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Broadcast area | Greater Los Angeles |
Frequency | 93.1 MHz (HD Radio) |
Branding | 93.1 Jack FM |
Programming | |
Format | Adult hits |
Subchannels |
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Ownership | |
Owner |
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History | |
First air date | March 30, 1948 |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | Columbia Broadcasting System (previous legal name of former owner CBS) |
Technical information [1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
Facility ID | 9612 |
Class | B |
ERP | 27,500 watts |
HAAT | 1,074 meters (3,524 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 34°13′55″N118°04′21″W / 34.2319°N 118.0726°W |
Links | |
Public license information | |
Webcast | Listen live (via Audacy) Listen live (via Audacy) (HD3) |
Website | www |
KCBS-FM (93.1 MHz) is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, serving Greater Los Angeles. It is owned by Audacy, Inc., and broadcasts an adult hits music format branded "93.1 Jack FM".
Unlike most radio stations airing the Jack FM formula, KCBS-FM runs a fairly focused playlist of popular classic rock and modern rock tracks. Currently, the station has no DJs. The only voices heard on Jack-FM are Crystal Z and Dr.Cranfill with "Jacktivities" (events and whatever announcements deemed worthy by "Jack") and Howard Cogan supplying prerecorded quips and ironic remarks between songs. Unlike most other stations in this format, the call sign does not include any form of the word "Jack", opting instead to keep call letters tied to the station's former CBS corporate identity.
Although Jack proclaims that the station is run "in a dumpy little building in Culver City", the KCBS-FM studios and offices are actually located at 5670 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, after moving from a previous location at the corner of Fairfax and Venice in 2018. The transmitter is atop Mount Wilson. [2] KCBS-FM broadcasts using HD Radio technology. Two digital subchannels carry country music and sports betting formats.
On March 30, 1948, the station signed on as KNX-FM. [3] In its early years, KNX-FM was mostly a simulcast of sister station KNX 1070 AM. In the mid-1960s, KNX-FM, along with other CBS-owned FM radio stations, began airing an easy listening format branded as "The Young Sound". It played mostly instrumental cover versions of popular songs, but it was a bit more uptempo than competing beautiful music stations.
In 1973, KNX-FM switched to a mellow rock format, featuring artists airing on other rock stations but choosing softer selections than heard on rivals KLOS and KMET. (Volunteers launched an internet stream recreating the KNX-FM format of the 1973-1983 era in 2019, now calling itself "TheMellowSound.net, a KNX-FM 93 tribute". [4] [5] [6] Another tribute website is simply "mellowrock.com" with a similar mix of mellow rock and classic features.) [7]
On August 25, 1983, KNX-FM adopted a Top 40 music format, similar to the other CBS Radio FM stations, and branded as "Hitradio 93 KKHR". The heritage KNX-FM call sign switched to KKHR. KKHR was not a traditional top 40 music format of the time, as the playlist was more stringently limited to 30 songs.
The original KKHR disc jockey staff consisted of Lou Simon, Dave Donovan (whose real name is Joe Cipriano), Chris Lance, Todd Parker (replaced by Jack Armstrong several months later), and Mark Hanson. Rich Fields, who would later become the announcer on The Price Is Right for over six seasons, also joined KKHR in the station's last year with the "Hit Radio" format.
The KKHR call sign is now used by an Americana/Texas Country/Southern Rock hybrid station serving Abilene, Texas.
Due to the station's lackluster ratings, the mellow rock format and heritage KNX-FM call letters were returned under the new branding "Quality Rock" in 1986. [8] [9]
KNX-FM struggled with low ratings, and was not able to re-capture its original audience. [10] On March 2, 1989, at 12:00 pm, following a day-long stunt with a ticking clock during songs and an announcement from vice president and general manager Charlie Seraphin, an oldies music format was introduced and the heritage KNX-FM call sign was dropped yet again. (The KNX-FM call letters returned to the Los Angeles airwaves on December 21, 2021, when they were picked up by co-owned 97.1, formerly KNOU.)
With the new oldies format, the station switched its call letters to KODJ and the branding changed to "Oldies 93.1". [11] [12] KODJ competed with crosstown oldies rival KRTH, which later came under common CBS Radio ownership when limits were relaxed by the FCC.
KODJ focused more on the 1950s and the early 1960s era of oldies music than KRTH. DJs on KODJ were The Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna, Rich Fields, Machine Gun Kelly and Jeff Serr. In response to KODJ's debut, KRTH gradually reduced and eventually faded out the number of newer songs from its playlist, focusing mainly on the 1960s decade of oldies with a few songs from the late 1950s. In addition, KRTH brought in Bill Drake as consultant while featuring all new jingles by the Johnny Mann Singers, which helped it reach higher ratings. [13] The Real Don Steele left KCBS-FM in mid-1992 to join KRTH. Charlie Tuna, the morning host at KODJ/KCBS-FM from 1989 to 1993, would later work at KRTH from 2008 to 2014. After his tenure at The Price is Right, Rich Fields was also on KRTH for a time as well.
On July 12, 1991, at 2 pm, KODJ changed to its present call sign, KCBS-FM, as part of a re-imaging marketing campaign to bring in new listeners believing the "CBS-FM" call letters had a stronger association with the oldies format. [14] These call letters had previously been used by two CBS-affiliated stations (now KSOL and KLLC) in San Francisco. [15] KCBS-FM still kept the oldies format, but shifted its focus mainly to the 1960s decade of oldies with a lesser selection of 1950s oldies, and more early-1970s rock oldies to better compete with KRTH. [16]
KCBS-FM struggled with low ratings, while KRTH continued to hold the majority share of the oldies market. On September 10, 1993, at 3 pm, KCBS-FM flipped to a mixed classic rock and classic hits format, and branded itself as "Arrow 93FM, All Rock and Roll Oldies". [17] The moniker "Arrow" stood for "All Rock and Roll Oldies". The new format focused on the late 1960s and the entire 1970s decade with an emphasis on only classic rock oldies, not including adult contemporary hits, Motown, bubblegum, disco or doo-wop. [18]
The Arbitron ratings for KCBS-FM went from 18th to 3rd place by the end of 1993, making the new format an immediate success. [19] The station kept the KCBS-FM call letters, but would only quickly identify its call sign once at the top of the hour per FCC station identification requirements. The format would later evolve towards classic rock of the late 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, and re-branded itself as "Arrow 93FM, All Rock & Roll Classics" in 1996. [20]
In 2005, Infinity Broadcasting (as CBS Radio was known at the time) won the licensing rights to brand its adult hits music formatted radio stations as "Jack FM". This led to yet another format change for KCBS-FM. On March 17, 2005 (St. Patrick's Day), after an all-day stunt with music from U2 (as that band is from Ireland), the classic rock format was dropped, as "93.1 Jack FM" debuted in Los Angeles, airing an adult hits format that started in Canada and was getting picked up in numerous U.S. markets. [21] The Jack format was a break from the heavily niched formats that had developed beginning in the 1970s. Jack was also unusual in that it employed no DJs, and had a much larger playlist than the typical classic hits or classic rock radio station.
The Los Angeles incarnation of Jack includes more modern rock titles than most Jack outlets, reflecting the local influence of KROQ-FM during its alternative heyday. Initially, KCBS-FM played a blend of pop and rock hits from the late 1960s to late 1980s, with a sprinkling of newer, sometimes almost current, tunes. Eventually, the newer songs and pop songs were phased out in favor of mostly classic rock and classic alternative. KCBS-FM is the longest-serving of all of CBS' Jack stations. CBS also introduced the Jack FM format in New York City, Las Vegas, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, Seattle and Baltimore.
Though the station has no DJs, KCBS-FM will occasionally respond to current events, such as playing all Michael Jackson songs following his death, or spinning a celebratory tune or two following a local sports victory (especially with the Rams).
The "voice" of Jack FM is a real person named Howard Cogan. His quips which are heard between songs are created by a team of writers. As Jack became popular, Cogan moved to Los Angeles to record his comments more easily. He is also the voice-over artist for other "Jack FM" stations around the country.
In October 2008, CBS Radio chose not to move the KCBS-FM call letters to its sister station at 106.9 FM in San Francisco, after that station flipped from classic hits to an all-news simulcast of KCBS. That station remains KFRC-FM, heritage calls in themselves.
On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom. [22] The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17. [23] [24] As part of the agreement with CBS, Entercom was given the rights to use the brand and trademarks for KCBS-FM along with sister stations WCBS-AM and WCBS-FM in New York City, KCBS-AM in San Francisco for a 20-year period after which Entercom (or succeeding entity) will be required to relinquish using those call-letters. [25]
As part of the merger, the FM radio rights to the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League were moved to KCBS-FM from KSWD, which was sold off as part of the deal when it flipped to contemporary Christian format as KKLQ on November 16, 2017. The Rams broadcasts were FM only, and regular programming was exclusive to the Audacy app during game broadcasts, including in Los Angeles. [26]
On March 30, 2021, Entercom rebranded to the corporate name "Audacy". KCBS-FM programming is found on the Audacy.com website and app.
On June 6, 2024, KCBS-FM temporarily rebranded as 93.1 Blade FM in honor of Richard Blade receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
In addition to the main Jack FM format on HD1, KCBS-FM-HD2 simulcasts KFRG, its co-owned country music station in San Bernardino. Before KLSX switched from talk to CHR in 2009, 93.1 HD2 carried a CHR format with the "AMP Radio" branding.
Former sister station KFWB had been broadcasting on the KCBS-FM HD3 signal, but due to that station's sale, its signal is no longer heard on KCBS-FM. As of December 6, 2018, that signal began simulcasting all-news KNX (AM 1070). It has since carried KFRG/KXFG. On January 25, 2021, KCBS-FM-HD3 started carrying a nationally syndicated sports network, the BetQL Network, as "The Bet". [27]
KNX is a commercial AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It simulcasts an all-news radio format with sister station 97.1 KNX-FM, both owned by Audacy, Inc. KNX is one of the oldest stations in the United States, having received its first broadcasting license, as KGC, in December 1921, in addition to tracing its history to the September 1920 operations of an earlier amateur station. The studios and offices—shared with KNX-FM, KCBS-FM, KROQ-FM, KRTH and KTWV—are located on Wilshire Boulevard, along Los Angeles' Miracle Mile.
KRTH is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits format. KRTH's studios are located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles. The station's signal covers an extremely large area of Southern California due in part to its antenna location on Mt. Wilson. It can be heard as far south as San Diego, as far east as Moreno Valley, as far west as Santa Barbara, and as far north as Barstow. KRTH is the flagship station for the nationally syndicated program Rewind with Gary Bryan.
KZJK is a commercial radio station licensed to St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul radio market. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc., and airs an adult hits radio format known as "104.1 Jack FM." Audacy also owns Jack FM stations in Los Angeles and Dallas. KZJK's studios and offices are on Second Avenue South in Minneapolis.
WCBS-FM is a radio station owned and operated by Audacy, Inc. licensed to New York, New York, and broadcasting a classic hits format. The station's studios are in the combined Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, and its transmitter is located at the Empire State Building.
KKLQ is a non-commercial FM radio station owned by Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and carries the contemporary Christian music format of its nationally syndicated network K-Love throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Licensed to Los Angeles, California, KKLQ's transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson and has a booster in Santa Clarita, KKLQ-FM2 at 100.3 MHz, to extend its coverage into the Santa Clarita Valley and other areas north of Los Angeles.
KNX-FM is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California, United States. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and airs an all-news radio format in a full-time simulcast with KNX. The station has studios at the intersection of Wilshire and Hauser Boulevards in the Miracle Mile district of Los Angeles, and the transmitter on Mount Wilson.
KXTE is a commercial radio station licensed to Pahrump, Nevada, and serving the Las Vegas metropolitan area. It is owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group and broadcasts an alternative rock format. KXTE is the flagship station of the nationally syndicated weekday program Dave and Mahoney. KXTE's studios are on South Durango Drive in Las Vegas.
WOGL is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a classic hits radio format. The broadcast tower used by the station is located in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, at. The station's studios and offices are co-located within Audacy's corporate headquarters in Center City Philadelphia. The station features mostly hits from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s with some 2000s hits.
KXSN is a commercial radio station in San Diego, California, branded as Sunny 98.1. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station airs a classic hits radio format. The studios and offices are located in San Diego's Stonecrest area, off Granite Ridge Drive, across the street from rival station KMYI. The transmitter is off La Jolla Scenic Drive South in La Jolla, amid towers for several other San Diego FM and TV stations.
WBGB – branded as Big 103 – is a commercial adult hits FM radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Greater Boston. The WBGB studios are located in the Boston neighborhood of Brighton, while the station's transmitter resides in nearby Newton. Besides a standard analog transmission, WBGB broadcasts over two HD Radio channels, and is available online via Audacy.
Arrow is an American brand name radio format that plays classic rock from the 1970s through the 1990s. The format was popular in a number of markets in the 1990s and 2000s. The word "Arrow" is an extended acronym for "All Rock and Roll Oldies".
KOOL-FM is a commercial classic hits radio station in Phoenix, Arizona. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. The station is branded as Big 94.5 and features mostly hits of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and is one of the top-performing stations in Phoenix. The station primarily competes with Riviera-owned 95.1 KOAI, which concentrates on the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s hits. KOOL-FM's studios are located in downtown Phoenix, and its transmitter is in South Mountain Park.
Free FM was a short-lived, mostly-talk-radio format and brand name for eleven FM CBS Radio stations in the United States, and was created because of Howard Stern's departure to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006. Free FM was given its name to highlight that its stations broadcast free-to-air, instead of requiring a subscription fee like satellite radio services. Launched on October 25, 2005, Free FM was phased out over the course of 2007, with the final station using it, KLSX, dropping the brand in November 2008.
KFRG is a commercial radio station licensed to San Bernardino, California, and broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire radio market. KFRG airs a country music radio format calling itself "K-FROG" and is believed to be the original "Frog" station under previous owner Keymarket. The brand name has been subsequently licensed by Keymarket to dozens of American radio stations.
KLOU is a radio station with a classic hits format in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in hits from the 1980s and 1990s, with some 1970s hits mixed in. Its transmitter is located in Gravois; the station operates from studios in St. Louis. It is owned by iHeartMedia.
WFUN-FM is a radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. The station airs an urban adult contemporary radio format branded as "96.3 The Lou". Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station's studios are located on Olive Street in St. Louis, while its transmitter is located off Watson Road in Shrewsbury.
KJKK is a commercial radio station in Dallas, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. It airs an adult hits radio format known as "Jack FM", one of three stations owned by Audacy that subscribe to the format, along with KCBS-FM Los Angeles and KZJK Minneapolis. Jack-FM uses a pre-recorded "Voice of Jack" who makes ironic quips and sarcastic remarks between songs. KJKK's studios and offices are along the North Central Expressway in Uptown Dallas.
KMEE is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Palm Desert, California, United States, and serves the Palm Springs—Coachella Valley radio market. The station is owned by Brad Fuhr, through licensee KGAY PSP, with studios on South Belardo Road in Palm Springs. KMEE broadcasts a soft oldies format, provided by MeTV's radio network.
WOCL is a commercial radio station, licensed to DeLand, Florida, and serving Greater Orlando and Central Florida. It is owned by Audacy, Inc., and airs a classic hits radio format, focusing on the hits from the 1980s but with some 90s and 2000s titles as well. The station's studios and offices are on Pembrook Drive in Maitland.
WBZA is a commercial FM radio station in Rochester, New York. It airs an adult hits format and is owned by Audacy, Inc., based at the High Falls Studios, on Commercial Street and State Street in downtown Rochester.