1976 – THE LITTLE STATION THAT FINALLY DID

KVIL had very modest beginnings as a daytime-only AM station in 1960.  An FM companion was added a year later, but not many people noticed.  KVIL launched a run at top 40 against KLIF in 1967, but again not many people noticed.  In 1969, people did start to take notice.  One of KLIF’s prominent morning men, Ron Chapman (known as Irving Harrigan on KLIF), took over the morning shift at KVIL.  Having been well-versed in Gordon McLendon’s school of radio – Chapman brought a lot to the table.  He took the showmanship of top 40 and applied to it music that would appeal to adults who grew up listening to KLIF.  The format wasn't quite MOR, and it wasn't quite top 40, today we might label such a format as “Hot AC”, but for continuity’s sake, KVIL is labeled here as “adult contemporary.”  Semantics aside, KVIL would slowly but surely grow to become the same kind of institution KLIF once was.  In the fall of ’76, KVIL would lead the ratings for the very first time, as the AM-FM simulcast edged out WBAP by one tenth of a share.                                                                                      

Elsewhere on the dial, KOAX was enjoying a solid run as the dominant beautiful music station in the market (there were five easy listening stations on the FM dial in 1976!)  KOAX’s 7.1 share in the spring marks the highest share ever for the 105.3 frequency.  While easy listening is not a format known for cut-throat competition, the DFW area would soon see one of the nation’s most intense beautiful music battles.  Despite a top 10 finish, KTLC was relaunched after the spring survey as KMEZ “EZ100”, and narrowed KOAX’s 3.5 share lead to less than a share in the very next book.

 ©2002 Arbitron Inc. 

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