KGHO FM

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Our Story

KGHO first signed on the air on November 16, 1961 as KHOK 1560 AM. The station was built by Harold and Irving Schmidtke. Irving's son Fred would play Top 40 Rock N Roll records every afternoon after school. This program became so popular, KHOK played Top 40 Rock N Roll music from sunrise to sunset. Schmidtke sold the station to Ernie Linnenkohl who ran the station as Grays Harbor Broadcasting. On September 3, 1965, Ernie added FM service on 103.9 megacycles and changed the call sign to KGHO. The additional service allowed KGHO to broadcast before sunrise and beyond sunset. This also made KGHO the first FM Rock N Roll radio station in the northwest and possibly the first on the west coast. KGHO ruled the airwaves throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's as Grays Harbor's most listened to radio station. In 1979, KTAC-FM in Tacoma wanted to expand their coverage. Because they were also on 103.9 FM, they paid for the move of KGHO-FM to change frequencies to 95.3 FM. KGHO moved it's FM transmitter to Pacific Northwest Bell's site on Cosmopolis Hill which extended KGHO's coverage from McCleary to the coast. In 1981, KGHO moved to it's current broadcasting site for 92.7 FM on Cosmolopis Hill and also began broadcasting in multiplex Stereo. In 1984, the AM tower was replaced and changed frequencies to 1490 AM. In 1986, KGHO was sold to Plank Broadcasting, who started broadcasting Contemporary Christian music. The public was very upset about this change. In an attempt to appease the public, Jim Plank continued playing Christian Rock music on Friday evenings. At the brink of bankruptcy, in 1987, Plank basically gave the station to Trinity Broadcasting Network in exchange for taking over the debt. Trinity was only interested in television, so they simulcast the audio of their television network on both KGHO AM & FM. Station Manager Rick Moyer was able to talk Trinity into letting him play music during Wrestling for Jesus and continue playing Christian Rock on Friday nights. In 1995, KGHO was sold to Spencer Broadcasting, who changed the format back to Rock N Roll, 24 Hours a day. KGHO FM became Goodtime Hit Oldies, playing 50's, 60's and 70's Classic Rock N Roll. The AM became KJET flight 149 playing Hot Adult Contemporary/CHR music from the 80's and 90's. In December of 1995, KGHO FM tripled it's broadcasting power. In 1996, KGHO began simulcasting on 3,000 watt, 920 AM in Olympia. This move extended KGHO's coverage into Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Kitsap, Island, Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties. In 2003, Grays Harbor LP FM began broadcasting KGHO in Hoquiam on 94.3 FM. In 2008 KGHO moved to 98.5 FM. In February 2015, KGHO was forced to move from 98.5 to 99.9 to accommodate a big broadcasters desire to move a construction permit for new station KNBQ from Ilwaco Washington to Central Park Washington. Today KGHO can be heard on 3 additional translators. 92.7 Aberdeen (Cosmopolis Hill), 101.1 Olympia (Capitol Peak), 104.1 Tacoma. From 1961 to present, KGHO has always locally programmed a Rock 'N Roll format of some type. 1961-1986 Top 40, 1986-1995 Christian Rock, and 1995 to present, Classic Rock 'N Roll!! KGHO staff over the last 50 years. Fred Schmidtke DJ 61-63, Stan Foreman DJ-PD 63-65 & 68-75, B.R. Bradbury DJ 63-65, Bill Munson DJ 63-65, Steve West DJ 60s (his niece married my cousin), Gary Shannon DJ 60s, Ken Mattler DJ 60s, Bruce Cannon DJ 60s, Bill Hardy DJ 65-71 & 96-99, Ron Erak DJ 60s-70s, Robert S. Snow DJ 60s-70s, Stu Habernal aka DJ Chris Murray 60s-70s, Jim Peterson DJ 60s-70s, Steve Leslie DJ 60s-70s, Paul W. Jones DJ 60s-70s, Bobby Taylor DJ 60s-70s, Ron West DJ 69-74, Steve Larson DJ 60s-70s & PD 75-79, Gary Crow morning DJ 71-72, Richard Dee afternoon DJ 70s-80s, Steve Leeson (Cruiser) DJ 74, Buzz Barr GM 75-79 & SM-morning DJ 97-98, Jim Willhight weekend DJ 75-76 & midday DJ-PD-MD 79-81, Ralph Kohl DJ 70s & weekends 98-99, Charlie Mitchell DJ 70s, Paul Thompson DJ 70s, Michael Orr DJ 78, Randy Roadz DJ 79 & 83, Nick Kostello DJ 80s & midday DJ 95-99, Al Dale DJ 80s & evenings 99, Dave Pavletich DJ 83, Rick Moyer DJ-GM 85-95, J Binkley morning DJ 95-present, Paul Kelley afternoon DJ-MD 95-present, Robert W. Andrews evening DJ 95-04, Shaun Spencer weekend DJ 95-97, Neil Darrow morning DJ 98-99, Eddie Lee DJ 63-67 (920 Olympia) & evening DJ 03-present, Kacie Sommers morning DJ 2012, Greg Park evening DJ, Underwriting Manager, Public Affairs Director 2015-present Thanks to the following for their contributions to this page: Fred Schmidtke, Stan Foreman, Bill Hardy, Bob Snow (KAPA), Buzz Barr, Ralph Kohl, Helen Hegg, Nick Kostello, Bob Rice and Rick Moyer. Any updates are welcome. Thank you, John Spencer, KGHO President-General Manager 95-present. General Information Classic Rock N Roll, Commercial Free, 24 Hours A Day. Other area stations: KANY, KBKW, KDUX, KGY, KITI, KJET, KJR, KLSY, KMAS, KMCQ, KRXY, KSWW, KWOK, KXRO, KXXK, KXXO. KGHO is the Northwest's truly independent radio station. We are not trying to monopolize the market with multiple stations carrying satellite formats. We are all local - all the time. Broadcasting on 99.9 from Hoquiam, 92.7 from Aberdeen-Montesano to Elma-McLeary and 101.1 from Olympia to Lakewood, and Olympia to Centralia.