Programming
The schedule on KNZR-AM-FM features one local talk show heard in late mornings, hosted by Terry Maxwell, a former Bakersfield City Council member and restaurateur. The rest of the weekday line-up is nationally syndicated conservative talk shows: The Glenn Beck Program , The Sean Hannity Show , The Hugh Hewitt Show , The Mark Levin Show , The O'Reilly Update with Bill O'Reilly , The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey , Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and The Chris Stigall Show . [6]
On weekends, syndicated shows include At Home with Gary Sullivan , Bill Handel on the Law , Tom Gresham's Gun Talk , The Dennis Prager Show , Somewhere in Time with Art Bell and Rich DeMuro on Tech . Most hours begin with an update from Fox News Radio.
History
Early years
The station signed on the air on March 3, 1978. The original call sign was KQEZ. [7] It carried an easy listening format of soft instrumentals and a few vocals per hour. The following year, it switched its call sign to KMGN, airing a country music format. The station was owned by Brandon-Dorsey Communications.
In 1986, Community Service Broadcasters took over as debtor in possession. [8] The call letters switched to KKBB and the station featured an album rock sound, using NBC Radio's "The Source" young adult network for news and features. In 1996, the station switched to a Regional Mexican format as KRME, when it was owned by Spanish-language broadcaster Eduardo Caballero.
The station was assigned the KSMJ call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on February 6, 2001. As the call sign implied, the station carried a smooth jazz format.
Changes in ownership
Buckley Broadcasting acquired KSMJ in 2001. On November 22, 2011, KSMJ dropped its adult contemporary "Mix 97.7" format and began simulcasting KNZR (1560 AM), to give Bakersfield listeners the choice to hear the talk programming on KNZR on either AM or FM. [9] KSMJ changed to its current KNZR-FM call sign on September 11, 2013. [10]
In 2014, Buckley Broadcasting sold its California stations, including KNZR-AM-FM, to Alpha Media of Portland, Oregon. [11] Alpha Media Chairman Larry Wilson said, "The Buckley clusters in California will be a great addition to the West Coast footprint. Bakersfield is a rich and vibrant city full of live and local opportunities." Alpha Media merged with Connoisseur Media on September 4, 2025. [12]
Racial controversy
On January 18, 2018, midday host Jaz McKay was told that due to budgetary concerns he would be replaced the next week with Sean Hannity in the noon to 3pm slot which he had occupied for 14 years. McKay then took to social media and used derogatory language to describe Hispanic radio broadcasts in the area. McKay claimed the large number of Spanish language radio stations in Bakersfield made it increasingly difficult for English speaking announcers to find employment. [13] At 45.5%, Hispanics comprise the largest demographic group in Bakersfield. [14] On January 24, McKay’s time slot was indeed taken over by the syndicated radio show from Sean Hannity. [15] On the same day, it was also reported that McKay’s fellow conservative talk show host Inga Barks was, for unspecified reasons, no longer associated with the station. [16] McKay was later hired for the midday time slot on KERN in December 2018. [17]
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