Previous Format: Mellow Rock KNX-FM
New Format: Oldies “Oldies 93” KODJ
Date & Time Of Change: March 2, 1989
More Info: Wikipedia
KNX-FM Becomes Oldies 93 KODJ
Previous Format: Mellow Rock KNX-FM
New Format: Oldies “Oldies 93” KODJ
Date & Time Of Change: March 2, 1989
More Info: Wikipedia
Jess R Hernandez
I remember this…I didn’t get to hear or record this because of work or school in `89…I got this finally 1998 from a collector. This was CBS Radio’s attempt to copy their NYC oldies station WCBS…it didn’t work. I’d love to hear the switch in 1993 from oldies to classic rock as Arrow 93…
Anthony
Jess: I was listening when KCBS-FM 93.1 switched to Arrow. By that point almost all the DJs were gone and they were going off a few jingles and a small 50s/60s playlist. When Reel Don Steel and Machine Gun Kelly and CHarlie Tuna all left around July and August of 1993…it was obvious something was up. You can almost tell it was going to “flip” because in those days when a station had there DJs leave, jingles cut down, and a really small player list it means something is coming. It happened just like that. I believe by that point KCBS-FM Oldies was so dead and buried because of KRTH 101.1 and KRLA 1110 and the cross over from KOLA 99.9 in the next county, just just switched without any goodbye or mention about it. It was like one minute they’re playing Oldies and the next it’s Arrow 93. I called the station, and the guy answered “KCBS-FM” I asked “WHat happened” and he was like “We’re still KCBS-FM we just changed the format of the oldies.” There was no DJs or at least that I heard of for the first few weeks. They were branding as “All Rock and Roll Oldies” playing “Oldies of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s with no bubble gum or disco music” But by around 1995 they went simply “All Rock and Roll Classics” Arrow was indeed an original as no one was doing ” the late 60s, 70s, 80s” oldies yet as main format. Several other markets went to the Arrow format. When CBS changed the KODJ to KCBS call letters they sent out a card to their listener base that were mail-in members (back in those days you were on mailing list for updates, 500 countdown polls, so on) that they were changing their calls. After KCBS Switched if it was as if they wanted to keep the calls at 93.1 but bury it as the only time you heard it was real fast, in kind of a whisper, followed by he Arrow 93 arrow hitting a target jinge, on top of the hour to meet FCC regulations. It just came down too, too man oldies stations in 1993. New YOrk had one power house WCBS-FM…Los Angeles had three. KRLA 1110, KCBS 93.1, KRTH 101.1 and in the next market over KOLA 99.9. By 1998 KRTH 101.1 was the only one left..funny as it’s owned by CBS now.
Rich Fields
Wow! This sure brings back memories. I was surprised to run across this on the internet as I never saved an air-check from “the day”. I remember when PD Kurt Kelly asked me to be the first DJ to sign on the station that day… I was very happy to do it and knew it was going to be radio history. KODJ was a lot of fun. We had total freedom to do and say what we wanted. Charlie Serrafin was an awesome GM, he got radio and knew what was good. I have just recently posted an old air-check from KODJ (and some of the other incarnations of the 93.1 FM signal in L.A.). You can check them out at //www.richfields.tv Enjoyed hearing this today. So happy somebody saved that first few minutes as we said goodbye to KNX-FM and hello to KODJ.