KCBS-FM
| File:KCBS-FM logo.jpg | |
| Broadcast area | Greater Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 93.1 (MHz) (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 93.1 Jack FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | KCBS-FM (Adult Hits) KCBS-HD2 (Top 40 Mainstream) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | CBS Radio |
| KFWB, KAMP, KNX, KROQ, KRTH, KTWV part of CBS Corp. cluster w/ TV stations KCBS-TV & KCAL-TV | |
| History | |
First air date | 1948 |
Call sign meaning | Columbia Broadcasting System |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 9612 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 28,500 watts |
| HAAT | 1056 meters |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | www.931jackfm.com |
KCBS-FM is a radio station in Los Angeles, California broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on 93.1 FM. KCBS-FM airs an adult hits music format branded as "Jack-FM".
Like other radio stations of similar format, the Jack FM playlist runs the gamut from classic rock to dance music to hard rock. Currently, the station has no air staff save for Tami Heide with her "Jacktivities" (events and whatever announcements deemed worthy by "jack"). Unlike most other stations in this format, the call sign no longer includes any form of the word "Jack," opting instead to hold over calls from a previous format. This is similar to its FM sister station in New York, WCBS-FM, which had maintained its WCBS calls during its run as "Jack FM."
Although Jack proclaims that the station is run "in a dumpy little building in beautiful downtown Culver City", KCBS-FM was actually at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles, about ½ mile north of Culver City. [1]
History
The station signed on in 1948 as KNX-FM. KNX-FM was a simulcast of sister station KNX until the mid 1960s. The radio station, along with other CBS-owned FM radio stations aired a beautiful music format branded as "The Young Sound".
In 1971, KNX-FM aired a mellow rock music format, featuring rock artists deemed too "soft" for album rock rivals KLOS and KMET.
In 1983, long after other CBS-owned radio stations moved on to other formats, KNX-FM adopted a Top 40 music format - again similar to the other CBS Radio stations branded as "93.1 KKHR". A change of the heritage KNX-FM call letters followed to KKHR. KKHR was not a traditional Top 40 music format of the time as the playlist was more stringent limited to 30 songs.
In 1986, the Top 40 format ran its course likely due to its lackluster ratings. The mellow rock music format and heritage KNX-FM call letters were returned under the new branding "Quality Rock".[2]
In March 1989, an oldies music format was introduced and the heritage KNX-FM call letters were dropped yet again in favor of KODJ to complement the change in branding to "Oldies 93.1".[3] KODJ competed with crosstown rival KRTH, which is ironically now a CBS Radio station. KODJ focused more on the 1950s and the early 1960s era of oldies music than rival KRTH. The DJ's featured were The Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna and Machine Gun Kelly In response, KRTH gradually reduced the amount of newer songs from the playlist and received higher ratings. The Real Don Steele later joined KRTH in 1993 and Charlie Tuna in 2008.
On July 12, 1991 at 2:00pm KODJ changed to its present call letters, KCBS-FM. These call letters had previously been used by two CBS-affiliated stations (now KSOL and KLLC) in San Francisco. [4] On September 1, 1993 KCBS-FM dumped the oldies music format in favor of classic hits music, focusing primarily on the 1970s; branded as "Arrow 93" using the slogan, "All Rock and Roll Oldies".
Infinity Broadcasting (as CBS Radio was known at the time) won the licensing rights to brand their adult hits music formatted radio stations as "Jack FM". Many Infinity/CBS Radio stations adopted the adult hits format and "Jack-FM" branding which led to yet another format change for KCBS-FM. On March 17, 2005, the classic hits music format was dropped in favor of its present music format of adult hits branded as "Jack-FM".
KCBS-HD2
In January 2007, KCBS-FM began broadcasting in HD Radio for a "higher-quality" broadcast. A year later, on February 21, 2008, they launched a Top 40 Mainstream format on its HD2 subcarrier, which is billing themselves as "AMP Radio." While they may not have any impact on rival outlets KIIS-FM and KPWR, they are the first Top 40 station to be launched on a HD2 FM frequency in Los Angeles. This station can also be heard online as well.
As of Feb. 20, 2009, the AMP format has been moved to sister station KLSX (now KAMP), ending that station's talk format.
See also
References
- ^ "Jack lures fans by not saying much; KCBS-FM's format is catching on, but some wonder if it can endure". Los Angeles Times. 2005-07-25.
- ^ "Call Sign History for KCBS-FM". Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ "KODJ, LOS ANGELES BRINGS BACK "THE BOSS"". Machine Gun Kelly. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ "WHAT ARE THE CALL LETTERS TODAY?". Machine Gun Kelly. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
External links
- 93.1 Jack FM
- AMP Radio website
- Template:FMQ
- Template:FML
- KCBS in Nielsen Audio's FM station database