Lake Cherokee area lovers of big band, jazz and folk music are not losing their local radio station, but owner Chuck Conrad's latest move brings his unique broadcast to a larger listening base, he said.
In a deal signed Thursday with Jacksonville businessman William Waller Jr., radio station QX-FM moved from its 74-watt station to a new place on the radio dial — 100.3 FM, which carries 2,500 watts of power from a 500-foot tower, Conrad announced.
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Chuck Conrad plans to launch a new classical jazz format.
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The broadcast began shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday, he said.
Conrad said listeners throughout Longview, Henderson, Marshall, Carthage and beyond may now listen to QX-FM's programming of 1950s and 1960s non-rock hits.
For the past seven years, QX-FM has operated solely on low-power FM station 104.7. The 100.3 station will eventually become KZQX-FM and broadcast the QX-FM adult standards format, Conrad said.
"The call letter swap needs to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, which (hopefully) will only take a couple of weeks," Conrad said. "Once that is accomplished, we will launch the new classical-jazz format on the low power stations."
Federal regulators on Wednesday approved the move to Tatum-based 100.3 FM, which Conrad acquired from Waller Broadcasting Co. For the next week or so, QX-FM will broadcast simultaneously on the new station and its low-power frequency until the swap is finally approved, Conrad said.
Because FCC rules prohibit simultaneous ownership of both a full power and a low power FM station, Conrad is donating the low power license to the Church at Lake Cherokee. Radio veteran Jim Allen will take the helm as the low power FM station's general manager, and Conrad will manage the full power station.
Allen also serves as the full power station's general sales manager. Church officials have indicated they would like Conrad to assist the station with programming, which he has agreed to do, he said.
"The church plans for the low power FM station to become Classical KXAL and do a light classical and jazz format," Conrad said. "That way, the call sign stays in the area and it picks up some of the void that was created when Kilgore College sold its classical and jazz station, KTPB."
The station can also be heard online at www.kzqx.com.
