KOHU
Encyclopedia
KOHU is a radio station
licensed
to serve Hermiston, Oregon
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1956, is currently owned by West End Radio, LLC, and serves Umatilla County
and Morrow County, Oregon
.
" satellite-fed programming service from Citadel Media. In addition to its music programming, KOHU broadcasts local news
, agricultural news
, high school sports, and a community affairs program called "The Odds n Ends Show". Syndicated programming includes shows hosted by Mike Huckabee
and Dr. James Dobson. These programs run every weekday on the "Morning Update."
The Morning Update is a morning show that's hosted by Jeff Walker and Erick Olson. Also included in "The Morning Update" is "The Odds n Ends Show", with the "Flea Market", which is when people can call in and buy, sell, or trade things by leaving their number and having people call them for it later. "The Morning Update" runs an hour longer during the summer when "The Lawn and Garden Show" starts. "The Lawn and Garden Show" is a place when two extension agents, from the OSU
's Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center give expert advice to people that call in and ask for help with their lawn or garden.
in 1955 by the Federal Communications Commission
for a new AM radio station broadcasting with 250 watt
s of power, daytime-only, on a frequency of 1570 kHz. The station, assigned the KOHU call sign
by the FCC, began regular broadcast operations on February 6, 1956. In 1959, the station was authorized to increase its daytime signal power to 1,000 watts.
The Hermiston Broadcasting Company purchased KOHU from Carl F. & Sarah Knierim in a transaction that was consummated on June 9, 1966. Robert Chopping was president of the company and Harmon Springer was named the station's general manager
.
In 1968, the station was airing 12 hours of country & western music each week in addition to its previous middle of the road music format. By 1970, the format was an even split between country and MOR music.
The FCC granted KOHU authorization to add nighttime service at the same 1,000 watt power level as its daytime broadcasts, albeit with a directional antenna
array to minimize interference with other stations on the same frequency.
to the format. However, by 1978 the station was airing the pure country music
format that it would air in one form or another for the next three decades.
In February 1997, the Hermiston Broadcasting Company reached an agreement to sell KOHU to the Capps Broadcast Group through their West End Radio, LLC, subsidiary. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 16, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on May 1, 1997.
for KOHU to the Ronald L. Hughes and Gloria Hughes Living Trust. The transfer was approved by the FCC on April 7, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on April 12, 2004.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Hermiston, Oregon
Hermiston, Oregon
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,745 people, 4,964 households, and 3,360 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,035.4 people per square mile . There were 5,383 housing units at an average density of 832.9 per square mile...
, USA. The station, which began broadcasting in 1956, is currently owned by West End Radio, LLC, and serves Umatilla County
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
and Morrow County, Oregon
Morrow County, Oregon
Morrow County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon, on the south side of the Columbia River. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for one of its first white settlers, Jackson L. Morrow, who was a member of the state legislature when the county...
.
Programming
KOHU broadcasts a classic country music format relying in large part on the "Real CountryReal country
Real Country is a 24-hour radio format produced by Cumulus Media Networks. Real Country, originally one of the Satellite Music Network stations, is marketed at the 18 to 54 demographic in rural areas of the United States...
" satellite-fed programming service from Citadel Media. In addition to its music programming, KOHU broadcasts local news
Local news
In journalism, local news refers to news coverage of events in a local context which would not normally be of interest to those of other localities, or otherwise be of national or international scope.-Television:...
, agricultural news
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, high school sports, and a community affairs program called "The Odds n Ends Show". Syndicated programming includes shows hosted by Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
and Dr. James Dobson. These programs run every weekday on the "Morning Update."
The Morning Update is a morning show that's hosted by Jeff Walker and Erick Olson. Also included in "The Morning Update" is "The Odds n Ends Show", with the "Flea Market", which is when people can call in and buy, sell, or trade things by leaving their number and having people call them for it later. "The Morning Update" runs an hour longer during the summer when "The Lawn and Garden Show" starts. "The Lawn and Garden Show" is a place when two extension agents, from the OSU
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
's Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center give expert advice to people that call in and ask for help with their lawn or garden.
Launch on 1570
Original owners Carl F. & Sarah Knierim were issued a construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
in 1955 by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for a new AM radio station broadcasting with 250 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
s of power, daytime-only, on a frequency of 1570 kHz. The station, assigned the KOHU call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
by the FCC, began regular broadcast operations on February 6, 1956. In 1959, the station was authorized to increase its daytime signal power to 1,000 watts.
The Hermiston Broadcasting Company purchased KOHU from Carl F. & Sarah Knierim in a transaction that was consummated on June 9, 1966. Robert Chopping was president of the company and Harmon Springer was named the station's general manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
.
In 1968, the station was airing 12 hours of country & western music each week in addition to its previous middle of the road music format. By 1970, the format was an even split between country and MOR music.
The FCC granted KOHU authorization to add nighttime service at the same 1,000 watt power level as its daytime broadcasts, albeit with a directional antenna
Directional antenna
A directional antenna or beam antenna is an antenna which radiates greater power in one or more directions allowing for increased performance on transmit and receive and reduced interference from unwanted sources....
array to minimize interference with other stations on the same frequency.
Move to 1360
KOHU changed frequencies to 1360 kHz in 1974 which allowed the station to cover a larger area with the same power output and also allowed the station to use a non-directional antenna during the daytime. The station began to experiment by adding some rock musicRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
to the format. However, by 1978 the station was airing the pure country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format that it would air in one form or another for the next three decades.
In February 1997, the Hermiston Broadcasting Company reached an agreement to sell KOHU to the Capps Broadcast Group through their West End Radio, LLC, subsidiary. The deal was approved by the FCC on April 16, 1997, and the transaction was consummated on May 1, 1997.
KOHU today
In January 2003, the Capps Family, co-owners of KOHU licensee West End Radio, LLC, announced an agreement to transfer control of the company to Ronald L. Hughes and Gloria Hughes. The deal was approved by the FCC on February 14, 2003, and the transaction was consummated on June 4, 2003. In March 2004, Ronald L. Hughes and Gloria Hughes applied to the FCC to transfer the broadcast licenseBroadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
for KOHU to the Ronald L. Hughes and Gloria Hughes Living Trust. The transfer was approved by the FCC on April 7, 2004, and the transaction was consummated on April 12, 2004.