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KUZZ-TV: Buck Owens has big plans for Bakersfield stationContinued from 1)1 his sister.Area television stations filed motions to block the purchase since the Federal Communications Commission forbids the ownership of a radio and television station in the same market.The only exception is when the television station has declared bankruptcy — as in the case of KDOB-TV.Concerning the legal wars, Owens would like to put it behind him.“I am sure that whatever transpired at that time seemed to them to be what they needed to do,” Owens said. “I have no ill will against anyone and we are all in the television family now.”The new KUZZ call letters match Owens’ highly rated AM and FM sister radio stations. KDOB stoodfor Doiothy Owens Broadcasting i Dorothy is Buck’s sister), the station's original owner.Owens held up a sample of billboards lhat will be placed around uii city to announce the switch. Besidt. the new call letters, Owens’ trademark red. white and blue guitar will be incorporated in the station’s logo.Work is going on in Los Angeles, Florida and locally to produce all of the new graphics to meet the mid-March deadline.Owens has been concentrating on another image for the station.“The main thing I want to do is to make sure the station is recognized as Bakersfield’s hometown station,” Owens said. “Of the stations here, ours is the only one where the owner, manager and programmer all live in this town. If weearn money, we are going to keep it here. If we lose money, we are going to take money we have earned here from other sources to put into the television station.”Owens was referring to the fact KERO-TV is owned by McGraw-Hill Inc.. KGET-TV is owned by Acker-ley Communications and KBAK-TV is owned by Burnham Broadcasting.“We are a little independent television station and we don’t have the assets of big corporations,” Owens said.Owens does have the assets of his own media empire, which stretches from Bakersfield to Phoenix and includes television, radio and print outlets.These have held Owens’ attention for years. But television is a new venture and, in his short tenure inthe business, Owens has been given a quick education. Some of the major lessons came during the NATPE convention in New Orleans.Owens hopes to continue his education when he attends the National Association of Broadcasters meeting next month in Las Vegas to investigate technical advancements for the station in an effort “to bring it into the ’90s.”NATPE is an annual meeting of television executives to preview new' programming and make deals.“The last time I was at NATPE, I was there for the ‘Hee Haw’ people and was just another entertainer to the people there,” Owens said. “This time they were interested in me because we were looking at their products. I had a great time.”
Newspaper Details
Bakersfield Californian
Bakersfield, California, US
Sat, Mar 02, 1991
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Sammi B.
NA 15 Apr 2024
Other Publications Near Bakersfield, California
The Berkshire County Eagle
Southern Californian and Kern Weekly Courier
The Weekly Californian
Kern County Californian
Daily Californian
