[BC] Personalities becoming Owners?

[Jay Braswell]

> I wonder, though... there must be a number of stories here of Personalities who went on to become Owners... I'd like to see some success stories. :)

The late Buck Owens did extremely well. He bought KUZZ/Bakersfield (a 250w daytimer @ 800kHz) in 1966, and built KBBY(FM)/Bakersfield (a Class C @ 107.9 mHz) in 1967, moving the allocation from San Clemente to Bakersfield. KUZZ was country, but KBBY was a hard rock format.

Also in 1967, Buck bought KTUF/Tempe, Arizona, a 10kw daytimer @ 1580, which was eventually upgraded to 50kw-D, and finally to 50kw-N. In '68, he bought KNIX(FM)/Phoenix, a Class C @ 102.5. To the best of my knowledge, KTUF had a country format from the time of Owen's purchase. KNIX may have, too, but it definitely became a major country player later on. 

In 1969, KBBY became KZIN, and changed its format to country. KUZZ was decidedly more of a traditional country operation, while KZIN was 100% modern country. In those days, most country stations were an "aw shucks, ma'am" laid back, heavy personality oriented. The modern country format was Top-40 all the way...the only difference being the country music.

In late 1976, Buck bought KBIS, 1kw fulltimer @ 970kHz, and moved the KUZZ format to the better facility, selling the daytimer to the Four Square Gospel Church. With the move, KUZZ now becoming a 24 hour station, KZIN became KKXX, with an AOR format.

In 1984, Ownes made a deal to swap frequencies with KAFY, a 1kw fulltimer on 550kHz. With the move of KUZZ to 550, he had the best AM signal in the market, and dramatically improved it by increasing the power to 5kw daytime, and, later on, to 5kw at night.

Facing increasing country competition on FM, in 1988 Buck decided to change KKXX to KUZZ-FM, and simulcast the AM, which is how it remains today.

In 1992, Buck bought KTIE, a Class A FM station. In 1997, this station became KCWR, programming a classic country format.

In Phoenix in 1988, KNIX(AM), formerly KTUF, pioneered a new country format...Traditional Country & Western. In 1989, Owens partnered with Satellite Music Network to provide this format to other stations, with the programming originating in Phoenix. In 1990, I put the format on a station I'd bought, WBBK AM & FM/Blakely, Georgia. We changed the FM calls to WDKZ, calling the station Dixie 93. From the beginning, I called the format "Real Country", having our liners and jingles using that as a positioner. About 6 months later, Ownes & ABC/SMN changed the format name from "Traditional Country & Western" to "Real Country". While what I did likely had nothing to do with that change, I still reserve the right to occasionally stroke my ego about it!

Owens died in 2006. Prior to that, the Phoenix stations were sold. The Bakersfield stations remain under the ownership of Buck Owens Enterprises, and continue to be very successful.

All that to say that, although Owens was a huge star/personality, he was extremely successful in his many business ventures, including operation of his radio stations.