25th Anniversary Of KFRC-The Big 610 Top 40 Demise

[recto101]

Look at this 1986 KMEL Aircheck and 1986 KITS Aircheck they became the biggest CHR/Top 40 as soon as KFRC/610 Top 40 phase died off. Then in 1988 or 1989 KMEL became Hip-Hop hard R&B
and KITS became Alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNMKSJlwwA KITS 86 Aircheck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYHXGWKe3A&feature=related KMEL 1986 Aircheck.

 

[LKellerIII]

Look at this 1986 KMEL Aircheck and 1986 KITS Aircheck they became the biggest CHR/Top 40 as soon as KFRC/610 Top 40 phase died off. Then in 1988 or 1989 KMEL became Hip-Hop hard R&B
and KITS became Alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNMKSJlwwA KITS 86 Aircheck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYHXGWKe3A&feature=related KMEL 1986 Aircheck.

"Hot Hits" KITS was pretty mind-numbing. IIRC, it was just the Top 10 or 15 hits over-and-over ad nauseum; no Top 30, and no "goldens" or recurrents to break up the monotony. I don't recall how long after KMEL's switch to All Hits that KITS went alternative, but I doubt that "Hot Hits" model could have held up very long with superior hit stations like KMEL and KYUU around.

 

[calguy]

Damn 1550 AM KFRC only exist in skeletons I listened to 1550 AM and you get the picture its so automated. I saw some of the airchecks of old 99.7 KFRC and old 610 and it was better back then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYiwnyhAVnY heres the 1991 KFRC 99.7 Aircheck.

I saw Reelradio one time in 2004 and it said that KFRC also existed on 106.1 FM back in the 1970's
before KMEL took over 106.1 in the late 1970's
[/quote]

Thanks for the link to that odd little aircheck. The early 99.7/KFRC was kind of eccentric. Another DJ I remember from that period was Jym Dingler, who told very corny jokes.

Selling 106.1 was perhaps the worst mistake RKO General ever made. KMEL was AOR at first (I assume they had to agree to not compete in Top 40 for a few years as a condition of sale), but they were one of the major nails in 610's coffin when they switched to "All Hits" a few years later.

Note though that 106.1 KFRC was always automated, with the exception of Dr. Don Rose, which they simulcast in the morning for awhile.
[/quote]

I seem to recall KFRC being simulcast with 106.1 KFRC FM from 10pm to 9 am in 1977...

 

[LKellerIII]

I seem to recall KFRC being simulcast with 106.1 KFRC FM from 10pm to 9 am in 1977...
[/quote]

I have no memory of that, but you're probably right. IIRC, that was before the FCC relaxed the simulcast rules, so simulcasts were limited to 12 hours a day.

 

[DavidKaye]

I have no memory of that, but you're probably right. IIRC, that was before the FCC relaxed the simulcast rules, so simulcasts were limited to 12 hours a day.

Under RKO, 106.1 has been known variously as KFRC-FM, KKEE, and KFMS. They experimented with simulcasts and also with Bill Drake's "Hit Parade" and "Solid Gold" formats. They also had easy listening under the KKEE callsign. Finally, after not being able to make 106.1 work, they sold it at exactly the wrong time.

This is not unusual. KGO sold its FM at the wrong time, too, as did KLOK.

Geek stuff: 106.1 was the original KGO-FM. 103.7 was the latter KGO-FM and later KLOK-FM.

 

[LKellerIII]

I have no memory of that, but you're probably right. IIRC, that was before the FCC relaxed the simulcast rules, so simulcasts were limited to 12 hours a day.

Geek stuff: 103.7 was the latter KGO-FM and later KLOK-FM.

Not to mention KSFX

 

[recto101]

I seem to recall KFRC being simulcast with 106.1 KFRC FM from 10pm to 9 am in 1977...

I have no memory of that, but you're probably right. IIRC, that was before the FCC relaxed the simulcast rules, so simulcasts were limited to 12 hours a day.
[/quote]

If that is true how come KKHI 1550am/95.7FM had simulcasts as early as the 1960's and KDFC 102.1fm/1220am did simulcasts since the birth of 102.1 under Ed Davis to the 1990's? Now KDFC does simulcasts on 89.9 and 90.3 but thats because of relaxed FCC rules.

 

[DavidKaye]

If that is true how come KKHI 1550am/95.7FM had simulcasts as early as the 1960's and KDFC 102.1fm/1220am did simulcasts since the birth of 102.1 under Ed Davis to the 1990's? Now KDFC does simulcasts on 89.9 and 90.3 but thats because of relaxed FCC rules.

KKHI and KDFC/KIBE got a special dispensation from the FCC because they programmed classical music and claimed that they would not be able to afford to keep the format if not allowed to simulcast. I forget whether it was KKHI or KDFC that first came up with the argument.

 

[LKellerIII]

If that is true how come KKHI 1550am/95.7FM had simulcasts as early as the 1960's and KDFC 102.1fm/1220am did simulcasts since the birth of 102.1 under Ed Davis to the 1990's? Now KDFC does simulcasts on 89.9 and 90.3 but thats because of relaxed FCC rules.

KKHI and KDFC/KIBE got a special dispensation from the FCC because they programmed classical music and claimed that they would not be able to afford to keep the format if not allowed to simulcast. I forget whether it was KKHI or KDFC that first came up with the argument.

Same thing in LA, I think. I grew up with Classical KFAC AM & FM in the 60s - my parents favorite. It was KFAC-AM in the car, but the FM was usually on in our house - big old early 50s model vaccum-tube "Hi-Fi" with one huge speaker. I believe it was a 24 hours simiulcast.

It could be also that in the early days of FM - when it wasn't really financially viable on its own - that the FCC allowed 24 hour simulcasts, then put the limits in later.

 

[Lou_S]

Same thing in LA, I think. I grew up with Classical KFAC AM & FM in the 60s - my parents favorite. It was KFAC-AM in the car, but the FM was usually on in our house - big old early 50s model vaccum-tube "Hi-Fi" with one huge speaker. I believe it was a 24 hours simiulcast.

KFAC was a special case. When the 50% simulcast rule went into effect, KFAC AM and FM were already split 25% of the time - morning and afternoon drive were already split during the week. So that's what they had to keep instead of getting the 100% simulcast waiver.

I worked there for a couple of years in the mid 1970s - if I remember right the schedule had the stations split from 6 AM - 11 AM, then three hours of simulcast programming during the mid-day , followed by a split from 2 PM-7 PM, then simulcast throughout the evenings and overnights.

The interesting part was the AM ran the "top 40" of classical music - similar to what KDFC played in recent years, lighter pieces, single movements instead of complete works, etc. But unlike KDFC the music was on a strict rotation that repeated itself every 3 days or so. And this was the station that got all the attention, with live announcers playing music off of vinyl, etc. The FM was pretty much an afterthought, automated and relying on a sub-set of the music library that had been dubbed onto reel to reel tape during most of the non-simulcast hours.

 

[recto101]

I notice back in the 1960's KNX 1070 also had a simulcast on 93.1 FM until 93.1 FM in LA became AOR or CHR in the 1970's. But by the way reelradio had an aircheck in 2004 of KFRC 106.1 back in 1974 when President Nixon resigned from the White House.

 

[recto101]

Look at this 1986 KMEL Aircheck and 1986 KITS Aircheck they became the biggest CHR/Top 40 as soon as KFRC/610 Top 40 phase died off. Then in 1988 or 1989 KMEL became Hip-Hop hard R&B
and KITS became Alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNMKSJlwwA KITS 86 Aircheck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYHXGWKe3A&feature=related KMEL 1986 Aircheck.

"Hot Hits" KITS was pretty mind-numbing. IIRC, it was just the Top 10 or 15 hits over-and-over ad nauseum; no Top 30, and no "goldens" or recurrents to break up the monotony. I don't recall how long after KMEL's switch to All Hits that KITS went alternative, but I doubt that "Hot Hits" model could have held up very long with superior hit stations like KMEL and KYUU around.

KITS flipped from CHR to Alternative in 1988 when Big Rick left KNAC in LA for Live 105. and When KXXX 99.7 X100 took the CHR format in 1988. I saw some reference that Live 105 went to Entercom once KITS flipped from CHR to Alternative.

 

[Fastphilly]

Look at this 1986 KMEL Aircheck and 1986 KITS Aircheck they became the biggest CHR/Top 40 as soon as KFRC/610 Top 40 phase died off. Then in 1988 or 1989 KMEL became Hip-Hop hard R&B
and KITS became Alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNMKSJlwwA KITS 86 Aircheck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYHXGWKe3A&feature=related KMEL 1986 Aircheck.

"Hot Hits" KITS was pretty mind-numbing. IIRC, it was just the Top 10 or 15 hits over-and-over ad nauseum; no Top 30, and no "goldens" or recurrents to break up the monotony. I don't recall how long after KMEL's switch to All Hits that KITS went alternative, but I doubt that "Hot Hits" model could have held up very long with superior hit stations like KMEL and KYUU around.

Hot Hits KITS would cycle the top 15 with a couple "Countdown Extras" which were added new songs they were going to add to the rotations if they generated enough buzz. KITS gave up the Mike Josephs philosophy and by late 1985 began integrating recurrents.

 

[Fastphilly]

Look at this 1986 KMEL Aircheck and 1986 KITS Aircheck they became the biggest CHR/Top 40 as soon as KFRC/610 Top 40 phase died off. Then in 1988 or 1989 KMEL became Hip-Hop hard R&B
and KITS became Alternative.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acNMKSJlwwA KITS 86 Aircheck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVYHXGWKe3A&feature=related KMEL 1986 Aircheck.

"Hot Hits" KITS was pretty mind-numbing. IIRC, it was just the Top 10 or 15 hits over-and-over ad nauseum; no Top 30, and no "goldens" or recurrents to break up the monotony. I don't recall how long after KMEL's switch to All Hits that KITS went alternative, but I doubt that "Hot Hits" model could have held up very long with superior hit stations like KMEL and KYUU around.

KITS flipped from CHR to Alternative in 1988 when Big Rick left KNAC in LA for Live 105. and When KXXX 99.7 X100 took the CHR format in 1988. I saw some reference that Live 105 went to Entercom once KITS flipped from CHR to Alternative.

You are off by a year. KITS flipped to alternative in November of 1986.