Previous Format: Beautiful Music KNX-FM
New Format: CHR “HitRadio 93” KKHR
Date & Time Of Change: August 25, 1983 at 3:00pm
More Info: SoCal Radio History, Wikipedia
KNX-FM Becomes HitRadio 93 KKHR
Previous Format: Beautiful Music KNX-FM
New Format: CHR “HitRadio 93” KKHR
Date & Time Of Change: August 25, 1983 at 3:00pm
More Info: SoCal Radio History, Wikipedia
brian
Great to hear KNX-FM’s jingles again.
Michael S.
The only one I missed was: “it’s lat at night, Coffee’s on the brew …”
Very good to travel down memmory lane … Thanks for posting this!
Walt
Thirty years ago this month, I was a college student baking on the 91 freeway and listening to the irreplaceable KNX-FM. After playing “The Pretender,” the host started taking a walk down memory lane with the jingles. I had no idea what was coming, but something just wasn’t right. Finally, he turned the mic over to the GM. As Bob Nelson began his announcement, the pit in my stomach grew and the sensation became almost that of dread. The dread quickly became utter disbelief when I heard the words “hit radio” come through the speakers. He finished his comments, and on came that disgustingly slick sound of the new DJ, Todd Parker (I clearly remembered it from that point on, only confirmed as I listened again here), with Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Starting’ Something” in the background. “You have NO idea how long I’ve been waiting for this day,” Parker entoned enthusiastically. My shock continued, and all I could do was scream at the radio, “NO! NO! NO!!!” It felt like the station I loved had betrayed me.
I got over it, but I never listened to 93.1 FM for the remainder of the two years I spent in the L.A. area. A year or so later, a friend sent my wife and I a cassette of the revived KNX-FM. It was like hearing the voice of an old friend with whom you’ve lost touch. I later heard they had gone off the air again, this time for good.
But I never forgot that unique blend of music KNX-FM 93.1 had played and which had been the perfect vibe for the SoCal experience. I looked for something similar, and the closest I found was a station in San Francisco, CA. As the internet developed, I discovered Spotify and realized I could create my own. Searching websites, I found a significant body of music which KNX-FM had played or is *in the spirit of KNX-FM.* If you search for KNX-FM on Spotify, you’ll likely find the playlist. FYI: I receive no compensation in any way for the playlist. While I could pay the small amount for ad-free service, I even keep it with the commercials (the free version of the service) because I want to maintain that sense of radio. If you find it and want to communicate with me, I’d be honored with any feedback, especially with any song suggestions you know would have been on the original.
Long live KNX-FM in the hearts of its listeners.
Randy
I LOVED the “mellow sound” of KNX-FM. It was a truly unique format that has yet to be duplicated. People like Steve Marshall really worked hard to produce that sound, and it was in keeping with the quality and class of CBS (the Tiffany network). The incredible jingles in the mid-70’s (“when the sun goes down in LA”) were made by a wonderful creative guy named Ed Yellin of EYE Productions. He also made similar theme music for sister station KCBS-FM in San Francisco. True genius and a really nice guy.
Really miss KNX-FM. Thanks so much for posting this.
Michael Sheehy
Kids,
I am the host you heard when KNX FM left the airwaves in 83′ … I programmed and produced the station for over 7 years … it was truly a labor of love. We have been working for the past three years to put two new versions of the Mellow Sound back out there … the first will be the Classic 70’s – 80’s version and the second an Updated version which will start where the first left off and incorporate all of the applicable music that that come out in the past 30 years. Sorry for the long wait … but life is what happens when you’re making other plans … thank you John. In the meantime you may enjoy my other labor of lunacy Planet Pootwaddle aka //www.planetpootwaddle.com The Only Radio Station Where Monkeys Actually Do Fly Out of Your Butt! Really! It has a lot of the markings of KNX FM but isn’t restricted to just the Mellow stuff. Enjoy! Michael Sheehy
Joseph Goria
Thank you, for bringing KNX/FM into my life as a preteen. You influenced my musical upbringing and grew up with fm101.9 KSCA
Daniel Brown
Wow! This sound check really brings back that terrible day. I was hearing all these KNX-FM sweepers back-to-back, not fully comprehending what was happening. Then Tom Nelson intros the new format and, BAM!, Michael Jackson. It was awful! KNX-FM had such a phenomenal thing going up until that point. Where else could you hear Lincoln Mayorga play “Blackbird” and behind that Bill Champlin of The Sons of Champlin singing, “You?” Nowhere else and certainly nowhere today. And all the air personalities were amazing. I have to give a shout out to them. You can’t bring back the KNX-FM days any more then you can bring back Boss Radio but I’m glad I was there from the start to experience it–experience “The Mellow Sound” of 93 FM.
Randy Pearson
What a blast from the past listening to the sound byte and all the spectacular jingles that were so good you would have thought they were part of the hits. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Micheal Sheehy – I’m on your PlantePootWaddle now listening!!! Can’t wait to hear your new versions of the Mellow Sound!
Camie
This is my favorite format change on the site. Fantastic jingles and his voice is very sexy.
Anthony
I don’t believe CBS petitioned for the KNX-FM call to be reissued to another station? KNX-FM became KODJ Oldies 93.1 and later they dropped the KODJ and re-instated the KCBS-FM call sign that was in SF but in LA on 93.1 in 1991. It was a 50s/60s oldies station. Why CBS choose to make KNX-FM an oldies station and drop the calls for “KODJ” (as of this post is now being used in another city) is still beyond me. With KRTH 101.1 in full format, KRLA doing Oldies, and KOLA 99.9 going in that direction, it always baffled radio fans how CBS thought another oldies staiton on FM would work. They pretty much just played the same songs KRTH 101.1 did lol. KODJ-FM/KCBS-FM failed and they switched to Arrow 93.1, in Sept 1993, kept the KCBS-FM call sign, and finally after many call sign changes, and format changes between 1983-1993, CBS hit gold. Arrow 93 lasted from 1993 into 2005 and was a staple station in LA. Especially after losing KLSX 97.1 Classic Rock to a talk radio format change in 1995 when Arrow/KCBS dropped the “Oldies” and just made it “classic” Arrow 93, Originally “All Rock and Roll Classics” with a focus of classic rock and rock oldies from the 60s, 70s, early 80s and later became “All Rock and Roll Classics” with Uncle Joe in the morning. Twelve years…nice run for 93.1 and CBS. As of 2015 it’s JACK-FM, been so since 2005, still using the KCBS-FM call. It always comes up why they dont file with the FCC to move the KCBS-FM back to SF especially with KCBS-AM News simulcasting on FM or move the calls to 101.1 in LA to match WCBS-FM 101.1 in NY. As for the original KNX-FM…dont know if those calls will ever be used again. KNX-AM 1070 is a powerhouse news statoin in LA though. With the ineternet and youtube you can find the KNX-FM jingles. Mp3 them and use them in your mp3 player or media ipod and shuffle them with your music for private/personal use….it’ll be like having your ow little KNX-FM where ever you go.
C. BROWN
I actually listened to the station after the switch to KKHR and thought it really could beat KIIS if only Hitradio had (better) prizes. That’s the unfortunate truth.
CHRIS BROWN
I grew up first on KIIS but after a few months a new station arrived (KKHR) and the more I listened the more appealing it became. If it wasn’t for KIIS and their high value promotions KKHR actually could have beat them. Hitradio 93 KKHR did play “Nothin’ But The Hits” but didn’t have the constant give aways. KIIS has been #1 for a while, I do wish that some how CBS would bring Hitradio back, those were some awesome times.