved to New York to setup WHTZ – Z100. So, maybe KKBQ had him as a consultant for the Zoo type of morning show and the overall sound, but wasn’t a jock/PD or whatever on that station.
Were KKBQ and WRBQ owned by the same company at that time?
I know WRBQ, KKLQ San Diego, and KOY-FM Phoenix were all owned by Edens Broadcasting around that time, but cannot find who owned KKBQ at the time of the change.
It would make some sense if Shannon or even Cleveland Wheeler (who later left WRBQ for KKBQ) were involved in the launch of 93Q had Edens owned the station.
I know during the origanal zoo days it was owned by Gannett. Which is the same as the bill board advertisers. I have a check stub from a contest for 100 dollars that had taxes deducted from it. I was surprised at the time. I was like 17yrs old. Im 37 now.WOW!!!
KKBQ & KKBQ-FM were both owned by Gannett in 1982. It was John Lander who launched the 93Q/79Q formats in 1982. Truly great radio stations in the 80′s
I can set the record straight here as a former staffer of 79Q and 93Q.
Harte-Hanks Radio (a subsidiary of outdoor and direct mail company) Was the owner of both WRBQ, Q105 in Tampa, and KKBQ/KYND in Houston. Based upon his experience hearing John Lander in Tampa, Scott Shannon originally suggested the hiring of Lander for Houston, and Shannon deed indeed consult and help plan both 79Q, and subsequently, 93Q. The Q-Zoo was entirely patterned after the Tampa Zoo helmed by Scott Shannon and Cleveland Wheeler, and the two shows shared LOTS of bits and songs as well.
It was not until March of 1985, 14 months after the launch of the 93Q, that the sale of KKBQ to Gannett went through and Harte-Hanks got out of the radio business entirely, selling the other stations to Gary Edens (President of Harte Hanks Radio.)
John Lander was a very shrewd negotiator. Here’s a fun insider story:
It was no secret that Lander hated Harte-Hanks President, Gary Edens, and surprisingly in these days of early contracts, none of the 79Q or 93Q staff had contracts OR non-compete clauses. Knowing that Lander was largely THE reason behind the success of KKBQ, bankers would not loan Edens the money to buy KKBQ unless he could get Lander to sign a long term contract.
In this case, Lander had been handed a trump card, and steadfastly refused to sign one in order to make sure that Edens didn’t get his hands on the stations. Edens had no choice but to give up on KKBQ and purchase the rest of the Harte-Hanks group. But Edens had payback up his sleeve…
Due to a prior rivalry in Philly, Lander had no love for Jay Cook, then the President of Gannett Radio. Knowing this, Gary Edens called Jay and let him know that the KKBQ plum was available for picking. Gannett leaped at the chance to purchased the leading stations in a Top 10 market, giving Edens the last laugh…or not??
Without a non-compete, Lander played hardball with Gannett, and had arranged to take the entire staff and morning show across the street to KRBE (which had gone unsuccessfully tried to transition itself from CHR to a KVIL A/C clone,) if things fell apart. This move gave Lander unbeatable leverage, and Gannett, under duress, signed Lander to a lucrative 3 year “hands-off” deal, giving him complete creative control of the stations and their programming. Lander also negotiated huge raises for everyone on the staff, as was his way. He was a very generous man to work for.
Jeff You nailed it down to the facts.
Q Z00 Vol. 1
Scott Shannon actually was on hand for the launch of the Q-Morning Zoo when it debuted on 790 KULF AM. He sat in through out the first show. Charlie Van Dyke was also in studio for live voiceovers. I have the flip to 79Q and the debut of the Q morning zoo on CD.
I have a old aircheck of KYND! December 1981 I think?