KIKK-AM

Journey back to 1947. A new voice crackled over the airwaves in Baytown, Texas. This was KRCT, the precursor to what we now know as KIKK-AM. KIKK-AM, broadcasting at 650 AM, has been a part of Houston’s radio landscape for decades. It’s a daytime-only station, licensed to Pasadena, with studios nestled in Houston’s Greenway Plaza district. KIKK-AM boasts a surprisingly wide coverage area, reaching from Flatonia, Texas, all the way to Lake Charles, Louisiana, thanks to its low frequency. This reach is impressive, considering it broadcasts at only 250 watts. The station’s journey has been marked by several transformations. In 1958, not long after relocating its transmitter from Baytown to Pasadena, KRCT was sold to Industrial Broadcasting Company. A significant moment in KIKK-AM’s history arrived on May 1, 1961. The call letters officially changed from KRCT to KIKK. The name, interestingly, is a nod to its former country music format branding, “Kick.” This daytime-only operation diligently signs off at sunset. This is not just a quirky tradition but a necessity. It protects the clear-channel station WSM in Nashville from interference. There was even a legal battle in the 1960s when KIKK-AM tried to broadcast before sunrise. The courts ruled against them, and the FCC slapped them with a $10,000 fine. For much of its life, KIKK-AM was synonymous with country music in Houston. From the 1970s through the early 1990s, it even simulcasted with its FM sister station, now known as KKHH. KIKK-AM was a key player in Houston’s “country music war” with KILT-AM-FM. The station has seen a diverse range of formats over the years. It transitioned from business news in 1996 to “Hot Talk” in 2004, even becoming the Houston home for The Howard Stern Show. After Stern’s departure to satellite radio, it shifted to news, partnering with CNN Headline News. KIKK-AM eventually returned to its sports roots in 2013. As of June 21, 2021, KIKK-AM has adopted a sports gambling format, branded as “The Bet Houston.” So, as you stand here, imagine the decades of voices and stories that have emanated from this station. KIKK-AM, a testament to Houston’s evolving radio landscape.