Previous logos
| Broadcast area | Bakersfield metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 97.7 MHz |
| Branding | KNZR 97.7 FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/Talk |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Radio Networks Westwood One Salem Radio Network |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| KKBB, KLLY, KNZR | |
| History | |
First air date | March 3, 1978 (as KQEZ) [1] |
Former call signs | KQEZ (1978–1979) [1] KMGN (1979 [1] -1983) KLYD-FM (1983–1988) KKBB (1988–1994) KZBA (1994–1996) KRME (1996–2001) KSMJ (2001–2013) [2] |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 8109 |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 4,100 watts |
| HAAT | 121 meters (397 feet) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°27′33″N119°01′13″W / 35.45917°N 119.02028°W |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | knzr.com |
KNZR-FM (97.7 MHz) is a commercial radio station licensed to Shafter, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield radio market. KNZR-FM airs a news/talk format. It is owned by Alpha Media, LLC, through licensee Alpha Media Licensee LLC. The studios and offices are on Pegasus Drive in Bakersfield. [3]
KNZR-FM has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 4,100 watts. It is a Class A FM station, limited to the communities in and adjacent to Bakersfield. The transmitter is off Warehouse Road in Oildale. [4]
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 Sebastian Gorka Show , The Mark Levin Show , The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey , Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and The Hugh Hewitt Show . [5]
On weekends, syndicated shows include At Home with Gary Sullivan , Bill Handel on the Law , Gun Talk with Tom Gresham , The Dennis Prager Show , Somewhere in Time with Art Bell and Rich DeMuro on Tech . Most hours begin with world and national news from Fox News Radio.
The station signed on the air on March 3, 1978. The original call sign was KQEZ. [6] 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. [7] 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 its call sign implies, the station carried a smooth jazz format.
Buckley Broadcasting acquired KSMJ in 2001. Buckley decided to pair 97.7 FM with AM 1560, to give Bakersfield listeners the choice to hear the talk programming on KNZR on either AM or FM. KSMJ changed to its current KNZR-FM call sign on September 11, 2013. [8] The two stations began simulcasting around the clock.
In 2014, Buckley Broadcasting sold its California stations, including KNZR-AM-FM, to Alpha Media of Portland, Oregon. [9] 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."
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. [10] At 45.5%, Hispanics comprise the largest demographic group in Bakersfield. [11] On January 24, McKay’s time slot was indeed taken over by the syndicated radio show from Sean Hannity. [12] 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. [13]
McKay was later hired for the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. time slot on KERN 1180 AM & 96.1 FM, in December, 2018. [14] KERN 1180, KNZR's chief talk radio competitor, is owned by American General Media.
WVNN is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Athens, Alabama, serving parts of North Alabama including Huntsville and Decatur. Owned by Cumulus Media, it airs a news/talk format. Programming on WVNN is simulcast on WVNN-FM 92.5 MHz, which is licensed to Trinity, Alabama. Collectively, the stations are branded as "NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN." The studios and offices are on U.S. Route 72 East in Athens.
KIIS-FM is a commercial radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States, and broadcasts to the Greater Los Angeles area. The station airs a Top 40 (CHR) format. Owned by iHeartMedia, KIIS-FM is the origin of the conglomerate's KISS-FM brand, and serves as the flagship station for the radio program On Air with Ryan Seacrest since it debuted in 2004. KIIS-FM's studios are located in Burbank, while the station transmitter resides on Mount Wilson, north of Los Angeles.
KEIB is a commercial radio station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by iHeartMedia, the station brands itself as The Patriot, and broadcasts a conservative talk radio format. The station's studios are on West Olive Avenue in Burbank.
WKRC is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Cincinnati, Ohio. The station airs a talk radio format, under the branding of "55KRC". Studios are on Montgomery Road in Cincinnati. WKRC operates at 5,000 watts by day and 1,000 watts at night, from a transmitter site in Cold Spring, Kentucky.
KKXX-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) music format. KKXX-FM is licensed to Shafter, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California area. The station is owned by American General Media. The station's studios are located at Easton Business Complex in southwest Bakersfield, and its transmitter is located just north of Oildale.
KMJ-FM is a commercial radio station in Fresno, California. The station, owned by Cumulus Media, airs a news/talk radio format, simulcast with sister station KMJ. The studios and offices are located at the Radio City building on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno. KMJ-FM's transmitter is off Auberry Road in Meadow Lakes, California.
KJCE is a commercial radio station licensed to Rollingwood, Texas, and serving the Greater Austin radio market. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Audacy, Inc. The radio studios and offices are on Westbank Drive, off Loop 360, near Westlake High School. The transmitter is off Johnny Morris Road, near Loyola Lane.
KKOH is a commercial radio station licensed to Reno, Nevada. KKOH airs a news/talk format and is owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Studios and offices are on East Plumb Lane. It transmits from a three-tower array off Chickadee Drive.
KDFO is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc.
KNZR is a commercial AM radio station in Bakersfield, California. It is owned by Alpha Media and airs a conservative talk radio format. Its studios and offices are on Pegasus Drive in Bakersfield.
KNWZ is a commercial radio station licensed to Coachella, California. It simulcasts a talk radio format with sister stations 1160 KNWQ and 1250 KNWH. It is owned by Alpha Media. The studios are on North Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.
KNWQ is a commercial radio station licensed to Palm Springs, California. It simulcasts a talk radio format with sister stations 970 KNWZ and 1250 KNWH. It is owned by Alpha Media. The studios are on North Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs.
KSTE is a commercial radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Rancho Cordova, California, the station serves the Sacramento metropolitan area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and features shows from Westwood One, Radio America, Compass Media Networks, and Premiere Networks, a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. The studios and offices are in North Sacramento near the Arden Fair Mall.
KALZ is a commercial radio station licensed to Fowler, California, and serving the Fresno metropolitan area. It airs a talk radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are located on Shaw Avenue in North Fresno. Programming is simulcast on sister station KRZR 1400 AM in Visalia.
WSGW-FM is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Carrollton, Michigan, and serving the Tri-Cities. It is owned by Alpha Media and simulcasts a news-talk radio format with sister station WSGW 790 AM. The two stations identify themselves as "100.5 and 790 Newsradio WSGW." The studios are on Tittabawassee Road in Saginaw.
WKHM is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Jackson, Michigan. It is owned by Jamie McKibbin, through licensee McKibbin Media Group, Inc., and broadcasts a talk radio format. Studios, offices and the transmitter are on Glenshire Drive in Jackson.
KCOL is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Wellington, Colorado, and serving the Fort Collins-Greeley radio market. The station airs a news/talk format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The studios and offices are on Byrd Drive in Loveland, while the transmitter is off North County Road 13 in Fort Collins.
KIXZ is a commercial AM radio station in Amarillo, Texas, airing a news/talk format. It is owned by Townsquare Media, with the license held by Townsquare License, LLC. The studios are on SW 34th Avenue in Amarillo.
KERN is a commercial radio station licensed to Wasco-Greenacres, California, and serving the Bakersfield metropolitan area. The station is owned by American General Media. The radio studios and offices are in the American General Media complex at 1400 Easton Drive, STE 134 in Bakersfield.
WWRC – branded AM 570 The Answer – is a commercial conservative talk radio station licensed to serve Bethesda, Maryland. Owned by the Salem Media Group, the station services the Washington metro area and is the market affiliate for the Salem Radio Network and The Sean Hannity Show. The WWRC studios are located in Arlington, while the station transmitter resides in nearby Germantown. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WWRC is available online.