Former KLOL jock plans return to radio from home in Cypress

Mark Stevens and Jim Pruett Mark Stevens and Jim Pruett Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Former KLOL jock plans return to radio from home in Cypress 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Former KLOL-FM radio jock and current gun store owner Jim Pruett announced on Facebook Sunday that he and Colonel St. James will be returning to the airwaves within the month on a small FM station based near Cypress.



Cypress Radio, at 101.7 FM, is described as a low-power, non-profit FM station that will service the Cypress area and be run on donations from the public.



Pruett said on Monday that he will be handling a 6-10 a.m. shift Monday through Friday, and that St. James will do afternoons 3-7 p.m.



Half of the legendary Stevens & Pruett duo, Pruett has been away from radio since 2004, when KLOL changed formats. He currently runs Jim Pruett’s Guns & Ammo off Huffmeister.



Oddly enough, he said he does more media now than ever before. He has a gun safety segment on CW39's "NewsFix" and is called upon often by other news outlets to speak on gun rights issues. He was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2003, just before KLOL signed off the Houston airwaves and shuffled off into radio lore.



He said he considers his Facebook page his real connection to fans, but this is his way of returning to his roots.

"The cool thing about it is that the area we will serve has about half a million people in it," he said.

The low-power station will have their antenna installed on a 400-foot tower in Rose Hill.



Programming will also be available to those online and through podcasting if they cannot listen live, as the limited power of the station limits its small reach out of Cypress.



His partner at KLOL for more than a quarter-century, Mark Stevens, died in October 2011 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 76. Pruett said that he will be "channeling" Stevens as much as he can during his morning drive-time shifts.

Fans of KLOL can also expect Uncle Waldo and Eddie "The Boner" Sanchez to make guest appearances.



St. James was let go from Clear Channel when 93.7 The Arrow changed from a classic-rock format and turned into an urban hip-hop station late last year. He's been a mainstay on Houston rock radio for decades, dating back to a blues show he hosted on KUHF-FM in 1973.

"I couldn't be happier to be a part of this," St. James said on Monday. "I get to play the music I love and work with Jim Pruett again."

Pruett said Monday that he is still waiting on equipment to arrive so he can begin broadcasting from his home. Rick Calvert, who applied for the FCC license a few years back, will most likely have a nighttime shift. There is no one slotted for midday yet.



"They granted the license to Calvert to play rock music and serve the community," said Pruett. "The FCC created these stations because radio wasn't serving the community the way it should have been."

Calvert said Thurday that 101.7's community of license is in the city of Cypress.



As for the format of his shift, Pruett said few genres will be off the table, with a mixture of classic rock, obscure cuts, and some outlaw country. There will be an emphasis on listener interaction as well.