City Conroe, Texas Branding 1140 KYOK AMen Radio | Broadcast area Greater Houston Frequency 1140 kHz | |
Slogan Houston's legendary KYOK Translator(s) 92.3 K222CX Spring, Texas | ||
KYOK (branded as AMen Radio 1140) AM is an Urban contemporary gospel radio station in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area operating at 1140 AM in Conroe, Texas during the daytime hours only. It is currently owned by Salt of the Earth Broadcasting.
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1140 History
KYOK signed on the air June 1, 1984 as KMUV. The facility maintains a highly eastward directional signal that operates during daylight hours only. The directional signal is a result of protection that KYOK must afford the adjacent operating facility 1150 KZNE College Station, which signed on as WTAW in 1922.
KYOK had a construction permit granted by the F.C.C. to move its transmission facilities from Conroe to Katy in an effort to cover more of the Houston Metropolitan area, and introduce night time service to the 1140 facility for the first time. KYOK would have dropped from its current licensed power of 5 kW to 800 watts daytime. Initial authorization for KYOK night power was to be 9 watts. The CP was not built out and expired, effectively leaving KYOK in Conroe. A translator for KYOK has been purchased by Salt of the Earth and will reside at 92.3 FM, licensed as K222CX Spring.
KYOK History
From 1954 to 1999, the KYOK calls were located at 1590.
What was 1590 KATL at the time, was sold in 1954 to two Louisiana businessmen, Jules Paglin and Stanley Ray, for their "OK" group of stations targeted at African American listeners. The call letters would be changed to KYOK accordingly, to reflect the new ownership and alliance. This also brought an end to 1590's relationship with the Liberty Broadcasting System. The Urban contemporary gospel format featured on KYOK lasted on and off for over four decades. KYOK also aired an interspersed Urban Contemporary (or Soul) format within the same time frame.
While still at 1590, from 1988 to 1992, KYOK was known as "The New YO! 1590 Raps" playing a hip hop-heavy mainstream urban format.
From the Fall of 1992 to the Fall of 1994, KYOK aired an Urban AC format as "AM 1590 The New KHYS, playing the Hits & Dusties", and simulcasted along with KJOJ-FM and KHYS.
From Fall of 1994 to 1996, KYOK played Soul Oldies as "AM 1590 Solid Gold Soul".
In late 1996, KYOK returned to Gospel as "Gospel 1590 KYOK". This lasted until 1999, when the owners sold the 1590 facility to The Walt Disney Company/ABC Radio and switched it to a national repeater of Radio Disney children's programming, with new calls of KMIC in July 1999. The KYOK calls and its Gospel format were moved to this facility, in August 1999, owned by Faith Broadcasting, Inc.
Alvin "Brother Al" McCottry was 1140 KYOK's first general manager, along with Alan H. Lee (the station's first program director and host of one of the first daily midday talk shows ever heard on gospel radio) was its first program director. Both "Brother Al" and Alan Lee are often credited as major pioneers of the urban contemporary gospel radio sound. DJs include [but are not limited to]: Michael Mosley (mornings), Ed Grice (music director and afternoons), Seneca Gilbert (promotions director and middays), Jeffrey L. Boney a.k.a. "JBoney" (on-air personality and teen talk show host), Corliss A. Rabb (weekends), Adrienne Rowe (weekends), Barry "T" Thomas (Friday Night Praise party), Nzinga Rideaux, Anthony Valery, Eric Taylor, Gene Moore, Jr., others. Stacy Macardell was the first sales manager; Sheronda Harrell (sales).
KYOK is now owned by Salt of the Earth Broadcasting, who also owns KZZB, KWWJ, and KANI in the Houston market. KYOK celebrates its 21st continuous year as a community based Gospel station in 2017.