the old KCMG 100.5 and KJZZ 102.1

[thebeach33445]

Hey Guys:

Did KCMG start there country format in 1978 when they signed on Oct 1st?

Is there any site on the internet that can tell me about the history of Anchorage radio? I am very interested in the history of this market. I can't seem to find any.

Thanks to another post on the site how long did 102.1 have a jazz format? Amazing, a Jazz format in Alaska, was it popular in the ratings?

Thanks
T.J.

 

[misha]

You are incorrect about the dates involving KJZZ/KRKN.

I started working at KJZZ in December '79, when it became apparent we would shift from jazz to rock. Formats didn't have initials then, it was just FM rock. KRKN came on the air in March 1980, I did the first late night shift. We were not 24 hours then, and were off the air from midnight to six. We went a full 24 in June, and I did overnights. I left in November to move to Colorado with my girlfriend, now my lovely wife.

Jay Perry was part of an ownership group - he insisted on cutting the lamest, most pretentious spots in history - and many of the jazz jocks were royally PO'ed about the shift to rock. Perry ( way too slowly, IMHO ) replaced them one by one with guys like me who knew and loved rock. I was the former Music Columnist for the Daily News. Jay Noble was held over from JZZ as the PD, Gary Sloan the MD, I was asst. MD and News reporter. Larry Wayne ( Lauer ) came from KGOT to take over PD's job in September, with Noble moving to MD. Carl Guess and Amy McLinden were among the other staff when I left. I loved it there, loved the staff, loved Jay and Larry and usually blew the format all to hell overnight. I believe they changed call letters again around '85.