KHHT

KHHT

City of license	Los Angeles, California
Broadcast area	Greater Los Angeles Area
Branding	Hot 92.3
Slogan	"So Cal's Finest Old School"
Frequency	92.3 (MHz) (also on HD Radio)
First air date	1952
Format	Rhythmic Oldies KHHT-HD2: Urban AC
Language	English
Power	42,000 watts
ERP	42,000 watts
HAAT	887 meters
Class	B
Facility ID	35022
Transmitter coordinates	34°13′35″N 118°03′58″W
Callsign meaning	K H HOT 92.3
Former callsigns	KFAC (1950-1989) KKBT (1989-1996) KCMG (1997-2001) KHHT (1997-Present)
Former frequencies	100.3 (MHz) (1950s-2000)
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Sister stations	KBIG, KFI, KIIS, KLAC, KOST, KTLK, KYSR
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	Hot 92.3

KHHT (92.3 FM "Hot 92.3") is a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA with a Rhythmic Oldies musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

History

KFAC

92.3FM signed on in 1952 as KFAC a commercial classical music radio station in Los Angeles, broadcasting for most of its life on 1330 kHz AM, and subsequently in both simulcast and separate programming on 92.3 MHz FM as well. "Only 41 of nearly 9,000 commercial radio stations in the United States play classical music" and KFAC was considered one of the best".

Please see KFAC_(defunct)

KKBT 92.3 The Beat

On September 20, 1989 at 2 p.m.,KFAC would be put up for sale it was rumored it's new owners would change the longtime classical format and call letters, depriving Southern California of a major cultural institution. During its heyday, the station was arguably the most important cultural organization in the Los Angeles area, having greater influence on lovers of classical music than even the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Evergreen Media would purchase KFAC and rename it a rhythmic contemporary hits station KKBT, "92.3 The Beat". Initially September 1989, the station offered a blend of adult rock, dance music, and adult contemporary. The format failed miserably and by 1990 the adult rock cuts were gone. The station moved toward a rhythmic AC format playing a blend of disco, soft pop hits, current R&B and oldies. The station still did not do well and by summer 1990, it evolved to a strictly urban AC station. By 1991, rap and hip-hop were being mixed in and the station evolved to an Urban Contemporary format.

As an urban contemporary station, "92.3 the Beat", hit #1 a few times in the ratings. It competed aggressively with a Hip Hop station on the 105.9 frequency, KPWR (which evolved from dance/urban CHR). During the time the station featured many popular DJs and hosts including John London and the House Party, a popular morning show which competed with other top local shows like Mark and Brian on KLOS and Rick Dees on KIIS-FM, Theo Mizuhara, Eric Cubiche, and Nautica De La Cruz, along with Dr. Dre and the World Class Wreckin' Crew and Kevin Nash. Other shows included Westside Radio, a weekly radio program dedicated to West Coast Hip-Hop, which now airs on KDAY and Street Science, a weekly program dedicated to community issues and politics. The stations slogan was "No Color Lines," proudly championing the diversity of the region. It is believed that 92.3 the Beat was inspired by KDAY, the first hip-hop station. During the 1990s, The Beat held a summer concert known as Summer Jam which featured major hip-hop and r&b stars who performed at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.

In a group deal in 1997 Evergreen merged with Chancellor. Chancellor acquired stations from other groups that exited the market. In 1999 Chancellor merged with Capstar and the company became AMFM, Incorporated.

In the fall of 1999, Clear Channel Communications and AMFM Inc. merged. This gave Clear Channel the five FM stations in LA and KIIS-FM which Clear Channel already owned. However, in order to get under the government-mandated market ownership limits, some stations were required to be spun off. One of the full powered FMs in Los Angeles had to go. KKBT's intellectual unit was the station chosen; it was sold off to Radio One. However, Clear Channel wanted to keep the best possible signal and gave Radio One 100.3 FM. Radio One then moved KKBT's format to 100.3. Leading up to the frequency swap, rumors swirled about whether 100.3's format would survive the move to 92.3 FM. Being 100.3 was going to an African American owned company known for urban formats it seemed that "The Beat" would likely move to 100.3 intact. Much speculation led to 92.3 going active rock, possibly with the KMET calls.

The Beat Moving to 100.3

In the fall of 1999, Clear Channel Communications and AMFM Inc. announced they would merge. However, in order to get under the government-mandated market ownership limits, some stations were required to be spun off. One of the full powered FMs in Los Angeles had to go. KKBT's intellectual unit began to seal its fate and 92.3 FM was chosen, and it was sold to Radio One. However, Clear Channel wanted to keep the best FM signals and gave Radio One the less desirable frequency of 100.3. Leading up to the frequency swap, rumors swirled about the fate of each station's format when the stations flipped frequencies. Some speculation had 92.3 FM going Active Rock, possibly with the KMET call letters. When the switch was made on June 30, 2000, the formats did come along for the ride with 92.3 becoming "Mega 92.3" and 100.3 becoming "100.3 the Beat".

KCMG becomes KHHT

Initially, the station, now called KHHT, played Rhythmic Oldies on 92.3 but by 2001 evolved to more of an urban oldies format and then to an urban AC format by 2002. But KHHT is not a typical Urban AC station; this station was one of the first Urban AC's to play more old school/classic soul, the more mainstream-level R&B currently out (barely-to-not playing Neo-soul at all) and some rhythmic and Latino pop/R&B songs to cater to the Hispanic and Asian audiences that listen to R&B music in particular. In this way, KHHT's playlist structure was the inspiration for other Urban AC markets in the western half of the U.S. such as sister stations in KISQ 98.1 KISS San Francisco, KSYU "HOT 95.1" Albuquerque and KHYL " V101 " Sacramento.

KHHT was one of three urban ACs serving the Los Angeles market. The others were KRBV, (formerly KKBT, which flipped from R&B/hip-hop in May 2006 but was sold by Radio One to Bonneville International in April 2008) and KJLH, whose signal is not full-power and barely penetrates the San Fernando Valley. In July 2006, it was announced that Art Laboe, a legendary oldies DJ in Los Angeles, would expand his syndicated show from weekend to weekdays, with KHHT as the flagship station. Laboe's move was interpreted as an attempt to expand the station's Hispanic audience as it competeted with KRBV and KJLH, both of which were Black owned, operated and targeting stations(Only KJLH remains black owned)

However, by 2008 it became apparent that the over-saturation of Adult R&B stations in Los Angeles has made it difficult for three outlets to compete for the same audience. As a result of this, KHHT began to shift directions from an Urban AC direction to Rhythmic Hot AC, allowing them to focus more on the Hispanic and Asian audience. They also opened up their playlist to include current Rhythmic hits. This move also opens up a new battle in the Los Angeles radio war, which finds KHHT taking on another Rhythmic AC, KMVN, whose direction was more focused on recurrents from the 1970s and 1980s, which also explained KHHT's decision to add currents to its playlist. KHHT's sister station KBIG-FM once had a Rhythmic AC direction before shifting back to Hot AC in September 2007. The recent sale/format change of KRBV would've resulted in further tweakings at KHHT, but due to Arbitron's implementation of the PPM in the Los Angeles radio market and a move by its sister stations to adjust their formats to attract certain demos, KHHT has decided to continue concentrating on attracting their Hispanic demos, where they feel more comfortable.

As of April 2009, KHHT once again became the only Rhythmic Adult Contemporary in the market as KMVN made a format flip to Spanish. This move has prompted KHHT to further adjust its musical direction by adding more Disco and Freestyle tracks to its current format as a way to attract the displaced KMVN listeners, and by June 2009 it showed an increase in the PPM ratings after they began to further tweak its selection more to now slightly favor currents and less favor Old School tracks, but as of July 2009 stay within the R&B realm. These latest changes at KHHT have led to hints that they are moving towards adopting a current Upbeat (and Dance-leaning) formula patterned after sister stations WKTU/New York City, WMIA-FM/Miami, and WISX/Philadelphia. All three stations has seen good rating numbers with this formula.

In November 2010, KHHT tweaked its direction again, shifting to a Gold-based Rhythmic AC approach and reducing the number of currents being played on the station. Although it may have elements of the former KCMG, KHHT had not tilted all the way back to Rhythmic Oldies or Urban AC as most of the music are in line with other soft-leaning Rhythmic Adult Contemporary outlets in nature. This makes KHHT the only Rhythmic Adult Contemporary station in a top-10 American market.

In April 2011, KHHT fired morning host Victor Zaragoza. On April 20, the station announced that it would hire Rick Dees (who, ironically, used to do mornings at KIIS-FM and KMVN). At that time, the station dropped the "and R&B" from its slogan (to distance itself from playing current R&B or Adult R&B product), effectively making the radio station a full-blown Gold-based Rhythmic AC, with emphasis on Rhythmic, Disco, Freestyle and R&B hits from 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s. This same approach is also being used at sister stations KHJZ/Honolulu, KFBT/Fresno and WMOV/Norfolk; the exception being that the latter 3 are targeting Gen-Xers and concentrate on the latter two decades and play some currents in their presentation. Shortly after Dees arrived, KHHT shifted their format to a hybrid of Rhythmic oldies and Urban Oldies, focusing mostly on urban rhythmic hits from 1970 to the mid 1990s, with some soul hits from the 1960s sprinkled into the mix. The station is still label as an Rhythmic Adult Contemporary radio format.

The station, for a time, called itself "Hot 92 Jamz". It has since shifted back to "Hot 92.3"

92.3 in Los Angeles was mentioned in Tupac Shakur's song "To Live and Die in L.A.".

KHHT-HD2

On January 23, 2006, KHHT relaunched its former Rhythmic Oldies format on its HD2 subcarrier. On December 29, 2007, the HD-2 shifted to an all Slow Jamz Urban AC format, playing quiet storm music from artists such as Anita Baker, Tank, Jaheim, and Boyz II Men. It is also staffed by many KHHT jocks including Lisa St Regis, Kevin Slow Jamming James, and Al B Sure.

Awards

The station was one of 10 stations awarded the 2007 Crystal Radio Award for public service awarded by the National Association of Broadcasters. Winners were honored at the Radio Luncheon on April 17, 2007, during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In popular culture

Tupac Shakur mentions 92.3 in his song "To Live & Die In L.A."; however, at the time, 92.3 was home to KKBT, a station which, before its demise, regularly played Shakur's records.

Hot 92.3 was featured on VH1 Soul's show Soul Cities.

Changes

Hot 92.3 at one time use to be Rhythmic Adult Contemporary but as of lately they have changed back to Rhythmic Oldies with an heavy Rhythmic Adult Contemporary lean.

External links

• Hot 92.3 KHHT official website
• Query the FCC's FM station database for KHHT
• Radio-Locator information on KHHT
• Query Arbitron's FM station database for KHHT