KFRC-AM

[MarioMania]

I remember Doctor Don Rose commenting that five other bay area stations applied for the calls and thats why RKO kept them.

Was it when they changed to Magic 61 with new Calls?

 

[michael hagerty]

I remember Doctor Don Rose commenting that five other bay area stations applied for the calls and thats why RKO kept them.

Was it when they changed to Magic 61 with new Calls?

Mario:

You might want to read the last few posts above.

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

 

[K to The X]

As a person there from before to after the Magic:

Yes..RKO wanted to change the calls to KMMG. I wrote the pess release with those calls. Before the announcement, RKO pulled the calls and kept KFRC for obvious reasons. Art work and logos had been sketched out with the new calls. The art work was eventually kept (the top hat and cane) and KFRC was just inserted.

The switch from the Hot AC format to standards was rather quick. However, the winds of change were happening when, on weekends during the last days of pop on KFRC, the station would play oldies from the 1950s-60s. This was just before Magic 61 and years before the 99.7 oldies format. I remember spending the night pulling records from the vault that had any oldies hits. One of the great memories was pulling albums and finding they were autographed by the band.

In truth, RKO has been banking on the hopeful success of the Game Zone, thinking that would be a format saver for AMs all over. Alas, that didn't happen. And that, my friends, is a story all unto itself.

 

[MarioMania]

I'm wondering who was the others who filed for the KFRC calls in 1986?

Besides James Gabbert?

 

[DavidKaye]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

 

[SFStatic]

Having programmed a couple stations under the PPM, I know calls aren't important re the numbers, but they do help with regular humans that listen, and might be convinced to patronize your clients. It's helpful when they tell a merchant they heard about it on KXXX...and you just don't get that with dial positions or handles. Yes, we had listeners who actually did mention the station.

 

[1069_KIFR]

KXXX X-100? Although it was actually 99.7

 

[SFStatic]

KXXX was originally from Colby, Ks. They were paid about 10 grand for the calls in order to be reassigned to SF for X-100. My understanding is that the old boy in Ks kept KXXX-AM.

 

[michael hagerty]

Found it. 99.7 was still KYUU in 1986. NBC sold to Emmis in 1988 and they changed format and calls to KXXX.

 

[K to The X]

X-1001 went on the air October 1988. Don't remember the date, but was at 6 PM. George McFly flipped the switch from the E"X"change Restaurant that was at the bottom of the Trans America Pyramid. Started with the infamous "From the top, top, top of radio mountain" ID. Two spotlights outside crossed to form a "Bat signal" X.

The station vans couldn't be painted with the new calls yet cause they didn't want it to get out before sign on. I peeled the old KYUU stickers off the vans.

Ah yes. Good times.

 

[LKellerIII]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

As I was reading David's post, I could hear (in my head) the 70's Bobby Ocean saying "kay-eff-arr-SEEEEE." It definitely rolled off his tongue.

He also did the VO work in the 90s for Oldies, but it was "KAY-eff-arr-see."

So I guess both versions are forever stuck in my brain.

 

[michael hagerty]

KFRC applied for new calls when it became Magic 61, but changed its mind before the FCC said yes.

610 had the KFRC calls for 81 unbroken years...1924 to 2005.

Even though it doesn't matter much now with PPM, still the KFRC callsign rolls off the tongue. There aren't many callsigns that do that -- KOIT, KNBR, KGO, KSFO, KCBS. But for the most part, callsigns get forgotten or misremembered. KALW has been around since 1941 and yet many people simply do not know the callsign because it doesn't roll off the tongue easily and the letters don't reference anything.

Why should it matter? Well, even in these days of PPM, I think a station can still gain listeners when the slogan or callsign is stuck in their mind. Even if they're just tuning around and they hear, "Light rock, less talk, KOIT" I think they might be inclined to stay. "Oh yes, that's KOIT; they play good music..."

And as I previously mentioned, longtime classical stations, KKHI and KDFC experienced big problems with people's memories. I mentioned that opera patron and opera composer, oil scion Gordon Getty, didn't even know the callsign of his favorite classical station, which was either KKHI or KDFC; he only knew it was "around the middle of the dial". The callsigns simply weren't memorable.

As I was reading David's post, I could hear (in my head) the 70's Bobby Ocean saying "kay-eff-arr-SEEEEE." It definitely rolled off his tongue.

He also did the VO work in the 90s for Oldies, but it was "KAY-eff-arr-see."

So I guess both versions are forever stuck in my brain.

Harry Nelson's is stuck in mine.

I don't know how I'd even begin to write his out phonetically, though.

 

[SFStatic]

He also did VO work for KSFO/KYA-FM in the early 90's, and in fact, did a few weekend airshifts there.

 

[TeaPartyDude]

Does CBS hold the right to the old KFRC 610 Archives??

Like if CBS puts new calls on 106.9 and someone else get the KFRC calls

since you have an interest in old KFRC, I was wondering:
I remember in the very late 1970s (whatever year the song was hot) KFRC would play their own special version of "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters. Do you know the song? "I'm riding in your car, you turn on the radio.............."
EXCEPT when KFRC played it, the song went "I'm riding in your car, you turn on KFRC......."
Remember that? I wonder how many different stations they did that for and was that a common sort of thing. Did they get paid for it, or did they get more airplay for it (of course), but did they also get other songs played more often? A google search tells me they are from Oakland. Maybe being local (as far as coverage goes), they did KFRC only and enjoyed being on their (sort of) home station.

The Jefferson Starship did a similar "custom (KFRC) version" of their song "We Built This City on Rock and Roll".

 

[SFStatic]

This was a somewhat common thing for a period of time for big time major market Top 40 stations. A number of bands did customized sings...most often, an intro to the song in the style and with the harmony of the hit. Later, one of the jingle companies...I believe PAMS, did sings in the style of certain hit songs. This was later picked up in other formats as well by other jingle companies. TT&A did a package with some big band jingles in the style of some famous big band themes, for example.

 

[michael hagerty]

Does CBS hold the right to the old KFRC 610 Archives??

Like if CBS puts new calls on 106.9 and someone else get the KFRC calls

since you have an interest in old KFRC, I was wondering:
I remember in the very late 1970s (whatever year the song was hot) KFRC would play their own special version of "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters. Do you know the song? "I'm riding in your car, you turn on the radio.............."
EXCEPT when KFRC played it, the song went "I'm riding in your car, you turn on KFRC......."
Remember that? I wonder how many different stations they did that for and was that a common sort of thing. Did they get paid for it, or did they get more airplay for it (of course), but did they also get other songs played more often? A google search tells me they are from Oakland. Maybe being local (as far as coverage goes), they did KFRC only and enjoyed being on their (sort of) home station.

The Jefferson Starship did a similar "custom (KFRC) version" of their song "We Built This City on Rock and Roll".

I have several unscoped airchecks of KFRC from late 1985, when "We Built This City" was a hit. KFRC made and played their own custom version.

They used the flip side of the promo single without the DJ rap ("your favorite radio station in your favorite radio city"), transcribed the rap verbatim, but added the words "610/KFRC" at the beginning and end. It was then read (faster than the original to make room for the "610/KFRC") by Dave Sholin, who had just become KFRC's PD.

The irony: On the record, Sholin was replacing his friend and mentor, former KFRC PD (1977-80) Les Garland.

I've never heard a Starship custom version of "We Built This City" for KFRC or anyone else.

 

[1L6E6VHF]

since you have an interest in old KFRC, I was wondering:
I remember in the very late 1970s (whatever year the song was hot) KFRC would play their own special version of "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters. Do you know the song? "I'm riding in your car, you turn on the radio.............."
EXCEPT when KFRC played it, the song went "I'm riding in your car, you turn on KFRC......."
Remember that? I wonder how many different stations they did that for and was that a common sort of thing. Did they get paid for it, or did they get more airplay for it (of course), but did they also get other songs played more often? A google search tells me they are from Oakland. Maybe being local (as far as coverage goes), they did KFRC only and enjoyed being on their (sort of) home station.

It was customized for stations allover the country, but as far as I know, only in the major markets. I remember KFI having their own version as well. It wasn't an uncommon thing and had zero to do with the Pointer Sisters coming from the East Bay. Stations aired customized songs more than you'd think. It was actually done by the artist too, unlike what jingle companies like Reel World do with their fake intros to customize the song.

All true. But the Pointers did have a special relationship with KFRC. "Fire" was the second song they'd customized for 610. The first was their 1975 single "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)"...and for that one, they did 6 custom versions...each replacing "chick" with a KFRC jock's first name ("Betcha got a Don/Rick/John/Chuck/Mark/Shana on the side, sure you got a Don/Rick/John/Chuck/Mark/Shana on the side, I know you got a Don/Rick/John/Chuck/Mark/Shana on the side...").

Each jock (Rose, Shaw, Flanagan, Buell, McKay, Shana and Sainte-Johnn) would play the version that mentioned their name.

And if I'm not mistaken, KFRC had its custom version of "Fire" two or three weeks ahead of KFI and the others.

You can add CKLW, Windsor (800) to the list!

 

[1069_KIFR]

Added.

 

[HCochet]

Added.

subtracted?

 

[LKellerIII]

KXXX X-100? Although it was actually 99.7

This reportedly caused a lot of confusion because most radio dials were digital by that point. I remember that about a year into the station, the DJs started announcing "99 point 7, X-100."