KJOJ-FM (103.3

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) was a

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed to

Freeport, Texas Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico, founded in 1912. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010, where Hispanic (U.S. ...

, United States, operating as a

rimshot A rimshot is a percussion technique used to produce an Accent (music), accented snare drum backbeat. The sound is produced by simultaneously hitting the Drum hardware#Rim, rim and Drumhead, head of the drum with a drum stick. The sound and var ...

into the

Greater Houston Greater Houston, designated by the Office of Management and Budget, United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–Pasadena–The Woodlands, is the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical ...

area. It was last owned by

Estrella Media Estrella Media Co (formerly known as Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. from 1987 to October 14, 2019 and LBI Media, Inc. from October 15, 2019 until February 2, 2020) is an American media company based in Burbank, California, owned by private equity f ...

and operated in tandem with

KTJM KTJM (98.5 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial radio, commercial FM Broadcasting, FM radio station city of license, licensed to Port Arthur, Texas. It is owned by Estrella Media and airs a Regional Mexican radio format. The radio studio, studios and of ...

(98.5 FM) in Port Arthur, with its transmitter to the east of the Houston area. The KJOJ-FM transmitter was located off Sgt. Joe Parks Memorial Highway in

Sargent, Texas Sargent is a small Unincorporated area, unincorporated community located in the eastern corner of Matagorda County, Texas, Matagorda County, Texas, United States. Sargent is a fishing, boating, and water sports community with a variable populati ...

; the studios were in Bay City. The station began broadcasting in 1987. It operated for the vast majority of its history as a

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

partner with KTJM, enabling greater coverage of the Houston area; both stations aired a

Regional Mexican Regional Mexican music refers collectively to the regional subgenres of the country music of Mexico and its derivatives from the Southwestern United States. Each subgenre is representative of a certain region and its popularity also varies by ...

format for the last 19 years of KJOJ-FM's existence. It continued in this service until December 14, 2020, when a catastrophic tower failure felled its mast at Sargent. It never returned.

History

The FCC granted a

construction permit Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to bu ...

in 1985 for a new station in Freeport. Bayport Broadcasting, owned by Roy Henderson, acquired the permit from Freeport Broadcasting in 1987 and built it, but it was silent by 1989, when US Radio, a company owned by Ragan Henry, spent $2 million to purchase the then-KGLF-FM. KJOJ (106.9 FM) then merged with KGLF-FM, briefly simulcasting. KJOJ and its programming then moved exclusively to 103.3 at the start of 1991 as the 106.9 station became

smooth jazz Smooth jazz is commercially oriented crossover jazz music. Although often described as a "genre", it is a debatable and highly controversial subject in jazz music circles. As a radio format, however, smooth jazz radio became the successor to e ...

KJZS. That October, KJOJ became KJOJ-FM when the former KIKR (880 AM), an AM station in Conroe, began simulcasting it. US Radio, which owned the pair until 1996, was purchased by

Clear Channel Communications iHeartMedia, Inc., or CC Media Holdings, Inc., is an American mass media corporation headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It is the holding company of iHeartCommunications, Inc., formerly Clear Channel Communications, Inc., a company founded by ...

. In 1996, KJOJ-FM began to simulcast KHYS's smooth jazz format, dropping a

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

format; the two stations would be linked for the rest of KJOJ-FM's existence.

Kiss and The Jam

On February 24, 1997, after stunting with continuous play of the song ''

Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...

'' by

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

, the stations' format changed to

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...

as "Kiss 98-5, Kiss Again 103-3". The separate name came about because KJOJ-FM aired KHYS on a 10-minute delay. In June 1998, the Kiss format was made less rhythmic. On January 1, 1999, the station jumped on the

rhythmic oldies Rhythmic oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, R&B, disco, or dance genres of music. The playlists spans from the 1960s through the 2000s. They depend on market conditions and may be designed for African-American or Hispani ...

bandwagon as "98.5 The Jam". The call letters on the Port Arthur station changed to KTJM. As part of sales required in Clear Channel's merger with AMFM Inc., El Dorado Communications acquired KJOJ-FM with other stations in 2000.

Switch to Regional Mexican and closure

In July 2001, the station was bought by Liberman Broadcasting of

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

. Liberman flipped both stations to

as , though it initially intended to split KJOJ-FM from KTJM. In 2019, Liberman ran into financial problems and declared

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

. After reorganization, the corporate name changed to

. The station's tower failed catastrophically on December 14, 2020. Liberman took it silent, but it never returned, and KNTE (101.7 FM) replaced KJOJ-FM as a rebroadcaster of KTJM. After over 12 months of silence, the FCC cancelled the license on June 22, 2022.

References

External links

LaRaza Radio of Houston
{{Liberman Broadcasting Mexican-American culture in Houston JOJ-FM Regional Mexican radio stations in the United States Brazoria County, Texas Estrella Media stations 1987 establishments in Texas Radio stations established in 1987 2022 disestablishments in Texas Radio stations disestablished in 2022 JOJ-FM Defunct radio stations in the United States