KAKC first signed on the air on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1946.[3] It was founded by Sam Avey.[4] Avey was a local businessman and sports promoter, who owned the Tulsa Coliseum.[5]
When KAKC first went on the air, it was a daytime only station. It was called "The Hometown Station," with a focus on serving the Tulsa community, broadcasting local sports, local news, and some music. It originally broadcast at 1570 kilocycles on the AM dial.[6] In April 1948, the station got permission to move to 970 AM, and it also received permission to broadcast in the evenings as well as during the day.[7]
The Top 40 era
In the mid-1950s, the station got new ownership and hired Vic Lundberg and Greg Chancellor as announcers.[8] From the late 1950s to the mid-1970s, KAKC 970 AM played Top 40 hits.
Known first as "The Big 97" and later "The Rockin' 97", the station was owned (along with KAKC-FM 92.9) by S. Carl Mark. Both stations used consultant Bill Drake for their programming. KAKC 970 was the dominant Top 40 music station for much of the 1960s and early 70s in Tulsa. Then in the mid-1970s, long-time Top 40 competitor 1430 KELI (now known as KTBZ and FM upstart KTFX "The Superfox 103" (now KJSR "Star 103.3") cut into KAKC's audience.
Simulcast on FM
KAKC-FM 92.9 FM in the 1970s used an automatedoldies format during the day. It was programmed by radio consultants Drake-Chenault. From 6 p.m. to midnight, the FM simulcasted with KAKC 970 to make up for the AM's weak 250-watt nighttime signal. In the summer of 1977 KAKC-FM flipped to beautiful music and changed its call letters to KBEZ-FM (now KRQV). The station played quarter-hour sweeps of mostly soft instrumental music.
But that left 970 AM without an FM outlet at night. This led to management deciding the discontinue Top 40 hits on KAKC.
Adult Standards & Southern Gospel
In January 1979, KAKC shocked the Tulsa radio market by dropping Top 40 programming after 21 years. It flipped to adult standards. But that format was not successful in the ratings, either. A year later the station was purchased by the owners of 98.5 KCFO-FM (now KVOO-FM).
New management changed the format on 970 AM to Southern Gospel music and Christian talk programming. In 1984, the legendary 970 call letters were changed to KCFO. KCFO now has a mix of Christian talk and teaching programs with conservative talk political shows. It also carries family financial advice from Dave Ramsey on The Ramsey Show.
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