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KEBC

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Coordinates: 35°26′27″N 97°29′24″W / 35.44083°N 97.49000°W / 35.44083; -97.49000
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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by John of Reading (talk | contribs) at 20:46, 16 January 2016 (Typo/general fixes, replaced: is been → is being, typo(s) fixed: all time → all-time, 24 hour → 24-hour using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

KEBC
Broadcast areaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Frequency1560 kHz
BrandingThe Franchise 2
Programming
FormatSports talk
AffiliationsNBC Sports Radio
Ownership
Owner
History
First air date
1969
Former call signs
KWCO-FM
Technical information
Facility ID6747
ClassB
Power1,000 watts day
250 watts night
Transmitter coordinates
35°26′27″N 97°29′24″W / 35.44083°N 97.49000°W / 35.44083; -97.49000
Links
Websitehttp://www.thefranchiseok.com/Franchise2/home.aspx

KEBC is a radio station serving the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma market. KEBC broadcasts on 1560 kHz. For many years, the KEBC call letters were at 1340 in Oklahoma City (now KGHM). The station's studios are located in Northeast Oklahoma City and a transmitter site is south of the downtown area.

In March 2013, KEBC switched to a comedy format, and a translator application was filed with the FCC to bring KEBC's programming to FM.[1] On August 1, 2014, KEBC flipped to sports, as a sister station to KRXO, as "The Franchise 2". With the change, KEBC joined NBC Sports Radio.

On March 25, 2015 the three radio towers of sister station KOKC were partially if not completely destroyed when a tornado passed through Moore, Oklahoma. KOKC is currently off air while the towers are repaired or replaced, however KOKC'S programming is being temporally transmitted on KEBC broadcast signal.[2]

History

KEBC was originally on 94.7FM. It originally stood for The Electronic Broadcast Company. For many years, under the management of Ralph Tyler, it used the slogan "Keep Every Body Country" and was the top country station in Oklahoma City.[3]

For a number of years the callsign was warehoused on 1340 AM (by CC to keep it away from the Tylers) irroncially on the former KOCY radio, which for years was owned by Matt Bonebrake, was one of the first rock-and-roll stations in the OKC metro area back in the latter part of the 50s. The studios for KOCY back then were located at the Plaza Court Building at 10th and Classen. Dale Wheba, among others were jocks there. KOCY was one of the first 24-hour stations in the country at the time. It was rumored that Bonebrake made a million dollars a year for several years during KOCY's top-40 rock and roll days. When KOMA and then WKY dumped the network stuff and switched to rock and roll KOCY went "Modern Music" which is basically an MOR adult music format of the day. Studios for KOCY were eventually moved to 28th and Oklahoma, where 1340 currently still has transmitter facilities sporting the call of KEBC-AM. After the station moved to 28th and Oklahoma, and switched to the Middle of the Road format, it went off the air at midnight.

Then in 1969, Matthew Bonebrake decided to once again go twenty-four hours. The first all-night disc jockey was legendary radio personality Vin Smith (then known as Mel Smith), who later gained fame as The Midnight Bookworm on CRN Digital Talk. Smith later moved the Midnight Bookworm book show to America First Radio, where it is a part of the Night Shift program, starring Uncle Buck, and the International UFO Institute Radio Program, where he co-hosts with Col. Ripster. Other fine broadcasters at KOCY were Al Cohen, who had a morning show on KOCY in the late 60s, and sportscasters Ross Porter, of Los Angeles Dodgers broadcasting fame, and NBC's all-time great, Curt Gowdy. Porter hosted sports reports. One of the great voices of radio, former Mutual Broadcasting mainstay Carlton Beck also worked at KOCY, late in his career. Beck was a close personal friend of owner Matthew Bonebrake, and had a wildly popular music program that ended at midnight (another recycled OKC call from the past).

In 2003, the KOCY callsign was selected by Tyler for their new 1560 AM station (the former KWCO(AM), Chickasha) that was moved into the Oklahoma City market, licensed to Del City. From the beginning of 1560's existence as a "DEL CITY" station it was affiliated with the Radio Disney network, until March 2013 when it flipped to 24/7 Comedy.

As a stroke of strange Oklahoma radio irony, Clear Channel gave up the KEBC call sign in October 2010. Very quickly the Tyler group changed 1560's call letters to KEBC. The truly ironic thing about this is KEBC was originally the callsign of Ralph Tyler's 94.7 KEBC(FM). The KOCY callsign was originally of course on 1340.

On August 1, 2014 the station flipped to sports talk as The Franchise 2, branding itself as a sister station KRXO, known as "The Franchise". The station joined NBC Sports Radio with the change. On November 1, 2014 the translator now is sold to KRXO.

References

  1. ^ Lance Venta, "Comedy Comes To Oklahoma City", Radio Insight, March 25, 2013.
  2. ^ "Tornado Reportedly Hits KOKC Towers". allaccess.com. March 25, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  3. ^ Marcia Shottenkirk, "The Century Club: Ralph Tyler", The Journal Record, November 5, 2007  – via Questia (subscription required) .
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