SF Bay Area folks -- KFRC's format is no more

Bernie · September 25th, 2006, 07:26 PM

Although the call letters are the same, KFRC has just effectively joined the ranks of KSAN, KPIG, KSJO, and KOME. It's now playing "Rhythmic Adult Contemporary" (see below).

I saw the film "Gimme Shelter" recently and as the KFRC helicopter was flying away from Altamont I remember thinking, "Wow, the Stones are still around and so is KFRC..." I guess I spoke too soon. I know they went through format changes, but they were still pretty much into classic oldies + the 70s and 80s more recently, but they still seemed like they still had the KFRC personality. One more radio institution is gone. Sad.

from wikipedia:

"At 10:03 a.m. on Friday, September 22, KFRC changed their format to a Rhythmic Hot AC format from the classic oldies format. The new format is targeted towards those too young to be Baby Boomers, but too old to fit in with the Generation X-ers. Closing off their oldies broadcast with American Pie, by Don McLean, they changed to "The New Movin' 99.7 KFRC" with Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory.

KFRC now joins (so far) KQMV/Seattle, KMVN/Los Angeles, KYMV/Salt Lake City and WMVN/St. Louis in embracing the the "MOViN'" concept. It also puts them in a unlikely competition with KISQ, whose Urban AC direction lean towards the Rhythmic and Ol' Skool product that KFRC will now be playing."

Tremo · September 25th, 2006, 07:38 PM

I remember KFRC from when I was a kid. AM radio (definitely lo-fi), and a lot of T-40 schlock. I do recall them playing the Doors though, so that was cool. Do people still listen to AM? I thought AM was all talk radio partisan propaganda and gasbags like Limbaugh.

0le FUZZY · September 25th, 2006, 07:49 PM

KEWB CHANNEL 91 COLOR RADIO !![

Ah! The way it waz sew many years ago! (we miss yew Gary Owens and Bill Wood)

I reckon we're losin em all !

Tew bad !

Anyone member ?

0le FUZZY

http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kewb/

Bernie · September 25th, 2006, 07:54 PM

KFRC went to FM, but stayed on AM, too. I hadn't listened to it in a while. I, like many others, "outgrew" it, but I have some good memories. I just recently put it on a preset.

When I was a kid, AM radio was my introduction to popular music. The shlock factor was definitely there -- "Sunday! Sunday! At beautiful US 30 drag strip!" was the mantra in the Chicago area before I moved to CA. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for AM radio because of those days.

getbent · September 25th, 2006, 08:03 PM

KPIG is still alive and oinking! KPIG the sound of FREEDOM (CA that is) has maintained its americana format akin to its predecessor (KFAT)

I am sad about KFRC, I loved dr. don.... but modern programming is stinkin' calculated it is hard to bear... even on my beloved KPIG sometimes I feel like they should throw something on there that would shock me (disco?) to challenge me... my memory is that radio used to be challenging to a listener not soothing or not letting them live in their cozy little world of delusion...

KFRC was great radio to drive to the lake to when I was a kid...

oh well. the only thing that never changes is change itself. btw, you can listen to KPIG on the intermess

Bernie · September 25th, 2006, 08:21 PM

Sorry, yeah, I meant KFAT, not KPIG. They're kind of easy to get mixed up. Back in the day when free form radio was more prevalent, WXRT in Chicago and KSAN in SF were two of my faves. Outstanding programming, and I was exposed to so much new music through those channels. I feel bad for the kids today because they don't have that (or so it seems.) I sure hope KFOG can hang on...not as free form but as good as it gets these days.

Tremo · September 25th, 2006, 08:23 PM

Hey, I remember KFAT, and the Fat Fry.

Back in the 80s, I listened to KFOG, they had this DJ named "M. Dung" who was a ton of laughs, very silly but entertaining. I liked his Sunday Night Idiot Show. Lots of oldies. Trashmen, Louie Louie, back to back Bobbys, etc.

getbent · September 25th, 2006, 08:28 PM

Trem, they have the fat frys still through kpig. dig that! and some of the same people from KFAT...

Bernie, you scared me with the KPIG thing.. they are easy to confuse, you're right, but I though, oh man, what'll I do if the pig gets butchered!

I do believe, at some point, people are gonna get sick of homogenized and start demanding the good stuff (my wife also laughs at my optimism)

Reno Sepulveda · September 25th, 2006, 08:44 PM

That's too bad. I love traveling to the Bay Area because you can tune in KFOG or KFRC and enjoy the music. We still get KPFA bounced into the San Joaquin Valley and I love their music shows. I miss Johnny Otis though

morroben · September 25th, 2006, 08:46 PM

Thank God someone mentioned KPIG on here. I've been trying to figure out how to drop those call letters in on this forum for a while. I'm a long way from the Bay area but we get it down here. I think they reboost signal in Cambria. I'm in Cayucos.
Just moved from Alaska not too long ago and we didn't have any stations nearly as cool as KPIG back there.
It's good to know that some of you guys are listening to the same station I am.

Paul in Colorado · September 26th, 2006, 12:42 AM

Back in the mid '60's (before the FM revolution) I thought KFRC sucked. KYA 1260 was the station I listened to all the time. "Emperor" Gene Nelson, Ed Heider, Bobby Mitchell, Tom Donahue, Tony Bigg (Later Tony Pigg on KMPX FM) Tommy Saunders and Russ "the Moose" Syracuse. A much looser and funnier crew. On his "All Night Flight" on the Super-Freak 126, Russ the Moose used to bomb records of a listener's choice. I once had him bomb the Mayfair Market commercial and I think he got in trouble for it.

Someone will ask. Bombing a record went like this. Someone would call in with a song they hated. The record would begin to play. Sound effects of jets flying and dropping bombs were heard. The record began to wobble. More bombs were dropped until the record was played at 16 RPM and faded out. This usually happened at around 4:30 in the morning before Barnyard Bennie and the Farmyard Freaks did the farm report.

I remember KEWB, Fuzzy. I used to listen to the Top 40 countdown with Casey Kasum on my little transistor radio.

The first rock station in the bay area was KOBY. I remember my sister listening to it when she wasn't watching American Bandstand.

Skully · September 26th, 2006, 12:43 AM

IIRC, back in 1986, KFRC made its first major format change, from Top 40 to oldies from the '40s and '50s. I don't know how long that lasted, 'cause I left the Bay Area for L.A. in the fall of '86.

SteveY · September 26th, 2006, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morroben

Thank God someone mentioned KPIG on here...
It's good to know that some of you guys are listening to the same station I am.

KPIG's about all the radio I can stomach anymore, plus a scratchy AM Jazz station I can get if the weather's bad.

I had to drive down to San Luis Obispo a few months ago and was SO HAPPY I could listen to KPIG all the way with only a couple retunings to get another translator (or whatever they use).

rocketrob · September 26th, 2006, 03:05 AM

I remember going down to KEWB in Oakland as a teenager with a friend and asking if we could tour the station. To our surprise the receptionist said "Shure; wait right here". This guy came in and took us down a hallway where we could look into the broadcast studio as the DJ was on the air. I was amazed at how they did a show. No magic, no hocus pocus, just people having fun playing music and talking. It was quite enlightening to 13 yr old kid. I've never forgoten that day.

No one mentioned KDIA another Oakland station that played, for me, the music that really got to me. Blues, R&B, and what people used to call Soul music. It was the best. Rob.

September 25th, 2006, 07:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bernie Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 516	SF Bay Area folks -- KFRC's format is no more Although the call letters are the same, KFRC has just effectively joined the ranks of KSAN, KPIG, KSJO, and KOME. It's now playing "Rhythmic Adult Contemporary" (see below). I saw the film "Gimme Shelter" recently and as the KFRC helicopter was flying away from Altamont I remember thinking, "Wow, the Stones are still around and so is KFRC..." I guess I spoke too soon. I know they went through format changes, but they were still pretty much into classic oldies + the 70s and 80s more recently, but they still seemed like they still had the KFRC personality. One more radio institution is gone. Sad. from wikipedia: "At 10:03 a.m. on Friday, September 22, KFRC changed their format to a Rhythmic Hot AC format from the classic oldies format. The new format is targeted towards those too young to be Baby Boomers, but too old to fit in with the Generation X-ers. Closing off their oldies broadcast with American Pie, by Don McLean, they changed to "The New Movin' 99.7 KFRC" with Gonna Make You Sweat by C+C Music Factory. KFRC now joins (so far) KQMV/Seattle, KMVN/Los Angeles, KYMV/Salt Lake City and WMVN/St. Louis in embracing the the "MOViN'" concept. It also puts them in a unlikely competition with KISQ, whose Urban AC direction lean towards the Rhythmic and Ol' Skool product that KFRC will now be playing."

September 25th, 2006, 07:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
Bernie Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 516	Yeah KFRC went to FM, but stayed on AM, too. I hadn't listened to it in a while. I, like many others, "outgrew" it, but I have some good memories. I just recently put it on a preset. When I was a kid, AM radio was my introduction to popular music. The shlock factor was definitely there -- "Sunday! Sunday! At beautiful US 30 drag strip!" was the mantra in the Chicago area before I moved to CA. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for AM radio because of those days. Last edited by Bernie; September 25th, 2006 at 07:55 PM. Reason: typo

September 25th, 2006, 08:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,219 37 Photos	The Rumor About KPIG is not the case! KPIG is still alive and oinking! KPIG the sound of FREEDOM (CA that is) has maintained its americana format akin to its predecessor (KFAT) I am sad about KFRC, I loved dr. don.... but modern programming is stinkin' calculated it is hard to bear... even on my beloved KPIG sometimes I feel like they should throw something on there that would shock me (disco?) to challenge me... my memory is that radio used to be challenging to a listener not soothing or not letting them live in their cozy little world of delusion... KFRC was great radio to drive to the lake to when I was a kid... oh well. the only thing that never changes is change itself. btw, you can listen to KPIG on the intermess __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

September 25th, 2006, 08:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Bernie Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 516	my bad Sorry, yeah, I meant KFAT, not KPIG. They're kind of easy to get mixed up. Back in the day when free form radio was more prevalent, WXRT in Chicago and KSAN in SF were two of my faves. Outstanding programming, and I was exposed to so much new music through those channels. I feel bad for the kids today because they don't have that (or so it seems.) I sure hope KFOG can hang on...not as free form but as good as it gets these days.

September 25th, 2006, 08:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
getbent Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Benito County, California Posts: 10,219 37 Photos	Trem, they have the fat frys still through kpig. dig that! and some of the same people from KFAT... Bernie, you scared me with the KPIG thing.. they are easy to confuse, you're right, but I though, oh man, what'll I do if the pig gets butchered! I do believe, at some point, people are gonna get sick of homogenized and start demanding the good stuff (my wife also laughs at my optimism) __________________ 'never pet a burning dog'

September 25th, 2006, 07:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tremo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA Posts: 3,767	I remember KFRC from when I was a kid. AM radio (definitely lo-fi), and a lot of T-40 schlock. I do recall them playing the Doors though, so that was cool. Do people still listen to AM? I thought AM was all talk radio partisan propaganda and gasbags like Limbaugh.

September 25th, 2006, 07:49 PM	#3 (permalink)
0le FUZZY Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Kolly-forn-knee-ya Posts: 10,001 6 Photos	KEWB CHANNEL 91 COLOR RADIO !![ Ah! The way it waz sew many years ago! (we miss yew Gary Owens and Bill Wood) I reckon we're losin em all ! Tew bad ! Anyone member ? 0le FUZZY http://www.bayarearadio.org/audio/kewb/

September 25th, 2006, 08:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
Tremo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA Posts: 3,767	Hey, I remember KFAT, and the Fat Fry. Back in the 80s, I listened to KFOG, they had this DJ named "M. Dung" who was a ton of laughs, very silly but entertaining. I liked his Sunday Night Idiot Show. Lots of oldies. Trashmen, Louie Louie, back to back Bobbys, etc.

September 25th, 2006, 08:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
Reno Sepulveda Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Nowhere man Posts: 1,357	Bay Area Radio That's too bad. I love traveling to the Bay Area because you can tune in KFOG or KFRC and enjoy the music. We still get KPFA bounced into the San Joaquin Valley and I love their music shows. I miss Johnny Otis though __________________ "I'm just kidding about that really."

September 25th, 2006, 08:46 PM	#10 (permalink)
morroben Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: california Age: 32 Posts: 1,873 18 Photos	Thank God someone mentioned KPIG on here. I've been trying to figure out how to drop those call letters in on this forum for a while. I'm a long way from the Bay area but we get it down here. I think they reboost signal in Cambria. I'm in Cayucos. Just moved from Alaska not too long ago and we didn't have any stations nearly as cool as KPIG back there. It's good to know that some of you guys are listening to the same station I am.

September 26th, 2006, 12:42 AM	#11 (permalink)
Paul in Colorado Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fort Collins, CO Age: 55 Posts: 4,335 3 Photos	Back in the mid '60's (before the FM revolution) I thought KFRC sucked. KYA 1260 was the station I listened to all the time. "Emperor" Gene Nelson, Ed Heider, Bobby Mitchell, Tom Donahue, Tony Bigg (Later Tony Pigg on KMPX FM) Tommy Saunders and Russ "the Moose" Syracuse. A much looser and funnier crew. On his "All Night Flight" on the Super-Freak 126, Russ the Moose used to bomb records of a listener's choice. I once had him bomb the Mayfair Market commercial and I think he got in trouble for it. Someone will ask. Bombing a record went like this. Someone would call in with a song they hated. The record would begin to play. Sound effects of jets flying and dropping bombs were heard. The record began to wobble. More bombs were dropped until the record was played at 16 RPM and faded out. This usually happened at around 4:30 in the morning before Barnyard Bennie and the Farmyard Freaks did the farm report. I remember KEWB, Fuzzy. I used to listen to the Top 40 countdown with Casey Kasum on my little transistor radio. The first rock station in the bay area was KOBY. I remember my sister listening to it when she wasn't watching American Bandstand.

September 26th, 2006, 12:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
Skully Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Glamorous NoHo Posts: 3,989	IIRC, back in 1986, KFRC made its first major format change, from Top 40 to oldies from the '40s and '50s. I don't know how long that lasted, 'cause I left the Bay Area for L.A. in the fall of '86. __________________ Myspace.com/skullysounds

September 26th, 2006, 03:05 AM	#14 (permalink)
rocketrob TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: S. F. Bay Area, CA. Posts: 43	I remember going down to KEWB in Oakland as a teenager with a friend and asking if we could tour the station. To our surprise the receptionist said "Shure; wait right here". This guy came in and took us down a hallway where we could look into the broadcast studio as the DJ was on the air. I was amazed at how they did a show. No magic, no hocus pocus, just people having fun playing music and talking. It was quite enlightening to 13 yr old kid. I've never forgoten that day. No one mentioned KDIA another Oakland station that played, for me, the music that really got to me. Blues, R&B, and what people used to call Soul music. It was the best. Rob.