KCRM: The Second-Best Radio Station Lubbock Ever Heard

This cool classic rock station didn't last long, but it left it's mark.

When people talk about great Lubbock radio, there’s no question who tops the list. 94.5 FMX has long been the city’s loud, unpredictable, and unmistakable rebel — a station with true personality and heritage that can’t be duplicated. By comparison, most other stations could be dropped into any similar-sized city and no one would notice. FMX has attitude. The rest, not so much.

But once upon a time, Lubbock had another station that dared to be different: KCRM — The Cream of Classic Rock.

Born From a Bold Idea

It all began when a consultant convinced our company that Lubbock needed a dedicated classic rock station. That was all the spark I needed. Drawing inspiration from the two legendary Southern California rock stations I grew up with — the personality-driven KMET and the laid-back KLOS — we built a format around the rich, melodic side of rock.

Bands like Fleetwood Mac, Journey, The Eagles, Steely Dan, and Supertramp were all but absent from local airwaves. KCRM filled that gap while leaving the heavy lifting to FMX. KCRM would play Jethro Tull’s “Bungle in the Jungle” while FMX cranked “Aqualung.” The logo was a nod to early Aerosmith wings, and the staff featured John Hart, Michael X. Ray, Ron Newsome, and other standouts.

Lubbock's KCRM Was Too Cool for Its Time

Listeners loved it. Ratings were solid. It even siphoned attention from FMX and outperformed another new classic rock competitor.

Then came Consultant #2. Declaring KCRM “too cool for Lubbock,” he flipped it back to country. Ironically, he later helped create XM Radio — and its channel The Bridge, which sounds suspiciously like a gentler version of KCRM.

KCRM didn’t last long, but for a moment, it made Lubbock radio magic.

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By the way, I'd put 98 KOOL as #3 on the all-time list. Yes, there were tons of oldies stations across America at that time, but having Lew Dee & Diana made it super-special.