Bloomberg News Replaces Oldies KONO in San Antonio

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, August 30, 2024

KONO-AM (860)/San Antonio

After nearly a century on the air, KONO-AM (860), a San Antonio Oldies outlet known for its unique local flavor, has gone silent in favor of Bloomberg News, reports Alicia Neaves at KENS 5. KONO's origins date back to 1927 when Eugene Roth founded the station on the second floor of his auto garage in San Antonio. Roth, along with local engineer George Ing, used a 50-watt transmitter to bring their programming to the public.

For decades, KONO remained locally owned and committed to serving the community. "We had a jingle for every high school," recalled Steven O. Sellers, a longtime KONO air talent told KENS. "It was a way of connecting with our listeners."

In the 1970s, KONO-AM competed fiercely with KTSA, another San Antonio AM station, in both ratings and ad revenue. Sellers, known on-air as Charlie Scott, described the intense rivalry as "a big battle," with air personalities expected to be both entertaining and engaging during their four-hour shifts.

Mark Carrillo, a San Antonio native and well-known disk jockey, reflected on the station's legacy. "The oldies on KONO 101 FM go back about 40 years, but KONO-AM was different. It played music that truly defined the San Antonio sound," he said.

The station's signature jingle, "K-O-N-O Dial 86 Baw Baw!" is familiar to many who grew up in the Alamo City, a nostalgic reminder of a bygone era.

KONO-AM was where San Antonians first heard local legends like Sunny Ozuna, Sonny and the Sunliners, and the Sir Douglas Quintet. "You might not hear 'Glad All Over' by The Dave Clark Five unless you turn to SiriusXM now," Carrillo noted. "But KONO AM was more than just the music-it was a whole feeling, a whole time."

Country music legend Ernest Tubb, known for "Walking the Floor Over You," was also a regular on KONO, hosting a live morning show at the station's original location at 317 Arden Grove, near Broadway.

"Radio is still viable, but it's had to adapt," Carrillo observed. "Change is inevitable, and sometimes you have to either embrace it or get out of the way."