KJR (AM)

KJR

City of license	Seattle, Washington
Broadcast area	Seattle metropolitan area
Branding	Sports Radio 950 and 102.9 KJR
Frequency	950 kHz
First air date	1922
Format	Sports Talk
Power	50,000 watts
Class	B
Facility ID	48386
Affiliations	Fox Sports Radio
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Sister stations	KBKS, KHHO, KJR-FM, KNBQ, KKBW, KUBE
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	sportsradiokjr.com

KJR (950 AM, "Sports Radio 950 and 102.9 KJR") is an all-sports radio station based in Seattle, Washington, owned by Clear Channel Communications. KJR currently is the flagship station of the University of Washington, including Husky football and men's basketball broadcasts. Its sister station KHHO was the broadcast home of the Washington State University Cougars, including football and men's basketball play-by-playuntil the end of the 2010-11 season.

Since the 2006-2007 season, ISP Sports was the media rights holder for Husky athletics until IMG College took over. KJR remains the Washington IMG College Network's flagship station.

KJR carried some play-by-play from ESPN Radio, and some of the regular talk shows at night and during weekends. KJR-AM is now the Puget Sound region's home of Fox Sports Radio.

It was Seattle's only all-sports talk radio station until 710 KIRO affiliated itself with ESPN.

History

KJR is the oldest station presently operating in Seattle, having been founded March 9, 1922. Beginning in the 1950's and lasting until 1984, KJR was a pioneer Top 40 radio station owned by entertainer Danny Kaye. In the 1960s, under the programming guidance of Pat O'Day, the station was top rated in Seattle and well known for introducing the Pacific Northwest to many recording stars such as Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts and the Ventures. Today, the call letters are used by KJR-FM, which broadcasts a format which includes many of the songs and shows (including original American Top 40 shows from the 1970s) from that era.

Competitors against KJR's top 40 format at the time included KING-AM 1090, and KIRO 710.

KJR would switch to adult contemporary in 1984. In 1986, the station shifted to oldies, playing the music that had made the station famous throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

KJR's shift to sports programming was a gradual evolution starting in 1989, when the station added some sports-themed shows in mid-days and afternoons. The rest of the music programming would be phased out in September 1991.

On November 4, 2011, at 7 AM, KJR began simulcasting on 102.9 FM, replacing country-formatted KNBQ. Clear Channel did not transfer the KJR-FM calls from 95.7 to 102.9.

Notable DJ's

A collection of some of the country's greatest air personalities entertained Seattle listeners like Larry Lujack, Scotty Brink, Norm Gregory, Burl Barer, Pat O'Day, Eric Chase, Bob Shannon, "World Famous" Tom Murphy, Bobby Simon, Jerry Kaye, "Emperor" Lee Smith, Lan Roberts, Robert O. Smith, Bwana Johnny, and sports commentator Chuck Bolland. Gary Lockwood "Lockjock, LJ the DJ" had the longest tenure as a jock on the "Mighty 95" from 1976-1991.

Sports

KJR served as the home of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1987–2006.

This station also runs itself as "Home of the 12th Man", mainly during Seahawks season.

In 2002, Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Jeff Nelson had surgery to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow. During his weekly show with Dave "Softy" Mahler, Nelson announced he would attempt to sell his bone chips on eBay. After earning bids as high as $23,600, eBay pulled the chips from auction.

In 2003, Seattle Storm point guard Sue Bird made a bet with morning host Mitch Levy that gained national publicity. The bet was over Bird's season assist/turnover ratio. If the ratio finished higher that 3:1, Bird agreed to be spanked by Levy on the air. If Bird won the bet, Levy agreed to purchase Storm season tickets. The bet was later amended to include Bird yelling "Harder, Daddy, Harder." The bet was ultimately called off by Bird. When asked at a later date, Tyler Orsborn (morning show producer at the time)suggested that Storm management were the real reason the bet was called off and not Bird.

During a 2006 radio interview with Dave "Softy" Mahler and former University of Washington quarterback Hugh Millen, then Atlanta Falcons head coach Jim L. Mora said he'd be in the "friggin' head of the line" for the Washington Huskies football head coaching position, if it became available. Mora, who played for the University of Washington, later said he was only kidding during the interview, but was still fired by the Falcons at the end of the season.

Recently, sports show host "Softy" began a feud with another sports show host in Salt Lake City, Utah after they argued about their predicted outcomes of the Washington vs. BYU game on September 5, 2008. After arguing with Hans Olsen of Sports Radio 1280 The Zone, he had an on air meltdown where he claimed that he was going to choke Hans and repeatedly called him an idiot.

Schedule

Monday-Friday:

• 5 AM-6 AM: Dick Fain
• 6 AM-10 AM: Mitch in the Morning
• 10 AM-1 PM: Dave "Softy" Mahler
• 1 PM-3 PM: Ian Furness
• 3 PM-7 PM: Mike "The Gasman" Gastineau and Elise Woodward
• 7 PM-10 PM: Robert "The T-Man" Tepper
• 10 PM-5 AM: Fox Sports Radio

Weekends:

• Program schedule varies

External links

• Sports Radio 950 & 102.9 KJR
• The Puget Sound Radio Broadcasters Association - KJR History
• Kent Burkhart - I Was There, #4
• Query the FCC's AM station database for KJR
• Radio-Locator Information on KJR
• Query Arbitron's AM station database for KJR