St. Cloud Times from Saint Cloud, Minnesota • Page 8

8A St Cloud Times Sunday, Dec. 10, 1995 From Page 1A Carpenter works out a Local Management Agreement with Ingstad, and an option to buy KLZZ-FM and KXSS-AM. He moves station rations to his KKSR-FM headquarters, application has been filed with the FCC. Area radio history Lelghton receives FCC approval to relocate his tower to Buffalo from St. Wendel Township and reduce station power from 100,000 to 84,900 watts.

The permit Is good through October 1996, but Leighton decides not to move the tower. KZXQ-AM, Waite Park, debuts under Ron Under; KKSR-FM, Waite Park, debuts under Dennis Carpenter KCFB-FM debuts, Christian format owned by Larry and Mary Ann Simmons Linder returns to St. Cloud radio with KZPK-FM. His antenna hitches a ride on Leighton's tower in St. Wendel Township and he leases space in Leighton's studios on Mall Germain.

Under controls programing while contracting with KCLDKNSI on ad sales. St John's University proposes a student-operated station at 99.9 FM.The FCC proposal will undergo a 30-day response period beginning in mid-December. The low-watt station would reach both campuses and the St. Joseph area. Hilger's grown children, Kevin and MoTlie, hold an FCC permit for a new St.

Joseph station, KKJM-FM, 92.9. The construction permit is scheduled to expire in mid-December. An extension has been filed due to construction delays; the station could debut by early May. Ingstad purchases KASM-AM, Albany, Tor $750,000. WHMH-FM lioht rock debuts under Hoodb: Al Leiahton buvs "KFAM, simulcast AMFM station, from Fred Schilplin family.

It is changed to KCLD. Purchase price: $400,000 KMXK-FM, a jazz station, debuts under Herb Gross; KZXQ-AM becomes KXSS-AM, and Under adds an FM simulcast. una k-cau Andy becomes sole owner of WJON-AM and WWJO-FM. debuts WWJO increases power to 100,000 watts. Robert Ingstad, Sioux Valley Broadcasting Co.

Valley City, N.D. applies with FCC to purchase KXSS-AMFM from Under. Purchase price: $800,000. KXSS-FM is changed to KLZZ-FM; WHMH-FM, now a classic rock station, begins a simulcast on WVAL. Hilger purchases KMXK-FM from Gross for $1 .2 million; WHMH-FM gets a permit to increase power from 3,000 to 50,000 watts.

WWJO-FM debuts WJON-AM debuts under Max Levine, Duluth. Andy Hilger purchases one-half of WJON after working his way up from evening DJ. Leighton's KCLD-AM station becomes KNSI-AM, converts to talk format. WVAL-AM debuts as a country and western station under Herb Hoppe Ingstad debuts KASM-FM, a rock format. I i 1 I 1995 1950 1955 1960 1965 1994 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1991 1992 1993 Source: Times research TIMES GRAPHIC BY MARK MARSHALL CC We choose to stay live.

We choose to be hometown. Where else can you hear groups like Slip Twister and Scorch? 55 flnry Hopp OPERATIONS MANAGER, WHMH-FM, WVAL-AM country combination began simulcasting rock on the AM as well. The station works to promote what it does best: an exclusive format with local identity, said Gary Hoppe, operations manager. "We choose to stay live. We choose to be hometown.

Where else can you hear groups like Slip Twister and Scorch?" Despite the strong competition and wrangling for multiple-station ownership, Hoppe said he doesn't sense panic at the studios his father, Herb, began as a stand-alone AM station in 1963. And with plans under way to increase broadcast power from 3,000 to 50,000 watts, they should be well-anchored in the market, he said. "We know the players. The players know us. We can usually predict what they'll do, and there's some comfort in that." The same holds true for KCFB-FM, 91.5, a contemporary Christian format station established in 1986.

Larry and Mary Ann Simmons started the station with the goal of providing a unique format that educates and spreads a moral message. The station now garners a $120,000 budget from listener support, Larry said. Although it does not compete as directly for advertising as commercial stations, KCFB still must monitor the industry and change with the times, Simmons added. "We'll stay at the leading edge of technology and will change as we need to. When the time comes that you can get satellite signals in your car, people will still want a local sound, I hope." It might be nice to increase the station's power, but KCFB's focus always has been St.

Cloud, Simmons said. "Maybe technology will offer a better way than radio to spread an uplifting message in the future. Our goal is not survival per se. Our goal is the Linder is licensee of contemporary-country station KZPK-FM, 98.9, which began programming last week. Linder shares antenna space on Leighton's tower in St Wendel Township, and leases space in Leighton's Mall Germain studios.

Linder handles programming for the new station, but has an agreement to share advertising sales staffs with Leighton. Linder recognizes the benefits of joining rather than fighting the competition this time. "It's nice having them on my side," he said. Linder first entered this market in 1988 with KZXQ-AM, which he later changed to KXSS-AM and simulcast on KXSS-FM. Linder said the stations struggled to compete as one of several newcomers and because of high overhead costs.

Advertisers responded to a barrage of new local stations in the late 1980s by sticking with longtime operators, he said. Local ownership consistent Among those longtime local owners is Andy Hilger. Twice named one of St. Cloud's most influential citizens in stories developed by the Times in 1979 and 1987, and the area's outstanding employer in 1981, Hilger, 65, gets solid marks for advertiser loyalty. He attributes his success with WJON-AM and WWJO-FM to customer service and knowing what the public wants from radio.

"When I came in, St. Cloud was definitely a newspaper market. We made a commitment to serve the community and we reap the benefits in advertiser and listener loyalty." FCC changes over the years and the area's growth have brought more competitors to Hilger's playing field, particularly when permit options were loosened in the 1980s. US. Ingstad did not return calls from the Times seeking comment as to whether he plans to remain a licensee in the St.

Cloud market. Veterans gain market clout One thing that won't change: A longtime St. Cloud radio owner recently decided to remain in the local market after investigating a move toward the Twin Cities. Al Leighton came on the local scene in 1975 when he bought a simulcast AMFM station called KFAM from the Fred Schilplin family, former owners of the St Goud Times. He changed the call letters to KCLD, and in 1990 changed the AM station to KNSL adding a talk format.

In April, the Federal Communications Commission approved Leighton's request to move his station tower from the Avon area to Albion Township near Buffalo. "It was inviting to look at all the population growing from the (Twin) Cities toward St. Cloud," Leighton said. "We thought this would be a way to protect ourselves engineering-wise." But after living in the area for so many years, Leighton felt an obligation to serve St. Cloud listeners.

"With our 100,000 watts, we also serve the Brain-erd and Alexandria areas. They would lose our signal. And we only recently finalized a $50,000 upgrade of our studios." Now Leighton, 69, expects to sink deeper roots here. His future plans for the stations involve Denny Niess, his son-in-law who handles sales and John Sowada, KCLD's general manager. Leighton's market position is further strengthened by his relationship with Ron Linder.

radio jobs in the future is uncertain, but it could be harder for new station owners starting from scratch, he said. That includes Hilger's son and daughter, who are working on a new FM station in St. Joseph. Just getting through municipal channels is difficult for a new station, let alone competing in the industry, admitted Kevin Hilger. He and his sister, Mol-lie, have planned a debut as KKJM-FM 92.9, since 1991.

They've trudged through the zoning and construction approvals only to come up against their fourth deadline on the FCC station permit. They filed for another extension in mid-November and plan to have the station running by early May, Kevin Hilger said. "It's very tough to get going. You've got the transmitter, the tower. And if you lease a building, that's another outlay, given that you can sell advertising." The younger Hilger joked that he would grab the "leftover" advertisers from WJON.

The first few months will involve refining the station format, which hasn't been determined yet. "After that, we'll hammer it out on sales," he said. Local ties help independents Regardless of their mode of operation educational or commercial, live or automated the future of independent media operators is questionable. National consolidations are big news, as evidenced by mergers of giants Turner Broadcasting and Time Warner, West-inghouse-CBS and Gannett's purchase this week of Multimedia. While there is something to be said for the resources a conglomerate has to support small-scale operators, it begs the question of whether those with the European countries like France are making a strong effort to maintain their cultural identities, and arts and media are an important part of that.

Here, we're going in the opposite direction. 55 Dick Hill CHAIRMAN, MASS COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY most money then have the loudest voice, said Dick Hill, chairman of the mass communications department at St. Cloud State University. Maybe multiple-media ownership is the next phase in the industry, following a history of public ownership and strict public controls.

And maybe technology will make it possible, Hill said. In that case, only the independents who maintain a strong local presence will have a chance. "European countries like France are making a strong effort to maintain their cultural identities, and arts and media are an important part of that. Here, we're going in the opposite direction." Among area radio stations sticking to the basics and holding their own are WHMH-FMWVAL-AM, 101.7 and 660, Sauk Rapids. In 1991, this rock and "I compare it to a business person who ran a shoe store," Hilger said.

"Through his handiwork and expertise, he could drive the competition out of business. And maybe a dress shop or another business moved in. But in radio, if you took on the competition and won the battle, somebody else stepped up with a big budget of promotional dollars." The increased competition from 1980s rules led to saturated markets and the closing of new stations. The FCC responded by changing its rules to let one owner operate up to two FM and two AM stations. That allowed Hilger to purchase a third station in 1994: KMXK-FM, 94.9.

The former jazz station now plays oldies and is more automated than Hilger's other stations. "It allowed a consolidation of ownership," Hilger said. "Itls still developing, but we're happy with it." Further deregulation also should benefit the radio market as strong licensees buy smaller, struggling stations, Hilger said. Whether that means more or fewer CUT-YOUR-OWN Norway, Scotch, White Pine, Spruce, Fresh-cu Balsam, Fraser Fir, White Pine, Scotch, Spruce mr T1 rr -t nn I HI II ISAMI IS II II HI Sh hk Ml SV Wreaths, door swags, garland, tree stands, tree bags. Beautiful hand- rraftpH HnliHav oi ifomc 441-6094 in pur gift shop, WK, ii Holiday Season, Make -0 7amfy "ftadltlon oft Ghooiuiy Ifoux Gkxhtmas Ttee Ttom One ofj Theie Tine Metckanti! PETERSEN TREE FARM i mi.

No. ot Clear Lake on Cry. Rd. 6 HRS: 9:30 to 5:00 pm FR1SATSUN Opening Fri.f Nov. 24 JL Santa9 To'iQ5t Tqq Tctm ft Open 9-5 A MKKRY ClltflimwA'kfr, AP PHOTO U.S.

Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke (right) spoke to the press Saturday after his meeting with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade. From Page 1A Sat. T3i 3 rt.y 01717 Wi Just 3 Miles South of nr. IT' 1 qO TOEEPITCR4SE Reformatory i.L iLl Pilots onHwylO I fJV 240-1958 ifaife COUPON CHRISTMAS $00 TOE is MpJl-PlusTax-u V- CHOOSE TRFFQ Cut Your Own or Choose Inside CUT AND Scotch, Norway, White Pine Spi UP Scotch, Norway, White Pine, Spruce, Balsam, Fraser Fir. i i Fresh Cut Fraspr nnnnlas Ralsam FirA Rina Cnrnro U.N.

peacekeepers taken hostage, and of a Christian Science Monitor reporter. The independent Yugoslav newspaper Nasa Borba, citing unnamed sources, said the pilots were being held by Bosnian Serb army commander Gen. Ratko Mladic near Pale, the Serb stronghold in the mountains above Sarajevo. Mladic has said he will free the men only if charges against him are dropped by an international war crimes tribunal, the newspaper said. In other developments: The buildup of troops in Bosnia continued on schedule, although heavy fog forced the cancellation of all U.N.

and NATO flights into Sarajevo on Saturday, Haselock said. The first three C-130 Hercules transport planes carrying 110 U.S. soldiers landed at Taszar airfield in southern Hungary. President Clinton said the 20,000 U.S. troops expected in Bosnia should leave after a year, regardless of how much they have accomplished.

In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," taped Friday for broadcast Sunday night, he said that even if war returns after the troops leave, "we gave them a chance." At the London conference, the United States warned that Bosnians who break the peace or elude war crimes tribunals will forfeit aid. 1 1 urum Large Display of Wreaths and Roping i VISIT OUR NEW CHRISTMAS SHOPPE fa TTITTTV Boughs with trees Forty-seven American troops are in Bosnia. Milosevic did not comment after meeting with Holbrooke about the French pilots. The American diplomat appeared to be responding to an increasingly aggressive campaign by the French to win the release of the pilots, shot down Aug. 30.

France threatened Saturday to "hit" the Bosnian Serbs unless it gets information about them. "These are our boys, on a NATO mission, and NATO is sending in more troops," said Jacques Rummelhardt, spokesman for the French delegation to the conference. "We have said we would hit those who have these pilots." Holbrooke's plea to Milosevic came amid increasing French desperation to have the pilots released. In Paris, Lamas-soure said France has "some hopes, but unfortunately no assurances." "I hope that the Serb leaders will have the wisdom to honor commitments to us," Lamassoure said. "France expects a response, a liberation of the pilots by Sunday night." Already this year, Milosevic has successfully negotiated with Bosnian Serb leaders for the release of more than 300 FE Use of saw Candy Canes Tie-down ropes Hav rides on wknds.

a iuf' DON'T MISS Santa Visits Weekends Petting Zoo Hay Rides Gift Shops Candy Canes tor Kids AVAILABLE Wreaths, swags Tree shaking and bundling I I Evergreen, inc. On Hwy. 10 -5 Mi. E. of Rice Stoplights on Cty.

Rd 2 (Little Rock Lake Rd.) On Hwy. 10 1 blk. S. King's Inn QP Q. 7 (MayhewLakeRd.) 3 Mi.

2 Mi. N. Follow Signs DAILY 1 'U I I Oil BOl 4 Clear Lake 743-2255 3. Follow Signs vW4- OPEN THRU DEC. 1 7 laM u'tmm DUSK 12953678.