KALV-FM

KZON

File:1015jamz.jpg
Phoenix, Arizona
Broadcast area	Phoenix, Arizona
Frequency	101.5 (MHz) (HD Radio)
Branding	101.5 JAMZ
Programming
Format	Rhythmic Contemporary
Ownership
Owner	CBS Radio
Sister stations	KMLE, KOOL-FM
History
First air date	June 22, 2007
Call sign meaning	K ariZONa (although previously ZON stood for the "Zone" format)
Technical information
Facility ID	63913
Class	C
ERP	100,000 watts
HAAT	530 meters
Links
Webcast	Listen Live
Website	1015jamz.com

KZON is a commercial radio station located in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting on 101.5 FM. KZON airs a Rhythmic CHR format branded as "101.5 Jamz".

History

Before 101.5

In the 1960s the station signed on the air as KHEP-FM and aired a classical music format. In 1985 the station was sold to the owners of the Boston Globe and took the calls KONC 'Concert 101.' In 1986 the station abandoned classical music for satellite-delivered Soft AC as "Magic 101" KAMJ, using the Transtar 'Format 41' network with a local morning show anchored by Mike Del Rosso.

By 1989, EZ Communications had taken the station completely live and local with a Hot AC format as "The All New Magic 101." In May 1990, it moved to a 60's/70's/80/s/90's AC format as "Mix 101" KMXX. It was later sold to Sundance Broadcasting in 1992 and switched to Triple-A as "The Zone", a moniker it would carry throughout its incarnations of modern rock, modern Adult Top 40, Adult Top 40 and back to modern rock in 2000 up until its flip in January 2006.

As 101.5 Free FM

On December 23, 2005, it was announced that KZON would adopt CBS Radio's Free FM format, featuring mostly nationally-syndicated hot talk shows like The Adam Carolla Show, Frosty, Heidi & Frank and The Tom Leykis Show. The station switched from Modern Rock to the male-targeted format, with rock music played during overnights and weekends, on January 3, 2006. During its brief run it attempted to appeal towards male listeners, as CBS Radio had high hopes that this format would do well in Phoenix, even with a promotional campaign that came along with it. On January 3, 2007, KZON reduced the music content and began to add more talk shows to the weekend lineup, and a taped Tom Leykis episode airing overnights, all in a attempt to attract more listeners.

Despite growing ratings, it proved to be a failure in the market, especially when talk radio station KTAR moved to FM in January 2007. On June 20, 2007, CBS Radio decided to pull the plug and change formats to "Hitz and Hip Hop" modeled after CBS' high rated WBBM-FM/Chicago (B96). The switch occurred on June 21, 2007, when for 24 hours an unknown effeminate male demanded the release of Paris Hilton as she was serving a brief jail sentence at this time.

KZON was the fourth station to drop the Free FM format, following sister station KSCF in San Diego, California, which flipped to Adult Top 40, sister station and former Free FM flagship WFNY/New York City, who returned to Active rock and its original call letters WXRK (K-Rock 92.3), and sister station KIFR/San Francisco, who picked up the KFRC-FM calls and Classic Hits format from their sister station (which is now KMVQ) after it dropped the aforementioned format several months earlier.

As with many format changes in radio, there has been a backlash from fans of Free FM who would like to see the station and its personalities return. The former Free FM website was linked to the stream of sister station KLSX "97.1 Free FM" in Los Angeles, where Carolla and Leykis originated until 2009, when KLSX dropped the format for Top 40.

As 101.5 Jamz

Rumors of a format change came true on June 22, 2007, when the station stopped its normal broadcasts and began playing music by Paris Hilton exclusively, while starting a petition on its website to free Hilton, who was in prison at the time . The move was seen by many as a form of stunting to generate attention before a formal switch in formats. Eventually, KZON switched to a Rhythmic CHR format. The first song played after the initial announcement was "Party Like a Rockstar" by the Shop Boyz.

KZON's flip to Rhythmic also sent a message to KKFR, telling them that the "Power" has been turned off (in reference to KKFR's frequency switch from 92.3 to 98.3) and "Where Hip Hop USED to Live". To add insult to injury, KZON also boast on air as playing "100,000 watts of 'Static-Free' Hip-Hop" and borrowed the "Mac Vs. PC" ad campaign in which KZON billed itself as the "Mac" to KKFR's "PC." In addition, they are also poised to take on Top 40 rival KZZP and to a lesser extent, the former Rhythmic AC (later top 40) station KMVA. In response to KZON's debut and full-powered signal range, KKFR's then-PD Bruce St. James wasn't worried, and in a statement with the Arizona Republic, "What are they going to do?" he asks. "Play more hip-hop than us? Really, I think we'll be OK." St. James, by the way, would end up joining KZON as its new PD in January 2010, but after almost 3 months on the job, he resigned on March 30, 2010, to pursue other opportunities. In November 2008, KZON switched its slogan to "The Valley's #1 Hit Music Station," a slogan that KKFR would also adopt the following December, giving the Phoenix area two radio stations with the same format and slogan. Since then KKFR has dropped that slogan.

As of 2010 KZON has expanded its focus to include Dance and Pop tracks, while at the same time has managed to overtake KZZP and KKFR in the Arbitron PPMs. Although Animal by Neon Trees was added to the playlist prior to KMVA's format flip from contemporary hit radio in November 2010, KZON is still officially rhythmic.

External links

• Official website
• Announcement of changeover to Free FM
• Facility details for Facility ID KZON ({{{2}}}) in the FCC Licensing and Management System
• {{{2}}} in Nielsen Audio's FM station database