History KNEW (AM)

1 history

1.1 kabl

1.1.1 genesis of kabl
1.1.2 kabl s format
1.1.3 final years
1.1.4 kabl reborn on internet


1.2 progressive talk kqke , kkgn

1.2.1 kkgn


1.3 knew

1.3.1 affiliation bloomberg radio

history

kabl began in oakland kfwm under ownership of oakland educational society on july 8, 1925. oakland post-enquirer wanted radio station compete oakland tribune s klx. station became krow , in june 1930, , used call letters until 1959. full-service station known launching career of comedian phyllis diller , helping career of world s greatest disc jockey don sherwood, prior great career @ ksfo.

in 1947, station built new transmitter on 20-acre island leased port of oakland. new transmitter accompanied increase in power 1 kw 5 kw full-time.

kabl

this station best known longtime home of kabl, successor krow , 1 of first beautiful music stations in united states, owned 1950s radio pioneer gordon mclendon.

the genesis of kabl

according longtime mclendon national program director don keyes (d. 2006), in book gordon mclendon , me, mclendon wanted own station in san francisco market, , 960 krow seemed ideal because of relatively low dial position , strong coverage of san francisco market. original plan had been launch top 40 format on krow, after mclendon , team visited market , discovered there several top 40 stations, decided there wasn t room one. result, looked kixl, beautiful-music station in dallas-fort worth, texas, market enjoying fair amount of success despite being daytime-only, , decided launch similar format on krow using kixl s formula of quarter-hour blocks of familiar musical selections (three instrumentals, arranged tempo, , 1 vocal) template. new calls kabl, in san francisco s legendary cable cars.

in may 1959, krow began stunting continuous loop of song called gila monster, theme song horror film gordon mclendon had co-produced year. based on stunt, assumed general public — , competition — krow become top 40 station along lines of mclendon s klif in dallas, waky in louisville or kilt in houston, station proceeded take surprise debuting kabl beautiful music station. kabl captured erudite listening audience disliked rock , roll , became number 1 radio station in san francisco, , remain @ or near top of ratings years afterward.

kabl s format

as kabl, station combined mixture of easy listening string , orchestra music light classics , occasional latin cocktail hour tune. kabl known presenting poetic vignettes san francisco life, harp interlude between songs, , cable car bell announce news.

licensed oakland, transmitter near east end of san francisco–oakland bay bridge, kabl noted in radio history failure identify city of license. while kabl have legally identified oakland/san francisco, instead deliberately tried identify san francisco rather oakland. notorious using slogans such kabl oakland, serving san francisco on san francisco radio dial, in air, everywhere on san francisco . raised ire of federal communications commission (fcc), resulting in fine , admonishment broadcasters licensed serve particular community, not surrounding ones.

the final years

in 1997, station switched adult standards format of traditional pop , big band music. @ 1 point, presumably inspired swing dancing/zoot suits craze of late 1990s, added nightly swing/dance show several hours in length, played music retro swing groups of period such brian setzer s , cherry poppin daddies, standard material such glenn miller s in mood . program didn t last long. carried syndicated when radio old-time radio anthology series, tending move time slot around. in 2000, briefly switched 1960s-1970s soft rock format, went older music after complaints regular audience. in fact, later-years kabl tended go , forth on including greater amounts of more modern softer pop-rock material not identified traditional adult standards - peter & gordon , dusty springfield 60s, kenny rogers , air supply turn of 80s.

on september 28, 2004, 960 dropped adult standards programming , kabl call letters. kabl subsequently reemerged @ co-owned 92.1 fm in walnut creek, california. station had limited signal beyond immediate broadcast area, however, , in july 2005, switched adult contemporary music format.

kabl reborn on internet

kabl began broadcasting internet radio station. lasted until january 31, 2007, when clear channel conmmunications discontinued kabl s streaming music. on june 1, 2007, under license clear channel, bay area radio museum launched streaming tribute kabl on internet, featured beautiful music, easy listening, adult standards, big bands, traditional pop , middle-of-the-road music, represent various musical styles presented during station s forty years on air. url used directs clear channel corporation s iheart radio website. leaves radio sausalito , kcea 2 adult standards radio stations in bay area.

progressive talk kqke , kkgn

replacing kabl on september 28, 2004 new call letters kqke , progressive talk format, branded 960 quake . quake s tag lines bay area home of air america , talk radio rest of , talk radio left . station carried mix of dial global programs, such ed schultz, stephanie miller , thom hartmann, , other distributors. @ 1 time carried programs now-defunct air america network.

the station aired local weekend programming. 1 weekend show, shake!, aired on sunday nights , targeted toward bay area s gay , lesbian community. show aired on co-owned klsd in san diego until november 2007.

in 2006, kqke introduced local morning show featuring political satirist durst , former san francisco mayor willie brown. keeping real , willie aired 7 a.m. 10 a.m. monday through friday. show canceled, , aired final regular broadcast on september 29, 2006. @ time, program director indicated pair still special broadcasts , appearances station.

john scott hired operations manager both kqke , knew in 2007, , introduced new shows , elements programming mix. last local manager of stations, duties handled clear channel corporate.

in 2009, station introduced weekend program, organic conversation, airing saturdays @ 10am pst. presented helge hellberg, executive director of marin organic, , mark mulcahy, organic produce consultant, organic conversation features ecology-based thinking , insight organic food , holistic health movement.

the progressive news hour john scott once aired weekdays 6 a.m. 7 a.m., leading keeping real , willie , rundown of local , national news, weather , traffic reports. shortly after , willie disappeared, stephanie miller s morning show arrived take 6 a.m. 9 a.m. slot on kqke. remodeled show progressive news moved 4-6pm, , content more focused on bay area, including more interviews , news bay area people , politics, less repetition of national stories.

960 quake not related kqak, san francisco station on air 1982 1985 called quake . however, paul lobster wells holds distinction of working both quake stations, served producer , on-air contributor kqke s former morning show.

kkgn

former green 960 logo

2010-2012

on august 13, 2007, clear channel changed kqke call sign kkgn, repositioning green 960 , programming focused on environmental issues.

knew

on january 3, 2012, clear channel management changed kkgn knew , shifted wider-based talk format. move part of broader restructuring of talk programming in clear channel s san francisco cluster. while still predominantly progressive talk of day, knew carried decidedly conservative glenn beck program during morning drive dave ramsey show in middays.

on january 2, 2014, rush limbaugh s daily syndicated program moved kksf knew. @ point, knew dropped progressive talk programs, flipped conservative talk , rebranded patriot .

affiliation bloomberg radio

on september 29, 2014, knew dropped conservative talk business talk programming provided new york city-based bloomberg radio. limbaugh, beck, , hannity s programs moved ksfo.