KMJQ
Encyclopedia
KMJQ, "Majic 102.1" is a Houston radio station
with an urban adult contemporary
musical format. It is owned by Radio One.
, a Houston suburb. At a time when FM typically aired "elevator music", it was the first FM station in the Houston area to broadcast an adult contemporary and hourly news format. In 1962 and 1963 it became the first FM station in Texas to win major news awards from the UPI Texas Broadcasters' Association, including story of the year and best news coverage in population class.
In 1964, the station was sold, changed its call letters to KMSC, and was moved to Clear Lake City on Galveston Bay. Styled the "Voice of the Manned Spacecraft Center", it broadcast news about the space program and easy listening
music.
The station call letters changed to KLYX or "Clicks" as an easy listening station. In 1975, it became an affiliate of NBC Radio's national News and Information Service. This aired from 1975 to the end of the service in early 1977. The all-news operation originated from then-new studios in Houston. The station operated under a waiver of the FCC rules known as "Arizona Waiver" after a Glendale, Arizona station then owned by Arizona Broadcasting Corporation. Back when the main studio of a station had to be inside the city of license, the Arizona Waiver allowed a station to air its recorded, non-network shows from an 'auxiliary' studio (in this case more convenient Houston) and then the live local public affairs shows would air from a city of license studio. This worked well with the easy listening format, as 94% of the station was recorded music and commercials. The 6% news and non entertainment items could originate from the main studio. This was expanded to let the station broadcast its local and non network shows from the Clear Lake studios.
In 1979, the Clear Lake City area was annexed by Houston, and Houston became the city of license. In 1982, the transmitter was moved from downtown Houston (Shell Plaza tower farm, where it had been since 1973) to the new shared tower at Missouri City
.
KMJQ began broadcasting in 1978 as Houston's first Urban
radio station on the FM dial. It began as "Majic 102", and in 1991, it became "Majic 102 Jamz" during its transition in 1992 to 102 Jamz. Reggae was played in rotation during the transition. In 1991, KBXX
went on the air with Hip Hop and R&B in the playlists. When KBXX and KMJQ became co-owned in 1994, KMJQ modified its format to Urban Adult Contemporary
and changed its branding to Majic 102, The Majic Is Back!, playing mostly R&B Hits and Oldies. In 2003, the name was modified adding "point 1" to the moniker, thus Majic 102.1 to avoid frequency confusion with Beaumont, Texas
Urban radio station KTCX "Magic 102.5".
Today, KMJQ carries nationally syndicated Tom Joyner
Morning Show in morning drive.
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...
with an urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
musical format. It is owned by Radio One.
History
The station originally went on-the-air in 1961 as KAJC-FM with studios and transmitter in Alvin, TexasAlvin, Texas
Alvin is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area and Brazoria County. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 21,413. Alvin's claim to fame is Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, who moved with his family to the city in 1947 as...
, a Houston suburb. At a time when FM typically aired "elevator music", it was the first FM station in the Houston area to broadcast an adult contemporary and hourly news format. In 1962 and 1963 it became the first FM station in Texas to win major news awards from the UPI Texas Broadcasters' Association, including story of the year and best news coverage in population class.
In 1964, the station was sold, changed its call letters to KMSC, and was moved to Clear Lake City on Galveston Bay. Styled the "Voice of the Manned Spacecraft Center", it broadcast news about the space program and easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
music.
The station call letters changed to KLYX or "Clicks" as an easy listening station. In 1975, it became an affiliate of NBC Radio's national News and Information Service. This aired from 1975 to the end of the service in early 1977. The all-news operation originated from then-new studios in Houston. The station operated under a waiver of the FCC rules known as "Arizona Waiver" after a Glendale, Arizona station then owned by Arizona Broadcasting Corporation. Back when the main studio of a station had to be inside the city of license, the Arizona Waiver allowed a station to air its recorded, non-network shows from an 'auxiliary' studio (in this case more convenient Houston) and then the live local public affairs shows would air from a city of license studio. This worked well with the easy listening format, as 94% of the station was recorded music and commercials. The 6% news and non entertainment items could originate from the main studio. This was expanded to let the station broadcast its local and non network shows from the Clear Lake studios.
In 1979, the Clear Lake City area was annexed by Houston, and Houston became the city of license. In 1982, the transmitter was moved from downtown Houston (Shell Plaza tower farm, where it had been since 1973) to the new shared tower at Missouri City
Missouri City, Texas
Missouri City is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion within Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S...
.
KMJQ began broadcasting in 1978 as Houston's first Urban
Mainstream Urban
Mainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
radio station on the FM dial. It began as "Majic 102", and in 1991, it became "Majic 102 Jamz" during its transition in 1992 to 102 Jamz. Reggae was played in rotation during the transition. In 1991, KBXX
KBXX
KBXX is a Houston-based radio station with an urban contemporary musical format. It is owned by Radio One. Its transmitter is located in Missouri City, Texas. 97.9 The Box is currently the only station that plays hip hop and modern R&B music in the Greater Houston area after the demise of KPTY in...
went on the air with Hip Hop and R&B in the playlists. When KBXX and KMJQ became co-owned in 1994, KMJQ modified its format to Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
and changed its branding to Majic 102, The Majic Is Back!, playing mostly R&B Hits and Oldies. In 2003, the name was modified adding "point 1" to the moniker, thus Majic 102.1 to avoid frequency confusion with Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
Urban radio station KTCX "Magic 102.5".
Today, KMJQ carries nationally syndicated Tom Joyner
Tom Joyner
Thomas "Tom" Joyner is an American radio host, host of the nationally syndicated The Tom Joyner Morning Show, and also founder of REACH Media Inc., the Tom Joyner Foundation, and BlackAmericaWeb.com.-Early life:...
Morning Show in morning drive.