Radio
station KMGZ-FM (also known as “Magic 95”)
began as a dream when four individuals (William
R. Fritsch, Jr., Linda A. Meyer, Frederick R. Morton,
Jr., and Dennis R. Yelton) formed Broadco, Incorporated
(an Oklahoma corporation) in August 1979 and promptly
petitioned the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) to allow the construction of a new FM radio
station at Lawton, Oklahoma. In the summer of 1982
the FCC granted Broadco a construction permit to
build the new radio station, and at 5:30AM on Monday,
November 1, 1982, KMGZ signed on the air at 95.3
FM as Lawton’s fifth radio station, and third
FM.
In the spring of 1986 Broadco reincorporated in
Texas as Broadco of Texas, Incorporated to coincide
with the company’s purchase of two radio stations
in Tyler, Texas. Broadco operated stations KDOK-AM
and KEYP-FM until their sale two-and-a-half years
later, in August of 1988.
In 1992 Broadco formed relationships with two new
Lawton FM radio stations by entering into a Joint
Sales Agreement with KVRW-FM (“Oldies 107”),
and a Joint Operating Agreement with KBZQ-FM (“The
Breeze 99.5”), a station built by then former
Broadco stockholder William R. Fritsch, Jr. For
several years all three radio stations operated
out of Broadco’s KMGZ facility. By May of
1998 the relationship had ended with the radio stations
and they went their separate ways.
In 2004 KVRW sold to Clear Channel for $1.6 million
and is now part of their three station Lawton cluster
along with KLAW-FM and KZCD-FM. KBZQ continues today
as a separate, stand-alone station, much like KMGZ.
KMGZ operates with 14,000 watts of effective radiated
power from a 315 foot broadcast tower on company-owned
property in southwest Lawton. In August 2005 KMGZ
completed a $60,000 project to upgrade its broadcast
facility with a new state-of-the-art solid-state
FM transmitter.
Today,
KMGZ assists Quanah, TX radio station KIXC-FM with
its sales efforts through a Joint Sales Agreement.
KIXC is a 50,000 watt Oldies radio station on 100.9
with translators in both Wichita Falls, TX and Lawton
on 105.5.
In 2006 KMGZ sports announcers Steve Adams and Brad
Cooksey were awarded first place in the radio sports
play-by-play category at the annual awards ceremony
of the Oklahoma Pro chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists (SPJ). Adams and Cooksey were recognized
for announcing Lawton Eisenhower High School football
games on KMGZ. Adams and Cooksey have announced
football games together for the past six years.
Cooksey is a math teacher, assistant basketball
coach and head golf coach at Eisenhower High School.
Adams has been teaching broadcast courses at Cameron
for 19 years. The SPJ Annual Awards Ceremony featured
more than 900 entries in areas of newspaper, radio,
television, magazines, Web site design, graphic
design and public relations.
In 2006 KMGZ earned awards for three different community
service projects conducted last year. The radio
station was honored by the Oklahoma Association
of Broadcasters for its First Annual Pet Fair, Rock-N-Roll
Up Your Sleeve Blood Drive, and Dog Gone (And Cat
Too!). The Community Service Awards are presented
annually by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters
to recognize member radio and television stations
for their outstanding community service projects.
The purpose of the award is to spotlight the tremendous
job the Oklahoma radio and television stations do
for their local communities. Since the Community
Service Awards began in 1998, Magic 95 has won a
total of 13; more than any other radio or television
station in the state of Oklahoma.
KMGZ is committed to community service, and over the
years has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars
in airtime and in-kind donations through public service
announcements and community projects. The radio station
has conducted its annual Easter Egg Hunt & dash, easily
the largest egg hunt in Southwest Oklahoma –
for 24 consecutive years, and for 18 years conducted
its annual Halloween Safe House.
