1.
Houston Astros
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The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros are members of the American League West division in Major League Baseball, the Astros have played their home games at Minute Maid Park since 2000. The Astros were established as the Houston Colt. 45s and entered the National League in 1962 with the expansion New York Mets. The current name—reflecting Houstons role as the center of the U. S. space program—was adopted three years later, when they moved into the Astrodome, the worlds first domed sports stadium. The Astros played in the NL from 1962 to 2012 and they played in the West division from 1969 to 1993, and the Central division from 1994 to 2012. The Astros have played in one World Series in 2005 against the Chicago White Sox, from 1888 until 1961, Houstons professional baseball club was the minor league Houston Buffaloes. Although expansion from the National League eventually brought an MLB team to Texas in 1962, Houston officials had been making efforts to do so for years prior. There were four men responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Houston, George Kirksey and Craig Cullinan. They formed the Houston Sports Association as their vehicle for attaining a big league franchise for the city of Houston and they called the new league the Continental League. Wanting to protect potential new markets, both existing leagues chose to expand from eight teams to ten, however, plans eventually fell through for the Houston franchise after the Houston Buffaloes owner, Marty Marion, could not come to an agreement with the HSA to sell the team. To make matters worse, the Continental League as a whole folded in August 1960, however, on October 17,1960, the National League granted an expansion franchise to the Houston Sports Association in which their team could begin play in the 1962 season. Eventually, the Houston Sports Association succeeded in purchasing the Houston Buffaloes, at this point majority-owned by William Hopkins, the Buffs played one last minor league season as the top farm team of the Chicago Cubs in 1961 before being succeeded by the citys NL club. The new Houston team was named the Colt. 45s after a Name The Team contest was won by William Irving Neder, the Colt.45 was well known as the gun that won the west. The colors selected were blue and orange. The first team was formed mostly through a draft after the 1961 season. The Colt. 45s and their cousins, the New York Mets. Many of those associated with the Houston Buffaloes organization were allowed by the ownership to continue in the major league, Manager Harry Craft, who had joined Houston in 1961, remained in the same position for the team until the end of the 1964 season. General manager Spec Richardson also continued with the organization as business manager, similarly, the radio broadcasting team remained with the new Houston major league franchise
2.
Major League Baseball
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Major League Baseball is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. A total of 30 teams now play in the National League and American League, the NL and AL operated as separate legal entities from 1876 and 1901 respectively. After cooperating but remaining legally separate entities since 1903, the merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball in 2000. The organization also oversees Minor League Baseball, which comprises about 240 teams affiliated with the Major League clubs, with the World Baseball Softball Confederation, MLB manages the international World Baseball Classic tournament. Baseballs first professional team was founded in Cincinnati in 1869,30 years after Abner Doubleday supposedly invented the game of baseball, the first few decades of professional baseball were characterized by rivalries between leagues and by players who often jumped from one team or league to another. The period before 1920 in baseball was known as the dead-ball era, Baseball survived a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series, which came to be known as the Black Sox Scandal. The sport rose in popularity in the 1920s, and survived potential downturns during the Great Depression, shortly after the war, baseballs color barrier was broken by Jackie Robinson. The 1950s and 1960s were a time of expansion for the AL and NL, then new stadiums, Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s, and media reports began to discuss the use of anabolic steroids among Major League players in the mid-2000s. In 2006, an investigation produced the Mitchell Report, which implicated many players in the use of performance-enhancing substances, today, MLB is composed of thirty teams, twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. Baseball broadcasts are aired on television, radio, and the Internet throughout North America, MLB has the highest season attendance of any sports league in the world with more than 73 million spectators in 2015. MLB is governed by the Major League Baseball Constitution and this document has undergone several incarnations since 1875, with the most recent revisions being made in 2012. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball, MLB hires and maintains the sports umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, MLB maintains a unique, controlling relationship over the sport, including most aspects of Minor League Baseball. This ruling has been weakened only slightly in subsequent years, the weakened ruling granted more stability to the owners of teams and has resulted in values increasing at double-digit rates. There were several challenges to MLBs primacy in the sport between the 1870s and the Federal League in 1916, the last attempt at a new league was the aborted Continental League in 1960. The chief executive of MLB is the commissioner, Rob Manfred, the chief operating officer is Tony Petitti. There are five other executives, president, chief officer, chief legal officer, chief financial officer. The multimedia branch of MLB, which is based in Manhattan, is MLB Advanced Media and this branch oversees MLB. com and each of the 30 teams websites. Its charter states that MLB Advanced Media holds editorial independence from the league, MLB Productions is a similarly structured wing of the league, focusing on video and traditional broadcast media
3.
Kojima Productions
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Kojima Productions Co. Ltd. is a Japanese video game development studio founded in 2005 by video game designer Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series. The company was established as a subsidiary of Konami, located in Tokyo. The studio had just under 100 employees in 2005, but had grown to over 200 people for the development of Metal Gear Solid 4, in 2015, Kojima Productions temporarily disbanded following a company restructuring at Konami. In December 2015, Kojimas employment contract with Konami was officially terminated, the studio was formed on April 1,2005, after Konami merged several of its subsidiaries including Kojimas team at Konami Computer Entertainment Japan. Kojima stated the merger relieved him of business management and administrative burdens he had as KCEJs vice president, and that as head of Kojima Productions he could focus on creating games. He stated, To elaborate a little bit more, I am now in a position within Konami as one of the members of the board, and its true that I do have a responsibility, and also respect, within the company. However, when I say as a creator, I want to create new game. People still ask, will sell, will that be good. Nobody really understands whether it would be an instant hit or whatever, im not just talking about the top executives, but even the development staff. But that is my challenge, actually and they do not understand what they cannot see instantly, so they cant say thats a great idea straight away. Thats my challenge, and my satisfaction when I present to them, and if I get more boos about it - if they say, No. We dont know youre talking about. Then this is actually the fun part, the company completed and released Metal Gear Solid, HD Collection, a compilation of Metal Gear Solid 2,3 and Peace Walker. They also released Metal Gear Solid, Snake Eater 3D for the Nintendo 3DS as a port of the original game Metal Gear Solid 3, Snake Eater. In early 2014, they released Metal Gear Solid V, Ground Zeroes as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V, The Phantom Pain, which was released in 2015. These actions led to speculation that Kojima was planning on leaving the company after the release of The Phantom Pain, on March 19, an anonymous employee reported to GameSpot that these changes were a result of conflicts between Kojima and Konami. A Konami spokesperson denied that Kojima was leaving the company, and stated that he would still be involved with Konami and the Metal Gear franchise. Kojima himself confirmed in a statement that he was still 100% involved in the completion of The Phantom Pain, MGS V voice actress Donna Burke claimed in a posting on Twitter that Kojima had actually been fired, although Konami denied these claims and Burke revoked her statement
4.
Al Helfer
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George Alvin Al Helfer was an American radio sportscaster. Nicknamed Mr. Radio Baseball, Helfer worked seven World Series, ten All-Star Games, and regular season broadcasts for several teams and he also did the broadcast of the Army–Navy Game during the 1940s and 1950s, and several Rose Bowl games. Helfer was born in Elrama, Pennsylvania and he started working on broadcasting recreations of baseball games in 1933 for Pittsburgh Pirates games. He joined Red Barber as the regular broadcast team of the Cincinnati Reds in 1935 and he left Cincinnati to join CBS in 1937, working a few baseball games and a lot of football games. Helfer was reunited with Barber on the Brooklyn Dodgers broadcasts in 1939 and they worked together until 1941, when Helfer joined the U. S. Navy during World War II. When he returned the Dodgers job was no longer available, so Helfer started doing Game of the Day broadcasts for Mutual and he was paired with Dizzy Dean on the networks broadcasts in the early 1950s, though the two men often argued and never got along. He did eventually rejoin the Dodgers for their last years in Brooklyn, calling their home game. He worked a number of teams after that, including the Houston Colt. 45s, Denver Broncos and his second wife was vaudeville performer Ramona, they married on 14 June 1944, and stayed together until her death in December 1972. The following June, he married Sacramento resident Margaret Grabbe, to whom he remained married until his death and he died, aged 63, in Sacramento, California. Major League Baseball All-Star Game World Series Catfish Hunters 1968 perfect game Excerpt from Baseballs 101 All-Time Best Announcers book Baseball Library bio The Golden Voices of Baseball book
5.
Mickey Herskowitz
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Mickey Herskowitz was born as Milton Leon Herskowitz on April 4,1933, in Houston, Texas to Herbert S. and Sarah Rheva Herskowitz, perhaps most notable as the former ghost writer to George W. Bush. He has written more than 30 books and has worked on autobiographies with several athletes and he also was a sportswriter and columnist for the Houston Post and the Houston Chronicle. Herskowitzs father was born to Czech parents in Illinois, who relocated to El Paso and his mother was born in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada, but had also lived in Matamoras, Mexico before relocating to Texas, where she met and married Herbert in 1930. He had a sister named Phyllis Florence Herskowitz. He asked Herskowitz to ghostwrite it for him, after agreeing to write The Camera Never Blinks with Dan Rather, other projects were delayed because of the pressure to finish the Rather book. Herskowitz held many meetings with the then-Texas Governor George W, the contract that both parties signed ensured the proceeds would be split between the two. The publisher of the book was William Morrow and Company, Herskowitz was given unprecedented access to Bush, met him around 20 times to discuss the project. Work on the began in May 1999, and within two months Herskowitz had completed all chapters, and submitted ten. Herskowitz was replaced after Bushs handlers decided that the candidates views, Herskowitz once said of his former employer, He thought of himself as a superior, more modern politician than his father and Jim Baker. He told me, ‘ could have done anything, if I had that political capital, I would have taken Iraq. In response to Astroturf replacing the grass inside the Astrodome, Herskowitz commented, Now Houston has the only ballpark in the major leagues with its own built-in. In 1972, Herskowitz covered the tragedy at the Munich Olympics and he was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, and was the 3rd annual recipient of the Jimmy Wynn Toy Cannon Award in 2006, for community service. He was known for his occasional series Letters from Lefty about a mythical southpaw pitcher for the lowly Houston Colt. 45s and he was hapless, only getting through an inning by the miraculous fielding plays of his team or simply pure luck. Leftys style of writing was self-effacing and his ability backed it up, the best of these columns were compiled into a book that was popular locally in Houston. Herskowitz covered the first game in 1962 played by the Colt. 45s, who later became the Houston Astros
6.
Harry Kalas
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Harold Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead announcer for Major League Baseballs Philadelphia Phillies. Kalas was also identified with the National Football League, serving as a voice-over narrator for NFL Films productions. Kalas collapsed in the Washington Nationals broadcast booth on April 13,2009, about an hour before a Phillies game was scheduled to begin against the Nationals, and died soon afterward. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kalas graduated from Naperville High School in 1954, upon graduation, he was immediately drafted into the United States Army and stationed in Hawaii. After his discharge in 1961, Kalas began calling minor-league baseball games for the Hawaii Islanders, Kalas had three sons, Todd, Brad, and Kane. Todd Kalas was a Phillies broadcaster, worked as a pregame/postgame–show host, Kalas made his major-league debut in 1965 with the Houston Astros, replacing Al Helfer and working alongside Gene Elston and Loel Passe. He called the first game at Houstons Astrodome, on April 12,1965 and he was hired by the Phillies in 1971 to succeed Bill Campbell, and was the master of ceremonies at the 1971 opening of Veterans Stadium. After the retirement of By Saam, Kalas was paired with Andy Musser, during his Phillies career, he called six no-hit games, six National League Championship Series, and three World Series. However, due to MLB rules at the time, he could not call the 1980 World Series, as local broadcasters were not allowed to call due to contract conflicts with MLB, NBC. Public outcry caused MLB to change its policies the following year, Kalas also called the first game at Veterans Stadium, the last game at Veterans Stadium, and the first game at Citizens Bank Park. Kalas was sidelined for a few days in late July 2008 to treat a detached retina, on April 8,2009, the Phillies honored Kalas by having him throw out the first pitch before a game against the Atlanta Braves. Kalass pitch was part of the ceremony in which the Phillies received their 2008 World Series championship rings. The ceremony would be part of Kalass last home game, on May 15,2009, during a series in Washington, the Phillies visited the White House and were congratulated by President Barack Obama for their 2008 World Series championship. The visit had been postponed from April 14, due to Kalass death the preceding day, the President mentioned Kalas, his voice, his love for the Phillies, and his legacy. This was the second of two tributes to Kalas in Washington, on April 21, eight days after Kalass death, then-U. S. Congressman Joe Sestak paid tribute to Kalas in the House of Representatives, at the time, Sestak represented Pennsylvanias 7th congressional district, where Kalas resided. Kalas and Ashburn became beloved figures in Philadelphia, and also became best friends and they worked together for 27 seasons until Ashburns death on September 9,1997 of a heart attack in his sleep in a New York City hotel room after broadcasting a Phillies/Mets game at Shea Stadium
7.
Bob Prince
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Prince was one of the most distinct and popular voices in sports broadcast history, known for his gravel voice, unabashed style and clever nicknames and phrases, which came to be known as Gunnerisms. His unique manner influenced a number of broadcasters after him, including Pittsburgh Penguins voice Mike Lange, Prince called Pirates games from 1948 to 1975, including the World Series championship years of 1960 and 1971. Nationally, Prince broadcast the 1960,1966, and 1971 World Series and he also broadcast at different times for other Pittsburgh-area sports teams, including Steelers football and Penguins hockey. Prince was born in Los Angeles and his father was a former West Point football player and a career military man. An Army brat, he attended many schools before graduating from Schenley High School in Pittsburgh, an athlete himself, he lettered in swimming at the University of Pittsburgh. Prince worked for radio station WJAS, then landed a sports show on KDKA-TV, Prince joined Rosey Rowswell in the Pirates broadcast booth as a commentator in 1948, and he was promoted to the top spot shortly after Rowswells death in February 1955. He also broadcast Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State football in the 1950s, as a result of his distinct voice, knowledge of baseball, and high-profile persona, Prince was very popular among Pirates supporters. Prince was a fixture on team broadcasts for three decades on KDKA-AM, a clear channel station that could be heard throughout the eastern United States after sundown. A regular smoker and social drinker, the fun-loving Prince jumped from the floor of the Chase Hotel in St. Louis into a swimming pool in 1957. It was Woods who first referred to Prince as The Gunner, some say this was because of his staccato, rapid-fire style, others claim it was the result of an incident with a jealous, gun-toting husband. To be sure, no one bled black and gold like Prince did before or since, invariably, when his Buccos were trailing in the late innings by two runs, hed say, We need a bloop and a blast. If calling for three runs, he would say, We need a bleeder, a bloop and a blast. His partisanship slipped over into Woods style as well, and by the mid-60s, The Possum would be announcing the presence of pinch-hitter Jesse Gonder with, Prince was more of a rooter than a homer, in that he always showed respect to opponents and the game alike. Like the vast majority of broadcasters of his time, he rarely second-guessed players or managers and he was especially close friends with Milwaukee Braves pitchers Warren Spahn and Lew Burdette. In 1966, Prince popularized a good-luck charm known as the Green Weenie, never underestimate the power of the Green Weenie, he liked to assure listeners. At the height of the popularity in 1966, Prince often punctuated the last out of a Bucs victory by exclaiming. The pins shape and color is derived from the pickle shaped pins distributed to schoolchildren when they toured the H. J. Heinz Company factory in Pittsburgh. By late season, with the Pirates in a pennant race with the Dodgers and Giants
8.
Dewayne Staats
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Dewayne Staats is a sports broadcaster who has been the television play-by-play commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays since they began play in 1998. He is currently teamed with color commentator Brian Anderson, Staats has been a broadcaster for several teams over his 30+ year career. Staats was born in Advance, Missouri and moved at some point in his youth to Wood River, Illinois, Staats regularly listened to the St. Louis Cardinals baseball broadcasts, featuring Harry Caray and Jack Buck. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1975 with a degree in Mass Communications, Staats began announcing professional baseball with the Oklahoma City 89ers while still a student at SIUE. After graduation, he was director at KPLR-TV in St. Louis, then he worked for the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees. Staats first wife, Dee, died in 2005 after a battle with cancer. He has since remarried to the former Carla Berry and he has two daughters, Stephanie and Alexandra, from his first marriage. Stephanie is married to former MLB relief pitcher Dan Wheeler, Staats has three grandchildren, Gabriel, Zachary, and little Evie. With the Cubs, Staats called the first MLB night game in Wrigley Field history with Steve Stone on August 8,1988, although the game was canceled due to rain. Staats celebrated his 30th season as a Major League Baseball announcer in 2006, among the several no-hitters Staats has announced were Nolan Ryans record fifth on September 26,1981 and one-handed pitcher Jim Abbotts September 13,1993 no-no for the Yankees. Staats announced college football and college basketball games during his tenure at ESPN, only three players have hit a home run for their 3000th hit, Jeter, Boggs, and Alex Rodriguez. Staats announced each one except for A-Rods, as a promotion in 2006, dual talking bobblehead dolls of Staats and Joe Magrane were given away at a home game against the Seattle Mariners. The Dewayne Staats Award for Broadcast Journalism was established in 2008 by the Mass Communications Department at SIUE and this award recognizes a student who exhibits Staats’s passion for sports, and who demonstrates the writing, announcing and analytical skills needed to excel in the field of Sports Journalism. He was named recipient of the SIUE Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award in 1987 and he became a member of the SIUE Alumni Hall of Fame in 2006 and of the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Staats has been nominated for the Ford C. Frick Award, the path to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Staats and his broadcast team have won multiple local Emmy awards from the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
9.
Milo Hamilton
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Leland Milo Hamilton was an American sportscaster, best known for calling play-by-play for seven different Major League Baseball teams since 1953. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 and he was known by his middle name, which is pronounced MY-loh. Hamilton was born in Fairfield, Iowa, a city in the southeastern part of the state. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, during his time in the Navy, he broadcast on Armed Forces Radio. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1949, Louis Browns of the American League. When the Browns moved to Baltimore as the Orioles, Hamilton did not make the move, instead, he moved to the St. Louis Cardinals, where he worked alongside Harry Caray and Jack Buck during the 1954 season. However, he was let go after one year when the Cardinals wanted a spot in the booth for Joe Garagiola. Hamilton next moved to the Chicago Cubs, working alongside Jack Brickhouse, after three years, he was let go when Cubs owner P. K. Wrigley wanted to make room for Lou Boudreau as a broadcaster. After four years away from baseball, Hamilton moved to the Chicago White Sox in 1961, when the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta for the 1966 season, Hamilton got the call to become the teams play-by-play announcer. Hamiltons voice was somewhat known in Atlanta, local station WGST had been part of the White Sox radio network in the early 1960s. Hamilton was paired with Ernie Johnson, Sr. a retired Braves player, Hamilton soon became so popular in Atlanta that executives with Braves flagship station WSB-TV credited the Braves high ratings on television in part to Hamilton. The Braves did not draw good attendance at that time because of several seasons from 1971 through 1975. Hamilton criticized the poor attendance on the air and he refused to gloss over this issue, and the Braves owners fired him after the 1975 season. Instead, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 1976 season, any announcer would have had difficulty following the deeply entrenched Prince, who had been part of the Pirates broadcast team since 1948 and who had been the Pirates top announcer since 1954. Hamilton was the subject of biting criticism by sportswriters and by fans, most of them were used to Princes folksy style, and they thought that Hamilton was too restrained. One writer derided Hamiltons style as broadcast-school professionalism, unhappy in Pittsburgh, Hamilton jumped at a chance to return to Chicago in 1980 to join the Cubs broadcast team alongside Brickhouse, Lloyd and Boudreau. Brickhouse himself called Hamilton the voice of the Cubs for years to come just before he retired in 1981 and that plan changed when Harry Caray, discontented with new White Sox ownership, was brought in shortly after the Tribune Company bought the Cubs. Hamilton and Caray never got along, in part because Hamilton blamed Caray for his replacement with Garagiola 27 years earlier in St. Louis, Hamilton also claimed that Caray said on the air that he had mailed alimony checks to all of his ex-wives
10.
Brett Dolan
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Brett Dolan is an American radio sportscaster who previously served as the play-by-play announcer for the Houston Astros. He was chosen to fill in as a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos in 2003 and 2004, in 2004, he represented the Pacific Coast League in calling the Triple-A All-Star Game. He was Arizona Sportscaster of the Year in 2002 and 2003, in November 2005 he worked the Olympic baseball qualifying tournament in Phoenix. Outside of baseball, he covers University of Arizona football and basketball and was the public address announcer for the inaugural Texas Bowl game in 2006, a native of Casey, Iowa, he graduated from the University of Iowa in 1992. Dolan and his wife Betsy make their home in Sugar Land, Texas with their son, Will and daughter, Kate
11.
Alan Ashby
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Alan Dean Ashby is an American former professional baseball player and current radio and television sports commentator. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays and he was the catcher for two Astros teams that won division pennants. Born in Long Beach, California, Ashby attended San Pedro High School in Los Angeles where he was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the round of the 1969 Major League Baseball Draft. After spending four seasons in the leagues, he made his major league debut with the Indians on July 3,1973. In his first game, Ashby was a replacement in the ninth inning. The next day, on July 4, Ashby was in the starting lineup, Ashby collected his first career hit off of Tigers pitcher Mike Strahler in his first career at-bat. On September 29, Ashby hit his first career home run, Ashby finished the 1973 season appearing in 11 games with Cleveland, batting.172 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. In 1976, Ashby shared playing time with Ray Fosse, and in 89 games, on November 5,1976, the Indians traded Ashby and Doug Howard to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Al Fitzmorris. Ashby and Howard became the first players acquired via trade for the newly established Blue Jays, Ashby saw the majority of time catching the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1977 season, as he appeared in 124 games, batting.210 with 2 HR and 29 RBI. Ashby was second in the American League catching 59 base stealers, despite seeing his playing time dip to 81 games in 1978, Ashby improved his offensive numbers, hitting.261 with 9 HR and 29 RBI, as Ashby shared the Blue Jays catching duties with Rick Cerone. On November 27, the Blue Jays traded Ashby to the Houston Astros for J. J, cannon, Pedro Hernandez, and Mark Lemongello. In 2007, sports columnist Bob Elliott referred to it as the worst trade in Toronto Blue Jays history, in his first season with the team, Ashby appeared in 108 games, hitting.202 with 2 home runs and 35 RBI. In 1980, Ashby saw his numbers improve, as he batted.256 with 3 HR and 48 RBI in 116 games. During the 1981 season, Ashby caught his second career no-hitter, as Nolan Ryan kept the Los Angeles Dodgers hitless on September 26, Ashby continued to see his offensive numbers improve, in 83 games he hit.271 with 4 HR and 33 RBI. In the postseason, Ashby appeared in three games, hitting.111 with 1 HR and 2 RBI as the Astros lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1981 National League Division Series. Ashby played in 100 games during the season, hitting.257 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI and his 12 home runs were the second highest total on the team, one fewer than Phil Garner. During the 1983 season, Ashby saw his batting average dip to.229, in 1984, Ashby became the Astros backup catcher, as Mark Bailey played the majority of games. In 66 games, Ashby hit.262 with 4 HR and 27 RBI
12.
Steve Sparks (pitcher, born 1965)
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Steven William Sparks is a former knuckleball-throwing right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher, who graduated from Holland Hall High School, then attended Sam Houston State University in 1987. In addition to the knuckler, Sparks threw an occasional slider, Sparks was drafted in the 5th round by the Milwaukee Brewers. He learned to throw the ball in 1991. He bounced around in the Brewers minor league system until 1995, before the 1995 season, Sparks was infamously known for having ripped a phone book and dislocating his throwing shoulder, having kept him from making the team in 1994. Sparks pitched in 33 games for the Brewers in 1995, also making 27 starts and he finished 9-11 with 3 complete games. The following season, Sparks split time between pitching with the Brewers and pitching in AAA. He pitched in 11 games at AAA, going 2-6 with a 4.99 ERA while with the Brewers he pitched in 20 games and he was beset by control issues, striking out 21 and walking 52 in 88.2 innings. He also allowed 19 home runs, Sparks underwent Tommy John surgery in 1997. After the 1997 season, Sparks was let go by the organization, in 1998, Sparks signed with the Angels while he recovered from surgery. On June 16, Sparks made his return since the end of the 1996 season, for the season, Sparks finished with a 9-4 record in 22 games. In 1999, Sparks control issues returned, prohibiting him from gaining his effectiveness from the previous year, in 26 starts, he finished with a record of 5-11 and a 5.42 ERA. He induced 82 walks while striking out 73 in 147.2 innings, in 2000, the Tigers signed Sparks to a minor league deal. He made four appearances with the team before getting demoted to AAA and he got called back up on July 22. He finished the season in the rotation, going 7-5, in 2001, Sparks enjoyed the best season of his career, setting career highs in wins, ERA, innings, complete games and strikeouts. Sparks regressed the following year, going 8-16 in 30 starts for the Tigers, Sparks was demoted to the bullpen in 2003 in favor of rookie pitcher Jeremy Bonderman. Sparks was let go after 42 games and signed with the Oakland As 4 days later, Sparks latched on with the As and pitched in 9 games. His record between the As and Tigers was 0-6 in 51 games, in 2004, the Diamondbacks signed Sparks to a 1-year deal. Sparks finished 3-7 in 29 games, in January 25,2005, Sparks was signed to a minor league deal with the Padres
13.
Todd Kalas
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Todd Harry Kalas is a television broadcaster for the Houston Astros. He is the son of the late longtime Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame, in 1988, Kalas graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He moved to Tampa Bay as sports director at Vision Cable in Clearwater and he began his baseball career in 1991 with the Louisville Redbirds. Before joining the Rays, he was on the radio broadcast team of the New York Mets for two years, and the television broadcast team of the Philadelphia Phillies for three years with his father. In 1998 Kalas joined the Rays broadcasting team for their inaugural season and he worked on Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports in his primary role as pregame and postgame host and in-game reporter, and also substituted as color commentator when needed. He also filled in with play-by-play on both the Rays television and radio networks, on December 22,2016 Kalas was hired to be the Houston Astros play-by-play announcer. In the offseason, Todd Kalas works with Cox Sports Television in Louisiana and he is a part of the University of South Florida basketball radio broadcast team. He also fills in as pregame host for the Tampa Bay Lightning, todds ball was thrown to former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt, who is also in the Philadelphia Baseball Hall of Fame
14.
Larry Dierker
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Lawrence Edward Dierker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, manager, and broadcaster. During a 14-year baseball career as a pitcher, he pitched from 1964–1977 for the Houston Colt. 45s/Astros and he also managed the Astros for five years. Signed by the Colt. 45s at age 17, Dierker made his pitching debut on his 18th birthday –. In 1969, he became the Astros first 20-game winner, while compiling a 2.33 earned run average,20 complete games and 232 strikeouts over 305 innings and he was elected to the National League All-Star team in 1969 and 1971. On July 9,1976, Dierker pitched a no hitter against the Montreal Expos, as of 2016, Dierker is the last 17-year-old to make his major league debut. On May 19,2002, the Astros honored Dierker, retiring his No.49 jersey, from 1979 to 1996, Dierker served as a color commentator on the Astros radio and television broadcasts, a position he returned to in 2004 and 2005. Dierker was elected National League Manager of the Year in 1998, Houston finished in first place in four of the five years Dierker managed the team, failing only in 2000 when the Astros placed fourth. In 1999, Dierker had a scare during a game against the San Diego Padres. The Houston manager had been plagued by severe headaches for several days, during the June 13 game, Dierker had a grand mal seizure that rendered him unconscious and nearly killed him. He required emergency surgery for a cavernous angioma caused by a tangle of blood vessels in his brain. The game was suspended with the Astros ahead 4-1, it was not completed until the Padres returned to Houston on July 23, after four weeks of recovery, he returned to the helm of the Astros and guided the team through the duration of the season. The Astros won 97 games and a third consecutive National League Central Division title, Dierker penned a book entitled This Aint Brain Surgery, which detailed his baseball career as a pitcher and a manager. He later wrote My Team, in which he ruminated on the greatest players he had been witness to in his years of baseball, larry Dierker Oral History, Houston Oral History Project, July 14,2008
15.
Enos Cabell
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Enos Milton Cabell, Jr. is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played professionally for the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, the San Francisco Giants, the Detroit Tigers, Cabell was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to Enos Cabell Sr. and Naomi Cabell. He graduated from Gardena High School in Gardena, California and he played college baseball at Los Angeles Harbor College. Cabell was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as a free agent in 1968. Cabell was traded from Baltimore to Houston on December 3,1974, the Baseball Writers Association of America named Cabell the Houston Astros Most Valuable Player in 1978. On December 8,1980, Cabell was then traded to San Francisco for pitcher Bob Knepper and outfielder Chris Bourjos. On February 28,1986, Cabell and six others were suspended for the season for admitting during the Pittsburgh drug trials that they were involved in cocaine abuse. The suspensions for all seven were avoided after agreeing to large anti-drug donations and he played MLB for fifteen seasons. In 1993, Cabell was inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame, currently, he serves as a special assistant to Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow. The suit claims that their use of Youngs name has damaged endorsement deals for Young, he is asking the court to him the exclusive rights to use the initials. Cabell is a cousin of center fielder Ken Landreaux
16.
Jim Deshaies
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James Joseph Jim Deshaies, also known as JD, is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball and currently a TV commentator with the Chicago Cubs. Deshaies made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees on August 7,1984 and he set a milestone in his debut by being the 1, 000th person to play an official game for the New York Yankees. He was the pitcher that day, after giving up four earned runs in four innings pitched in a 6–3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Six days later, he lasted three innings in a no decision start against the Cleveland Indians and those would be the only two appearances for the New York Yankees, who traded him to the Houston Astros on September 15,1985, for Joe Niekro. His first full season was with the 1986 Houston Astros, still considered a rookie, he posted 12 wins, good for the Astros rookie record, later broken by Roy Oswalt in 2001. On September 23,1986, in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the following year, the Topps company inserted a trading card into its 1987 set honoring this accomplishment. This feat was equaled by Jacob deGrom on September 14,2014, Deshaies was a mainstay on the Astros rotation from 1986 to 1991, pitching in 26 or more starts in those years. His best season was 1989, when he pitched a 15–10 record, on May 2 that year, Deshaies served Mike Schmidts 548th and final home run. He holds the league record for most at-bats without an extra base hit. In 1992, Deshaies and the Astros parted ways and he played for brief stints with the San Diego Padres, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. ESPNs Chris Berman referred to him as Jim Two Silhouettes on Deshaies, Jim Deshaies formerly did commentary for the Astros TV broadcasts from 1997 to 2012, along with Bill Brown. Deshaies gained respect as an analyst and enjoyed high popularity with Astros fans during his tenure. He is the co-host of the popular J. D. and Daves Excellent Offseason Adventure in the offseason and he agreed to move to the Chicago Cubs TV broadcast for the 2013–16 seasons. On January 10,2017, the Cubs announced extensions for both Deshaies and color commentator Len Kasper through 2019 and his goal was to get one vote in the Hall of Fame election, which succeeded when Houston Chronicle writer John Lopez voted for him. Lopez is a current sports radio show host in Houston. Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
17.
Geoff Blum
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Geoffrey Edward Blum is an American former professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball and current part-time announcer for the Houston Astros. During his major-league career, he played for the Montreal Expos, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. As a member of the World Series Champion White Sox in 2005, before becoming a professional baseball player, he majored in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley and played for the California Golden Bears baseball team. He began his career when he was selected in the seventh round of the 1994 amateur draft by the Montreal Expos. During his time with the Expos, he spent the winter of 1995 in the Australian Baseball League with the Hunter Eagles, after playing there for three years, he was traded to the Houston Astros in exchange for Chris Truby. He was then traded after the 2003 season to Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for Brandon Backe. In 2004 he batted only.215 for the Devil Rays and he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for a minor leaguer on July 31,2005. On October 25,2005, Blum hit a run against the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the top of the 14th inning to win Game 3 of the World Series. On April 11,2008 a monument celebrating the 2005 World Series was unveiled at U. S, cellular Field in Chicago, featuring bronze statues of five players. Blum is one of them, commemorating his tie-breaking home run, the home run would forever cement his place in White Sox history. He returned to the Padres as an agent in 2006. On November 20,2007, Blum signed a $1.1 million, the deal also included a club option for 2009. Blum returned to the Astros in 2009 and played mostly 3B for Houston and he hit 10 home runs that season, drove in 49 runs and was known for playing excellent defense at all the infield positions. On October 30,2009, Blum re-signed with the Astros, the contract was worth $1.5 million for the 2010 season and included a mutual option for 2011, which would be worth $1.65 million that was declined, making him a free agent. Blum suffered a season ending injury to his elbow in July 2010 while putting on his shirt after a game and he had this to say, There are probably 90 percent of us in the big leagues that have loose bodies floating around. It just so happens that after the game, it tightened up on me, the shirt had nothing to do with the damn injury. On November 15,2010, Blum signed a contract worth $2.7 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was released by the Diamondbacks on July 20,2012, career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference San Diego Union Tribune article
18.
George Lopez
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George Lopez is an American comedian and actor. He is known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez and his stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including Mexican American culture. He was also named one of The Top 25 Hispanics in America by Time magazine in 2005, Lopez was born on April 23,1961, in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California, the son of Frieda and Anatasio Lopez, a migrant worker. Lopez attended San Fernando High School, graduating in 1979, in 2000, after several years of performing stand-up comedy, Lopez was approached by actress Sandra Bullock for Lopez to produce and star in a comedy. Long criticized by Hispanic American groups for lack of Latinos on their television shows, in 2002, Lopez became one of the few Latinos to star in a television comedy series, following in the footsteps of Desi Arnaz, Freddie Prinze, and John Leguizamo. George Lopez is an American situation comedy originally aired on ABC from 2002 to 2007. Lopez is the co-creator, writer, producer, and star of the show, on March 8,2007, it was announced that George Lopez would join the Nick at Nite lineup. It first aired on Nick at Nite on September 10,2007, on May 15,2007, ABC announced that the series would be canceled after its sixth season. The show last aired on ABC September 7,2007, the show also entered syndication in the fall of 2007. Never a big Nielsen hit in prime-time, the became a surprise success in syndication. After receiving the news that his show was canceled in 2007, the actor told the Los Angeles Times that TV just became really, really white again, and lashed out against ABC by saying, So a chicano cant be on TV, but a caveman can. In reference to the short-lived sitcom Cavemen, which was replacing George Lopez on the schedule, Cavemen garnered a sharply negative reception from critics and viewers, and was canceled after 13 episodes. Lopez blamed ABC for causing over a hundred of his shows staff to become jobless, Lopez was a cast member and commentator for HBO’s hit sports show Inside the NFL for the 2003–04 football season. Lopez guest-starred as the mayor of Reno, Nevada in season five of Reno 911. in 2008, the show debuted in November 2009. In November 2010, the show moved back to midnight ET to accommodate a new show with former Tonight Show host Conan OBrien. m, on August 10,2011 Lopez received a cancellation notice from TBS. The network decided not to renew Lopez Tonight for a third season, on April 18,2013, it was announced George Lopez would be starring in his own sitcom on FX called Saint George, which premiered on March 6,2014. Failing to do so, Saint George was canceled on June 25,2014, in August,2015, TV Land announced a straight-to-series order for Lopez, a semi-autobiographical single-camera sitcom, which debuted on March 30,2016. Lopezs HBO Films drama Real Women Have Curves premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, previously, Lopez was featured in the 2000 drama Bread and Roses
19.
KTRK-TV
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KTRK-TV, virtual channel and VHF digital channel 13, is an ABC owned-and-operated television station located in Houston, Texas, United States. The station is owned by the ABC Owned Television Stations subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, KTRK maintains studio facilities located on Bissonnet Street in Houstons Upper Kirby district, and its transmitter is located in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County. The group also bought the facilities of KNUZ-TV, a DuMont affiliate which had gone dark. The station first signed on the air on November 20,1954 as KTRK-TV, as the Chronicle was the largest shareholder in the company, the callsign was derived from the Chronicles radio station, KTRH. The station has been aligned with ABC since its debut, during the late 1950s, the stations original studio facilities were located at 4513 Cullen Boulevard, this studio later housed KHTV and PBS member station KUHT. In 1955, the Chronicle bought out its partners, although this theoretically left the paper free to change its callsign to KTRH-TV to match its radio sister, it opted not to. However, for years it called itself The Houston Chronicle Station, soon afterward, the station moved to its current Bissonnet Street facility. The studio was the first domed structure in town, predating the better-known Astrodome by ten years, both projects were built by the same architect, Hermon Lloyd. Like many stations located on unlucky channel 13, it used a cat as its mascot. Early programs involved a heavy emphasis on local flavor and reflected themes of the day, some of the more popular local shows included, Kitirik, a childrens program, hosted by an actress in a cat costume. Cadet Don, A space-themed childrens adventure program that focused on the exploits of an interstellar adventurer and his alien puppet friend Seymour was from the planet Katark. Dialing for Dollars, A game show of sorts where a viewer would be phoned by the host, good Morning Houston, The successor to Dialing for Dollars, which debuted in the late 1970s and expanded to include discussions on local events and topics important to viewers lifestyles. In 1967, the Chronicle sold KTRK to Capital Cities Broadcasting, under Capital Cities ownership, KTRK pre-empted some ABC programs, though not nearly as much as some of the networks other affiliates, such as Philadelphia sister station WPVI-TV. m. Capital Cities bought ABC in 1986, making KTRK an ABC owned-and-operated station and that year, the trailing portion of the stations logo was trimmed and was turned slightly horizontal in a similar fashion to the present-day version. Capital Cities/ABC was sold to The Walt Disney Company in early 1996, not long after, the new Disney-led ownership directed KTRK-TV to clear the entire ABC schedule, though there have been instances where local special events have aired in place of network programming. On April 30,2000, a dispute between Disney and Time Warner Cable resulted in KTRK being pulled from TWCs Houston service area for over 24 hours. KTRK has long differed from many ABC-owned stations in that it never aired The Oprah Winfrey Show, until 2015, it also never carried the current syndicated editions of Jeopardy. and Wheel of Fortune, also mainstays on ABCs O&Os for around the same time period. In fact, at one point during the late 1980s until 1992, starting on September 14,2015, KTRK began airing Jeopardy
20.
KPRC-TV
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KPRC-TV, channel 2, is an NBC–affiliated television station located in Houston, Texas, USA. As of the 2016-17 television season, KPRC is the largest NBC station by market size that is not owned by the network, other cable systems on the outer edges of the Houston media market carried KPRC on cable channel 2. It is also available on cable in Lufkin–Nacogdoches, Victoria, the station first signed on the air on January 1,1949, as KLEE-TV. It was Houstons first television station and the one to sign on in Texas. It was originally owned by hotelier W. Albert Lee and carried programming from all four networks of the day – NBC, CBS, ABC, and DuMont. However, after a year of difficulty, Lee sold the station to the Hobby family, owners of the Houston Post and Houstons oldest radio station, KPRC. The Hobbys took control on June 1,1950, and changed the stations call letters to match its radio sisters on July 3,1950. Although the call letters appear to stand for Post Radio Company, after the Hobbys took over, channel 2 became a primary NBC affiliate due to KPRC-FM radios longstanding affiliation with the NBC Blue Network, a link that remains today. Due to the Federal Communications Commission-imposed freeze on new station licenses, CBS moved to KGUL-TV in 1953 and KTRK-TV took over the ABC affiliation when it signed on one year later. DuMont ceased operations in 1956, though it was affiliated with now-defunct KNUZ-TV. Because of its affiliation with NBC, KPRC was the first station in Houston to broadcast a program in color and was subsequently the first to broadcast its programming entirely in color. The station originally operated from studios located on Post Oak Road, KPRC was the first station in Houston to use weather radar, to use videotape for field reporting, to have a fully staffed news bureau in Austin, and to hire female and African American reporters. However, this was actually a hoax, over the years, the Hobby family bought several other television stations, including KVOA-TV in Tucson, KCCI in Des Moines, WTVF in Nashville, WESH in Orlando, and KSAT-TV in San Antonio. From 1969 to 1998, KPRC produced the syndicated television program in Texas, The Eyes of Texas. KPRC was also one of the first stations to air telethons and it carried the MDA Labor Day Telethon every Labor Day from 1970 to 2012. In 1983, the Hobbys sold the Houston Post to MediaNews Group, while the familys broadcast holdings were reorganized as H&C Communications, after 40 years under Hobby family ownership, KPRC was sold to The Washington Post Company in April 1994. In 2004, KPRC was rebranded Local 2, in January 2015, KPRC dropped the Local and began calling themselves Channel 2. Since 1994, KPRC has used the familiar Star 2 logo, the stations digital signal remained on its pre-transition UHF channel 35, using PSIP to display KPRC-TVs virtual channel as 2 on digital television receivers
21.
KRIV (TV)
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KRIV, channel 26, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Houston, Texas, United States. KRIV is owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, the two stations share studio facilities in the Uptown section of Houston, and KRIVs transmitter is located near Missouri City, Texas. The station first signed on the air on August 15,1971 as KVRL and it was the third UHF television station in Houston, after KHTV and KVVV-TV. Four years after signing on, in 1975, the call letters were changed to KDOG – a callsign chosen by former station general manager Leroy Gloger. Another former general manager, Jerry Marcus commented that he saw the calls appropriate during the formative years as, in his words. The stations slogan during this timeframe was Where every dog has his day, for its first two decades on the air, channel 26 operated from studio facilities located at 3935 Westheimer Road in Houstons Highland Village section. In May 1978, Metromedia purchased the station and changed its letters to the current KRIV-TV. Jerry Marcus, general manager of Metromedias Washington, D. C. station WTTG, was hired to manage channel 26s operations. This influx of dollars from Metromedias investment in the station resulted in KRIV acquiring higher-profile syndicated programs and by 1983, overall, the stations viewership ranked near KHTV, a more well-established outlet, over the years. The acquisition resulted in channel 26 and the other former Metromedia stations to adopt a more sophisticated on-air appearance for a network. The station changed its branding to the current Fox 26 upon the networks October 9,1986 launch. Fox continued to add additional nights of programming over the next six years until it went seven days a week in 1993. Over that seven-week wait, KRIV was still essentially a de facto independent station, as a Fox owned-and-operated station, KRIV acquired more first-run syndicated programming. In 1997, KRIV moved from its original Westheimer Road studios to a state-of-the-art digital facility near the Southwest Freeway. During this time KRIVs studios also became a location for various syndicated programs produced by 20th Television, including the court shows Texas Justice, Cristinas Court. The stations digital relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 27 to channel 26 for post-transition operations. Syndicated programming on Fox 26 includes Judge Judy, The Wendy Williams Show, The Real, Steve Harvey, KRIV has touted its newscasts as the fastest growing in the Houston area ratings, and had outperformed KPRCs newscasts during the February 2007 sweeps period. During Jan Jeffcoats tenure as morning anchor from 2004 to 2007, KRIV saw a jump in ratings in the morning slot
22.
KTXH
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KTXH, virtual channel 20, is a MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated television station located in Houston, Texas, United States. The station is owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of 21st Century Fox, the two stations share studio facilities located on Southwest Freeway in Houston, KTXHs transmitter is located in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County. The station first signed on the air on November 7,1982, becoming the independent station in Houston, after KRIV. Its original studio facilities were located on Kirby Drive in Houston and it was also the second station in Texas owned by a group headed by television station entrepreneur Milton Grant. The station used originally branded on-air as 20 Vision, the group signed on a similarly formatted station, KTXA in Fort Worth, in January 1981. KTXH programmed a general entertainment format consisting of cartoons, vintage off-network sitcoms and dramas, classic movies, westerns and it was eventually replaced by a second tower. The station resumed operations on February 13,1983 from the original KRIV transmitter site on top of One Shell Plaza in downtown Houston, Grant Broadcasting sold both KTXH and KTXA to Gulf Broadcasting in 1984. Gulf sold its television holdings to Taft Broadcasting in 1985. Taft sold its group of independent and Fox-affiliated stations, including KTXH and KTXA, in 1989, Paramount Pictures purchased a minority ownership in TVX, which suffered from financial problems after the Taft purchase. Paramount bought out the remainder of TVXs shares in 1991 and integrated the TVX stations into the Paramount Stations Group, under Paramount, the station added several first-run syndicated programs in the mid-1990s, and changed its on-air branding to Paramount 20. Viacom acquired ownership of KTXH, KTXA and their sister stations when the company purchased Paramount Pictures in 1994, channel 20 became an owned-and-operated station of the United Paramount Network upon the networks January 16,1995 launch. The transaction established the first television duopoly in Houston between KRIV and KTXH, channel 20 also relocated its broadcasting facilities from the original studios on Kirby Drive, near present-day Reliant Park, to KRIVs studios. Through an affiliation agreement with Tribune Broadcasting, KHWB was announced as The CWs Houston affiliate, almost immediately, KTXH dropped all UPN network branding from its station promotions, revamped its logo to just feature the boxed 20, and ceased all promotion of any UPN programming. Additionally, the station began referring to itself in promos as Houstons 20, similar changes were also made to Foxs other UPN affiliates, as the initial list of CW charter affiliates consisted of both stations owned by the Tribune Company and network co-parent CBS. News Corporation also chose not to affiliate stations with The CW in markets where neither Tribune nor CBS owned a station, with the impending switch to MyNetworkTV, channel 20s on-air branding was changed to My20 in June 2006. KTXH became a MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station when the network began operations on September 5 of that year, on October 1,2009, KTXH launched its new website at www. my20houston. com using the same platform as its sister station KRIV. Early content included a schedule for both local and national programming with links to weather, news, and traffic on www. myfoxhouston. com. On the night of May 25,2015, KTXHs over the air signal was knocked off the air for hours as a result of the historic severe flash flooding event in Texas
23.
KYAZ
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KYAZ, virtual channel 51, is an Azteca América owned-and-operated television station serving Houston, Texas, United States that is licensed to Katy. The station is owned by Northstar Media, LLC, KYAZ maintains studio facilities located at One Arena Place on Bissonnet Street on Houstons southwest side, and its transmitter is located in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County. The station is available on Comcast Xfinity channel 2 and AT&T U-verse channel 51. The station first signed on the air on November 3,1993 as KNWS-TV, the all-news format featured special segments, and pre-recorded newscasts that were looped, then updated, throughout the day. Throughout 1995, the station simulcast live coverage of the OJ Simpson Trial from KTLA in Los Angeles and it also maintained local news updates, using the remains of the stations old newsroom. During this time, the station adopted the slogan TV51 Has The Shows You Know, by 2000, however, some of the programming had been dropped in favor of infomercials, a trend that would continue over the next decade. The Astros remained on KNWS until 2008, when the game telecasts moved to KTXH. Some NBC shows that KPRC-TV declined to air also aired on KNWS, two such NBC programs were the daytime talk show, Leeza, which briefly aired on KNWS in 1998, and the soap opera, Passions, which also briefly aired on the station in 2001. In 1996, KNWS carried NBC Sports coverage of Notre Dame football home games as well as the Breeders Cup, in 2000, KNWS carried Game 6 of the 2000 American League Championship Series. KNWS repeated this pattern during Hurricane Ike, prior to the Una Vez Más sale, KNWS had made plans to add the Retro Television Network on a digital subchannel, but due to the bankruptcy filing, that plan was scrapped. Instead, reflecting the pending sale to Una Vez Más, an Azteca América subchannel was added to the digital signal as channel 51.2 on April 25,2010. RTV ended up on KUVM-CD, a Mako Communications station, Johnson Broadcasting filed for bankruptcy protection in October 2008. One year later, impatient creditors asked the court to allow the sale of KNWS. Una Vez Más Holdings, LLC emerged as the leading bidder, the new owners reserved the KAZH call letters, but changed them instead to KYAZ. KYAZ began simulcasting Azteca América on subchannels 51.1 and 51.2 on December 29,2010, cold Case Files was acquired by KUBE-TV, and weekly episodes of Cheaters moved to KIAH. The weekly Heart of the Nation Catholic Mass also moved to KUBE-TV and it is unknown if more of channel 51s former meager programming inventory relocated to other stations
24.
KUBE-TV
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KUBE-TV, virtual channel 57, is an independent television station serving Houston, Texas, United States that is licensed to the suburb of Baytown. The station is owned by NRJ TV, LLC and managed by Titan Broadcast Management, KUBE maintains studio facilities located on Fountain View Drive and Burgoyne Road on the southwest side of Houston, and its transmitter is located at the Richland Transmission Tower in Missouri City. The station first signed on the air on May 18,1988 under the callsign KLTJ, it was founded by Eldred Thomas, with the move of the KLTJ calls to channel 22, channel 57 changed its callsign to KRTW. It later changed its letters to KVVV in 1994, when it switched to home shopping programming from Valuevision. In 2002, KAZH affiliated with Spanish-language network Azteca América, early in 2007, then-owner Pappas Telecasting terminated KAZHs affiliation agreement with Azteca América, effective July 1. Azteca América programming moved to a station, KUVM-CA, and later, to another full-powered station. KAZH then joined Pappas independent Spanish-language network, TuVisión, on May 10,2008, thirteen of Pappas stations, including KAZH, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Pappas cited the extremely difficult business climate for television stations across the country in papers filed with the U. S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Pappas was later ordered on September 10,2008 that the affected stations must be sold off by February 15,2009. In January 2009, the Pappas stations involved in the auction, including KAZH, were sold to New World TV Group. On October 22,2009, KAZH became the first affiliate of VasalloVision, a new network founded by Carlos Vasallo and Miguel Banojian, citing a larger advertising market, the station changed to an English-language general entertainment independent format on September 27,2010. The stations call sign changed to KUBE-TV on the same date, the stations digital channel is multiplexed, During the 2011 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, KUBE added programming from PegasusTV on subchannel 57.4, this was replaced by MeTV in 2012. Cozi TV was added to 57.5 on May 23,2013, KUBE-TV discontinued regular programming on its analog signal, over UHF channel 57, on June 12,2009, as part of the federally mandated transition from analog to digital television. The station also carries NCAA college football and basketball games from Atlantic Coast Conference, as of the 2017 season, KUBE is the home of the MLS club Houston Dynamo. Kube57. com - Official website Query the FCCs TV station database for KUBE BIAfns Media Web Database -- Information on KUBE-TV
25.
Fox Sports Southwest
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The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional, collegiate and high school sports events throughout the South Central United States. Fox Sports Southwest originally launched on January 4,1983 as Home Sports Entertainment, as one of the first regional sports networks in North America, it served as the cable television home of professional and collegiate sports teams throughout Texas and surrounding states. In 1988, HSE became an affiliate of Prime Sports Networks, in 1994, Liberty Media acquired HSE, converting it into an owned-and-operated affiliate of Prime Sports and changing its name to Prime Sports Southwest. The channel was rebranded as Fox Sports Net Southwest in late 1999. In 2004, the channel shortened its name to FSN Southwest, through the networks de-emphasis of the brand, in July 2013, News Corporation spun off the Fox Sports Networks and most of its other U. S. entertainment properties into 21st Century Fox. Fox Sports Southwest has the second-largest market area and total reach of any network in the FSN group. Its expansive footprint extends from eastern New Mexico to Panama City, the network is divided into five broadcasting zones, each representing the five largest television markets in its designated broadcast region, Dallas-Fort Worth Houston San Antonio Oklahoma. In the event of a conflict between either of the teams, the games will be shown on their own subfeeds. This is also true with the San Antonio Stars, the only WNBA team in Texas, programming seen in each broadcasting zone is common in most areas, and includes a mix of programs supplied by Fox Sports Networks and some original programming exclusive to Fox Sports Southwest. Fox Sports Southwest HD is a high definition simulcast feed of Fox Sports Southwest, which broadcasts in the 720p format
26.
Fox Sports Houston
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After losing the broadcast rights to the Astros and Rockets to Root Sports Southwest, the network was re-absorbed into Fox Sports Southwest on October 5,2012. The channel also aired a Houston-branded edition of the Southwest Sports Report, Fox Sports Houston produced Rockets and Astros games for co-owned MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated station KTXH. On January 12,2009, Fox Sports Houston split from Fox Sports Southwest and it also allowed for more extensive coverage of the citys NFL franchise, the Houston Texans. Fox Sports Southwests primary Dallas-based feed was carried in the Houston market for most non-event programming. Fox Sports Houstons partnership with the Rockets ended after the 2011–12 NBA season, reporter Greg Lucas also did not continue with Fox Sports, while it was initially unclear if he would join Comcast SportsNet Houston, he ultimately did not move to that network
27.
AT&T SportsNet Southwest
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Root Sports Southwest is an American regional sports network owned by the AT&T Sports Networks subsidiary of AT&T Inc. as an owned-and-operated outlet of Root Sports. Root Sports Southwest is available on cable providers throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico, and nationwide on satellite via DirecTV. The idea for a regional sports network in Houston was proposed in 1999, when George Postolos, then the president of the Houston Rockets, floated the idea to Fox. Four years later, in 2003, the Rockets decided to partner with the Houston Astros to launch an RSN, the first order of business was to sever ties with Fox Sports Net Southwest, which carried games from both teams at the time. This led to a court battle between Fox and the two teams that was settled after 20 months, leading to a new broadcast deal with the network valued at $600 million over 10 to 15 years. However, this contained a clause allowing the teams to terminate the contract. Fox Sports then moved the Astros and Rockets telecasts to Fox Sports Houston, the Astros/Rockets group held discussions with Comcast, DirecTV and AT&T about partnering to form a new network, all of which failed to garner a deal. The continuation of the Astros and Rockets broadcasts on Fox Sports Houston was on the table as the network offered $1.2 billion over 10 years, however, it was ownership in a regional sports network that the two teams wanted. This led to the teams agreeing to a $1 billion contract with Comcast, the new network, Comcast SportsNet Houston, launched on October 1,2012. On October 4, three days after Comcast SportsNet Houston launched, Fox Sports Houston was shut down and its programming moved back to parent network Fox Sports Southwest. The move did not sit well with the Astros, which stated that the filing was made improperly to prevent the team ending its agreement with the network. The Astros also revealed that it did not receive its rights fees from the parent company for the final three months of the 2013 season. On February 4,2014, Judge Marvin Isgur placed Comcast SportsNet Houston under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, on August 6,2014, DirecTV and AT&T proposed a reorganization plan, in which it would acquire CSN Houston in a 60/40 joint venture. At the time, AT&T was in the process of acquiring DirecTV, the reorganization offer was approved by the court on October 30,2014, although Comcast appealed the decision in order to address a $100 million loan that had been given to the network. Attorneys from the companies involved reached an agreement to allow the deal to continue through Comcasts appeals process, DirecTV and AT&Ts joint acquisition of the network was formally finalized on November 17,2014. The network officially rebranded as Root Sports Southwest at 6,00 a. m. that day, some of CSN Houstons employees, primarily on-air talent and staff responsible for the networks Rockets and Astros telecasts, were retained, however it laid off 96 other employees. At its relaunch, Root Sports Southwest does not air as many locally produced programs as it did under Comcast ownership. On April 8,2016, DirecTV Sports Networks rebranded under the AT&T name as AT&T Sports Networks, Root Sports Southwest serves as the regional television broadcaster of Major League Baseball games involving the Houston Astros, airing all games not nationally televised
28.
KPRC (AM)
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KPRC is an AM talk radio station in Houston, Texas, branded as AM950 KPRC. It is the oldest surviving station licensed in Houston. KPRC is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc, the stations studios are located along the West Loop Freeway in the citys Uptown district, and the transmitter site is located in the Settegast neighborhood on the northeast side. KPRC broadcasts with 5000 watts around the clock, the station airs local and nationally syndicated talk shows. Weekdays begin at 5 a. m. with The Walton & Johnson Show a conservative shock jock show which uses KPRC-AM as their flagship station, at noon its Michael Berry followed at 2 p. m. by Matt Patrick. At 5 p. m. KPRC carries Joe Pags, based at co-owned WOAI San Antonio, outlaw Dave hosts a two-hour show. Ken Webster Jr hosts Pursuit of Happiness Radio, at 11 p. m. KPRC runs America Now with Meghan McCain, weekends feature shows on money, cars, beer, cigars, guns and home improvement. Some of the shows are paid Brokered programming, computer expert Kim Komando is heard on Sunday evening. KPRC airs football and basketball games from the University of Houston, most hours begin with national news from Fox News Radio. The station previously aired a format branded as Talkradio 950 KPRC, with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Until March 19,2013, the station was branded The 950 - Radio Mojo, in 1923, Ross Sterling Jr. took a course on broadcasting at the YMCA in Houston. His father, Ross Sterling Sr. met the instructor, Alfred P. Daniel, william P. Hobby, the president and publisher of the Post, asked Sterling to launch the radio station. Before a 500 watt transmitter ordered from the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Co. arrived in Houston, Sterling Sr. mourning the loss of his son, put the still crated transmitter in storage. Over one year later, Daniel approached Sterling Sr. and asked about proceeding with the establishment of the radio station, Sterling Sr. agreed with the idea and moved forward with establishing the station. KPRCs first broadcast occurred on Saturday May 9,1925, with Daniel as the stations first announcer, the federal license granting permission for radio broadcasts on 920 kHz was issued on the 13th of May. Although the call letters appear to stand for Post Radio Company, in 1927, it interrupted its scheduled programming to give out dispatches for the Houston Police Department. In 1941, KPRC moved to its current frequency of 950 kHz under terms of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, on December 24,1946, KPRC-FM signed on the air. In 1950, the Hobbys purchased KLEE-TV Channel 2 and renamed it KPRC-TV, in 1983, after the Post was sold, the Hobby familys broadcast holdings were reorganized into H&C Communications
29.
KNTH
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KNTH AM is a news/talk radio station serving the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. It is owned by Salem Communications, the transmitter site is in Northwest Harris County and studios are located in Sharpstown district in Southwest Houston. KNTH will soon add a translator, recently purchased from Armida Saille, on 103.3 FM from a site near Farm to Market Road 1960. This translator originally operated in Kingsville, Texas, the station broadcasts syndicated programing on the weekdays such as Morning in America, The Mike Gallagher Show, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Bloomberg On The Money. The station also broadcasts games of the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, during the 1970s,1070 AM KENR Houston, Texas was a country music radio station. The station first signed on in 1970 as a 5, 000-watt daytimer, owned by Bill Edwards of Saginaw, in 1971, the station began broadcasting 24 hours a day and increased its power to 10,000 watts daytime and 5,000 watts at night. When KENR started broadcasting 24 hours in 1971, Leroy J. Gloger, then-owner of KIKK, was concerned about the fate of his station, so he sold it to Sonderling Broadcasting. By 1973, KENR was a big success, becoming the first major-market country station to be ranked #1 in all demographic groups 12 years old and older. DJ and music director Dr. Bruce Nelson had a hand in this and, allegedly, the station helped boost the careers of Mickey Gilley, Freddy Fender, Johnny Lee and Gene Watson. Despite one #68 U. S. Nelson found the record, flipped it over, the song, Room Full Of Roses, became a hit, Playboy Records picked it up and it became the first of sixteen #1 country chart hits for Gilley. The album included three country hits, including You Could Know As Much About A Stranger, other DJs during KENRs tenure included John Dew, Howard Reynolds, Frank Roberts and Jim Rose. Additionally, helicopter traffic reporter Chopper Bill Waldrop worked there in 1981 as well, another Jock of note was Sonny Ray Stolz who was Houstons first FM Country DJ, having signed on KIKK-FM in September,1966 and had a 14-point rating share. Sonny became the voice of Big Tex for The State Fair of Texas after statewide announcer competition in 2001. While at KENR, Sonny Ray Stolz produced The Original Home Grown Show which featured strictly Texas music and Texas artists, however, KENR was the first to provide this forum. Circa 1979-80, KENR management brought in a Yankee to become director in the form of one Joe Formicolla. At times he also filled in on-air and they actually read items from sources such as The National Enquirer, etc. Formicolla left KENR circa 1981 and later was awarded Country Music DJ of the Year by the Country Music Association, in 1981, KILT-FM changed formats to country from album rock in January, longtime top 40 sister KILT followed suit in June. Additionally, nationwide, music on AM was fading at that time, KENR responded by becoming Keener Country Gold
30.
KRBE
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KRBE, is a Top 40 radio station based in Houston, Texas, United States. The studios located in Suite 700 of the Chase building at 9801 Westheimer Road in the Westchase District in western Houston, the transmitter facilities located in Missouri City. The studios were not moved to their Kirby Drive location until more than a decade after the station signed on, KRBE is owned and operated by Cumulus Media. At 6 pm on November 8,1959, KRBE signed on at 104.1 FM as a station by owners Roland. It continued as such into the late 1960s, when it flipped for the first time to top 40, the station was simply branded as 104 KRBE. In the mid-1970s, KRBE took on the moniker of Bump & Boogie, the studios were located on Kirby Lane above the ACCA recording studios. At this time, it was owned by General Cinema Corporation, bob Fauser became the General Manager. Clay Gish became the director in 1974 and launched a legendary run that lasted until 1980. Mike Krehel became the Chief Engineer during that time and gave KRBE its Flame Thrower signature sound, KRBE DJs during the mid to late 1970s included Kenny Miles hosting Miles in the Morning, Matt The Man the Mighty Quinn, Roger W. W. W. Garrett, Dwight Shotgun Cook, The Original Rock n Roll Wizard, during this period, KRBE became the first American FM top-40 station in a large market to flip the market from AM to FM, beating the legendary KILT in Arbitron ratings for the Houston market. In 1975, KRBE moved from Kirby Lane to showcase state-of-the-art studios in the Caldwell Banker Building overlooking Interstate 610 at Westheimer Road across from The Galleria, around this time, KRBE was purchased by Lake Huron Broadcasting. In the late 1970s, KRBE billed itself under one of two nicknames, Super Rock 104 KRBE or Houstons Super Rock, playing a mixture of top 40, DJs included Barry Kaye, CC McCartney, Roger W. W. W. Garrett, Matt The Man the Mighty Quinn, The Catfish, Jon Kelly, Dayna Steele, in 1981, KRBE flipped to an Adult Contemporary format as FM104 KRBE. In late 1982, top 40 KKBQ moved to FM with great success, to counter them, KRBE relaunched as Hottest Hits 104 KRBE with a CHR format in the mid-summer of 1985. Not too long after, KRBE dropped the Hot Hits slogan to become Power 104, both stations remained head to head throughout the remainder of the 1980s. In November 1986, Dallas-based Susquehanna Radio purchased KRBE and KENR, in 1987, KRBE took a lean towards a dance-friendly top 40 format with evening weekend studio mixshows, from 10 PM to 2 AM, known as The Friday & Saturday Night Power Mix. KKBQ matched it with its own mixshows, aptly titled Club 93Q, by the end of 1987, Scott Sparks had been hired from Y-95 in Dallas to prop up the night show with a Dance-heavy sound. While KRBEs show was a more radio friendly, it was first to play some of the music 6400 was spinning
31.
KTRH
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KTRH is an AM News/Talk radio station owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. Its city of license is Houston, Texas and it serves the Houston metropolitan area, KTRH uses the iHeartRadio platform to stream its webcast. The stations studios are located along the West Loop Freeway in the citys Uptown district, KTRH broadcasts with 50,000 watts around the clock, the highest power for AM stations permitted by the Federal Communications Commission. But because KTRH is on 740 kHz, a Canadian clear channel frequency, the uses a directional antenna to protect CFZM Toronto. Programming is also heard on sister station KQBTs HD3 channel at 93.7 MHz, KTRH is the South Texas Primary entry point station for the Emergency alert system. Weekend programming features shows on money, health, home repair, pets, real estate, until the 2013 season, KTRH was the flagship station for the Houston Astros baseball team. Astros broadcasts are now heard on sister station KBME Sportstalk 790, KTRH started as an Austin, Texas radio station on 1100 kHz with the call sign WCM, issued April 22,1922. It moved to the Houston area and changed its letters to KTRG and later to KTRH, going through several frequency changes. As KTRH, it had its first studio in the Rice Hotel, the call letters stand for The Rice Hotel. Noted newsman Dan Rather worked for KTRH in the late 1950s and he was a reporter and newscaster. In 1959, KTRH carried broadcasts of the Houston Buffs minor league baseball team, Rather was the main play by play announcer. The Gallup Polls editor in chief Frank Newport was also a talk show host. CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz worked at KTRH while attending the University of Houston, KTRH was the Houston CBS Radio News affiliate, before switching to ABC in 1997 and then to Fox News Radio in 2003. At the start of 2016, KTRH switched back to ABC, KTRH Official Website Query the FCCs AM station database for KTRH Radio-Locator Information on KTRH Query Nielsen Audios AM station database for KTRH FCC History Cards for KTRH
32.
KILT (AM)
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KILT is a Sports/Talk formatted radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The station is owned by CBS Radio. KILT shares its call letters with its sister station 100.3 FM and its studios are located in the Greenway Plaza district, and its transmitter is located near the Greenspoint district of northwest Houston. KILT is the station of the NFLs Houston Texans and the Texans Radio Network. It has aired every Texans game since the teams inception into the league in 2002,610 AM signed on the air in Houston, Texas March 8,1948 by W. Albert Lee. As such, the new station obtained KLEE calls when it debuted, on March 27,1957,610 was sold by Howard Broadcasting to Gordon McLendon, and the Top 40 legend was born. The station took on the calls of KILT in a tip of the hat to McLendon and for 24 years, was the Top 40 station in Houston and it used PAMS jingles that featured the call letters being sung out over the air. On February 16,1981, sister station KILT-FM dropped album rock for country during the Urban Cowboy craze that swept through Houston, the current sports-talk format debuted in September 1994. KILT has been the top-rated sports-talk format many times since its inception, kILTs main competition is, as it has historically been,790 AM, which has also aired Sports Talk programming since 2004. Before KBME moved from Adult Standards, KILT was the only station in the Houston market and was the radio home for the Houston Rockets, Texans. KILTs most popular show is The Triple Threat which airs from 2,00 pm to 7,00 pm Monday through Friday, the Triple Threat has consistently been one of the Top Rated sports talk shows in Houston. The show is hosted by Sean Pendergast, a winner of the Jim Rome Smack-Off, Ted Johnson. This ultimately led to Granato leaving 610 and starting a new station,1560 The Game, shortly thereafter, his co-host Lance Zierlein joined him. Sports Radio 610 KILT official website Query the FCCs AM station database for KILT Radio-Locator Information on KILT Query Nielsen Audios AM station database for KILT FCC History Cards for KILT
33.
KBME (AM)
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KBME AM is a sports-talk radio station in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. It is currently owned by iHeartMedia, Inc, the station airs local sports-talk and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming. KBME is also the radio station for the Houston Rockets, Houston Astros. The stations studios are located along the West Loop Freeway in the citys Uptown district, the station first went on the air as KTHT in 1944. It moved from the Class C channel 1230 kHz to the current Class B frequency of 790 kHz in 1951, during the 1960s, KTHT was known as Demand Radio 79, playing pop music. In August 1970, it became adult contemporary KULF, hosting radio personalities such as Stevens, Stevens and Pruett had formerly been on KILT as the last Hudson and Harrigan team before KILTs switch to country. S&P brought to KULF their Not ready for Drive time Players, and their short production of Star Trots with Captain James T. Shmirk, his trusted Lt. Bones. KKBQ would add an FM simulcast on 92.9 FM on December 29,1982, KKBQ was among the first AM stations in the city to broadcast in AM stereo, originally using the Kahn ISB system, and then later switching to the Motorola C-QUAM system. Programming on KKBQ and KKBQ-FM simulcasted until January 16,1998, in November 2004, the station flipped to an all sports station, as 790 ESPN Radio, the Sports Animal. Houston sports talk legend Charlie Pallilo helped launch the new sports station, matt & Adam became The Big Show in fall 2011, when Lance Zierlein joined Jackson and Wexler. Previous hosts on KBME include Brad Davies, Carl Dukes, Ted Deluca, John Lopez, David Dalati, play-by-play coverage on KBME includes Houston Rockets basketball, Houston Astros baseball, Houston Cougars football and basketball, Texas A&M Aggies football, basketball. KBME also features live national sports broadcasts from Dial Global and Sports USA Radio Network, beginning with the 2012-2013 season, KBME became flagship station to the NBAs Houston Rockets, with Clear Channel acquiring the teams radio rights from CBS Radio-owned KILT. Query the FCCs AM station database for KBME Radio-Locator Information on KBME Query Nielsen Audios AM station database for KBME FCC History Cards for KBME
34.
KXTN-FM
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KXTN-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Tejano format. Licensed to San Antonio, Texas, United States, the serves the San Antonio area. The station is owned by Univision. Its studios are located in Northwest San Antonio, and the site is in Elmendorf. Prior to the current format, KXTN was known as KZVE K-sauve 107.5 and this lasted until 1996 with the launch of KPOZ. KXTN-1310 and KZVE107.5 swapped frequencies, KZVE stayed on air until KZVE become 1310 KPOZ as a Positive/Christian Format from 1997 to 1998 and then went on to simulcasting KXTN-FM. Since 2009, the station has rebroadcast on sister station KESS-FM in Lewisville via HD Radio on 107.9 HD-2 in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, KXTN airs the San Antonio Spurs game in spanish on the local station broadcasts and continues to air Tejano music through the Uforia app. Bigg Boyee - Bigg Boyee Morning Show 6am - 10am Jammin J. Javi - 10am - 3pm Kenny G - 3pm - 7pm Baby J - 7pm - Midnight KXTN HD2 rebroadcasts KCOR1350 AM
35.
KLAT
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KLAT, branded as Univision Deportes Radio 10-10, is a Spanish language Sports Talk radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Univision, the station also serves as the Spanish radio flagship of the Houston Astros and the Houston Texans. KLAT has studios in Uptown Houston and the site is in northeast Houston. 1010 KLAT signed on as KODA July 31,1961 by Paul Taft of the Taft Broadcasting Company in order to reach an audience who, at the time. KODA had already operated on FM radio at 99.1 megahertz since 1958 when the former KPRC-FM, both stations broadcast a simulcast beautiful music format and brought back ABC Radio network programs to Houston. Several years before, KXYZ dropped the ABC Radio affiliation, which resulted in the only being aired on the eastern rimshot 1360 KWBA Baytown. In 1978, Group W Westinghouse Broadcasting purchased the stations from Taft, the KODA calls were then changed to KLAT in 1979, along with the format flipping to popular Spanish language music, branded as La Tremenda. The name La Tremenda 1010 was a created by the stations founders Marcos Rodriguez, Sr. The station eventually obtained authorization for 24-hour operation in 1984 and that site was subject to a late 1979 fire when a Harris MW-5 transmitter melted down. The MW-5 used a step up transformer to raise the three phase input power to 17,000 volts, the primary wiring had been bundled closely to the secondary wiring and tightly lashed together. When an insulation breakdown allowed the input wiring to arc, the high temperatures allowed the wires to short to the inputs. This caused extremely high circulating currents and a meltdown of the transformer frame, to add night authority, a seventh tower was added to the array. This was used five of the existing day towers to make a new parallelogram shaped system. KLAT began night operation at 1,000 watts and this properly protected all stations on 1010 as required by FCC rules but did not cover all of Houston. This particular authorization was allowed under a waiver for the minority owned station. Later on, the station received special authority from the F. C. C. to mitigate interference at night from foreign stations and this STA allowed the station to operate at 5,000 watts at night. This improved coverage but did not make it 100%, in 1995 the station built a second tower site in north west Houston, using six towers and 3,600 watts for night only operation. The lowered power did not cover quite as large an area as the former setup, the project used several consultants, ending with duTreil, Lundin and Rackley
36.
KEYH
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KEYH is a Regional Mexican radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. It is owned by Liberman Broadcasting, KOA in Denver, Colorado is the dominant Class A,50,000 watt clear-channel station on 850 AM, which KEYH must protect. KEYH began as a News/Talk station in 1976 and its slogan was The Key to Houston and featured a long key with the stations 850 dial setting and calls featured in its logo. KEYH struggled to gain footing in the market and began airing Spanish music on the weekends, Query the FCCs AM station database for KEYH Radio-Locator Information on KEYH Query Nielsen Audios AM station database for KEYH FCC History Cards for KEYH
