CBS Radio has just dug its own grave today. Word from the folks at the San Francisco Chronicle is that KFRC-FM radio will be changing formats to something entirely different. They are planning to drop the music segment and simulcast their KCBS-AM news station on the FM dial.
KFRC has been a San Francisco institution for decades. I remember as a kid listening to all the great oldies songs, including all the Beach Boys and Beatles tunes. I still remember that KFRC on the 610 AM dial was the only San Francisco station that can be heard all the way from Donner Summit, about 300 miles away from San Francisco, and they even played the oldies at Ikeda's in Auburn, which is about 200 miles away and the official halfway point for the trip to Reno.
I really got disappointed when KFRC was kicked-off the 99.7 portion of the radio dial for their new "Movin" themed music station and KFRC had nowhere to go.
Then a glimmering light came out of the sky, that annoying talk radio station on 106.9 was kicked off (Adam Carolla must have done a bad job) and KFRC was reborn, but it felt like it was missing a leg and an arm by rebranding it as "Classic Hits."
It was nice to hear both oldies tunes and some of the best of the 70's and 80's, and these tunes that I've heard on the station now compliment my great iTunes collection. But then... an unnecessary evil came around: A's Baseball. Who would have knew that putting A's baseball broadcasts on a music station would be the most annoying crap ever? I want my tunes! Sports games are supposed to be aired on AM stations. Literally, AM stations are made for news, talk, and sports. FM stations are made for music.
Anyone remember Z 95.7 (KZQZ) and really made themselves a niche in this competitive radio market in San Francisco? They always played the most popular and newest tunes coming out on MTV. They really had the ball going, and I even won $100 by being caller #9. But the radio managers had to do the worst investment ever to the station by turning it into... (grumble) country music. I mean, they switched just like that and ruined the station's reputation forever.
It's so bad that radio stations pull this switcharoo in the worst manner. In nearly all cases, they simply light a stick of dynamite with a very short fuse, and boom! the station changes in a snap. All the personalities gets laid off immediately, and here comes some new genere. Us KFRC fans are being given a week's notice to prepare for this, but this is the end for KFRC.
Bye bye KFRC, I will sure miss you. Please come back soon.
I just want to add that at least KFRC is not completely gone. The good news is that the music will still be available 24/7 on 106.9 HD2 and kfrc.com. kfrc.com and 106.9 HD-2 will continue on Monday 10/27. What I will miss is the personalities. Hopefully they will see the light and at least put their personalities back on their .com and HD-2 stations. Now I don't have an HD radio but I will be streaming the KFRC Classic Hits on my laptop wherever I go.
ReplyDeleteAlso the call letters KFRC will remain. KCBS-FM belongs to some station in Utah, so they can't change the call letters.
Also I'm an A's fan and enjoy listening to the Oakland A's games.
Correction - the existing KCBS FM is in the Los Angeles area, not Utah. That station is not a news station.
ReplyDeleteWhy?! Why do you have to kill good-listening stuff for boring, straight-talk-with-no-ear-candy effects?! why?!!!
ReplyDeleteChange is not always a good thing. They killed KFRC a few years back and then wised up and brought it back to the relief of many long time listners and Bay Area natives like myself. Now they are killing it again. What a bunch of bozos.
ReplyDeleteI will miss the music but more importantly Sue Hall, Celesete Perry, Dave Sholin and Jay Coffey and the rest of their cast of crazies.
Maybe we'll luck out and someone in radio will get a clue and get another station and revive KFRC from the ashes once again.
Until then, we're minus another Bay Area institution.
I heard on Monday evening about the change and went online to their website which is now labled as dot com radio station. The problem when they moved to 106.9 is that most people didn’t know KFRC was there. I didn’t even know about it until after their 1st month. The ratings suffered because of poor marketing and advertising of of the station, in addition bringing A's baseball didn't help with 2 losing seasons in a row. In recent months they added some 60’s music to the mix, but mostly playing mid 60’s thru mid 80’s hits. They will live on at their dot com website and HD-2 (for the very few who have HD radio), but without the personalities and weekend special programs, it will just be another music stream on the web.
ReplyDelete