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| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Frequency | 680kHz |
| Branding | KNBR 680 and 104.5 The Sports Leader |
| Programming | |
| Format | Sports |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
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| KNBR-FM,KSAN,KSFO,KTCT,KZAC | |
| History | |
First air date | April 17, 1922; 103 years ago (1922-04-17) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | National Broadcasting Radio (a reference to former ownerNBC) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 35208 |
| Class | A |
| Power | 50,000 watts unlimited |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°32′50″N122°14′00″W / 37.54722°N 122.23333°W /37.54722; -122.23333 (main antenna) 37°32′50″N122°13′58″W / 37.54722°N 122.23278°W /37.54722; -122.23278 (KNBR (auxiliary)) (auxiliary antenna) |
| Repeater | 104.5 KNBR-FM (San Francisco) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live Listen Live (iHeart) |
| Website | www |
KNBR (680kHz, "KNBR 680 and 104.5 The Sports Leader") is anAM radio station inSan Francisco, California, broadcasting on aclear channel from transmitting facilities inRedwood City, California. KNBR's non-directional 50,000-wattclass-A signal can be heard throughout much of the western United States and as far west as theHawaiian Islands at night. For several decades, KNBR enjoyed a long history as the flagship station ofNBC's West Coast radio operations.
Two other stations also use the KNBR brand.KNBR-FM (104.5FM) in San Francisco has been a full-time simulcast of KNBR's programming since September 6, 2019.KTCT (1050 kHz) is licensed toSan Mateo, California, with a transmitter located nearHayward, California. It carried a separate sports format known asThe Ticket but was rebranded as a second KNBR in 2003.The Sports Leader is the on-air branding used by all three stations. KNBR maintains its studios at 2001 Junipero Serra Blvd. inDaly City, California.
Between the three stations, games of theSan Francisco Giants,San Francisco 49ers,Bay Area Panthers andStanford Cardinal are broadcast to theSan Francisco Bay Area. KTCT was available in theHD format on 1050 kHz but has been broadcasting in analog.[2] In addition, KNBR was simulcast on the HD2 subchannel ofKSAN in nearby San Mateo.
KNBR began broadcasting on April 17, 1922, as KPO, a 100-watt station owned by theHale Brothers Department Store. In 1925, theSan Francisco Chronicle newspaper bought half-interest in the operation.[3] It originally was located in the department store at 901 Market between 5th and 6th.[4][5][6][7] It had a horizontal wire antenna on the roof that was so efficient, the station had listeners all over the Pacific Coast.
In 1927, KPO became anaffiliate ofNBC. A year earlier, NBC started theNBC Orange Network, its third network, serving the West Coast.[8] In 1927, NBC began broadcasting from space rented in theSaint Francis Hotel.[8] It operated there for a short time before moving to theHunter–Dulin Building's 22nd floor.[8]
In 1933, KPO was sold to NBC's parent company, theRadio Corporation of America. (RCA),[3] Its operation was consolidated into that of its co-ownedKGO at the Hunter-Dulin Building. That same year, KPO increased its transmitter power to 50,000 watts following transmitter reconstruction byGeneral Electric. From there, NBC operated its West Coast Orange Network, feeding dozens of stations and operating anews bureau to serve NBC. As NBC'sflagship station on the West Coast, KPO had a full-time orchestra, five studios, and produced many live shows. During the rise ofHollywood, NBC's West Coast operation was moved toNBC Radio City Hollywood.
In 1941, just beforeWorld War II, NBC constructedNBC Radio City San Francisco at 420 Taylor Street.[9] It was considered one of the best radio facilities built during the "Golden Age of Radio".[10] However, with the network control having been moved to Los Angeles, the San Francisco NBC building was never fully used. (Later, the building housedKBHK-TV and has since been the headquarters ofReddit andNextdoor.)[11]
DuringWorld War II, KPO's news bureau was the major source of NBC news about the war in the Pacific, and operatedshortwave radio stations (transmitters located inDixon) serving the world. It was at the KPO (RCA) shortwave facility that the message was received that Japanese emperorHirohito had surrendered, ending World War II.[12]
On November 23, 1947, NBC changed KPO's call sign to KNBC,[13][14][15] to strengthen its identity as an NBC station (and the only radio station NBC ever owned on the West Coast). This change lasted until fifteen years later, when the network decided to move the KNBC identity to itstelevision station in Los Angeles. NBC had asked the FCC to restore the KPO call letters to the San Francisco radio station[16] but later withdrew that request[17] and 680 AM was renamed KNBR on November 11, 1962.[18]
In November 1949, NBC television affiliateKRON-TV went on the air. Only before the TV station's first airdate did NBC fight for theconstruction permit for the TV station until it lost the bid to the de Young family, then the owners of theSan Francisco Chronicle.
In the 1950s when NBC scrapped its radio comedy, drama, variety shows, and serials, the Los Angeles facility was sold and demolished, and KNBC/KNBR once again became the West Coast NBC network control center and West CoastNBC Radio news operation.
KNBR evolved into amiddle of the road music format mixing inadult standards withsoft rock cuts by the early 1960s artists with Ron Fell as program director and LaVerne Drake as music director (1971-early 1975). Heber Smith was the general manager, John Cameron as Chief Engineer and Bill Dwyer was sales manager. The station continued to be a news-intensive format with personalities in the foreground and music in the background. Personalities included Frank Dill, Mike Cleary, Les Williams, Dave Niles, and Jack Hayes. KNBR was located in Fox Plaza near the City Hall area in the early 1970s. Until January 1975, KNBR carried NBC's long-running weekend show,Monitor. By the mid-1970s, KNBR evolved musically into a straight-aheadadult contemporary music format and continued as such into the 1980s. KNBR programming included sports from theOakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants (1978),Golden State Warriors andOakland Raiders after the evening drive time was over. Wednesday nights, Scotty Stirling, Golden State Warriors team executive, hosted a call-in remote from the Carnelian Room at the Bank of America building.
In the mid-1970s the station moved to the Embarcadero area. Allan Hotlen became program director in 1975. He was followed in that job by Ron Reynolds, who had been music director and talent under Holten. When Ron Reynolds moved toKYUU, NBC's San Francisco FM outlet, Scott Burton came to KNBR as Program Director. Ron Lyons, C.J. Bronson and Tom Brown became part of the on-air personality staff during the mid to late 1970s. By the late 1970s, KNBR was all music with the exception of sports games.
Isabelle Lemon, KNBR's Promotion Director in the 1970s, is credited with creating the "KNBR 68" logo using theCalifornia's car license plates as a model in the mid-1970s. The license plate idea was copied as well during the 1970s and 1980s. It was used on bumper stickers, t-shirts and many other promotional items. The logo was used into the 1990s, well over 20 years.
KNBR remained a full service news station as well. Gene D'Accardo was news director with Ed Brady, Gill Haar, Robert "Bob" Lazich, Jim Beaver, as part of the news team. NBC network news would be followed by local segments.
A holiday format for Christmas holidays was developed written and produced by the station's Assistant Program Director, Bryan Eaton, in the late 1970s. Discussions of actual holiday facts were produced by various air personalities (backed by sounds of a crackling fire as they made cracks about the KNBR fireplace). These were bumpers to sets of holiday music. The production ran on tape for 24 hours. It was updated in the mid 80s by Larry Finkel, who was music director at that time.
A short-lived, weekend overnight-only format playingdisco and occasional overnight album cuts varied the format keeping in step with changing times.
In 1979, KNBR was awarded theBillboard Adult Contemporary Station of The Year under GM Bill Dwyer. Scott Burton was program director and Bryan Eaton was music director. Jane Morrison and Gimmy Park Li were the community affairs arm of KNBR. Isabelle Lemon was promotions director.
In March 1989, NBC sold KNBR toSusquehanna Radio Corporation; it was the last radio property held by NBC, which two years earlier made the decision to sell off its radio division followingGeneral Electric's 1986 acquisition of RCA.[19] The station soon added some sports talk in evenings, and took a full-time sports format in 1990 with the lone exception ofThe Rush Limbaugh Show, which KNBR carried from 1988 until 2000.
KNBR formerly served as the primary entry point station of the Bay Area'sEmergency Broadcast System (EBS), but lost the designation in 1990 after major technical malfunctions by the station's engineers during the1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. TheFederal Communications Commission investigated the issue that the EBS designation was "revoked".KCBS then assumed the role as the originator for the EBS, and the successorEmergency Alert System.
KNBR carried programs fromESPN Radio and KTCT aired shows from both ESPN Radio andFox Sports Radio until 2013 when both stations switched to the Cumulus-distributedCBS Sports Radio.
In 2015, KNBR's studios were relocated from 55 Hawthorne Street to 750 Battery Street after parent Cumulus Media consolidated its San Francisco radio stations in one building.[20]
KNBR added an FM simulcast onKNBR-FM 104.5 on September 6, 2019.
In November 2024, KNBR announced that it would relocate from Battery Street to studios atLevi's Stadium.[21] This did not prove to be the case, although it still broadcasts San Francisco 49ers-related programming from the venue.[22] Instead, Cumulus announced in January 2025 that it would subleaseBonneville International's facility inDaly City for its Bay Area cluster.[23] KNBR relocated to Daly City on May 29, 2025, marking the first time the station had been based from a studio outside of San Francisco in its 103-year existence.[24]
KNBR had also maintained a secondary studio atOracle Park dubbed "The Bunker" until July 2025, which was situated at its field club level, and was occasionally used for Giants-related coverage. In July 2025, afternoon host Adam Copeland revealed that the team wouldn't allow the station to use the space anymore.[22]
KNBR and KTCT are owned byCumulus Media Partners, LLC,[25] a private partnership ofCumulus Media, Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group, and Thomas H. Lee Partners. It was purchased fromSusquehanna Pfaltzgraff in 2005 along with otherSusquehanna Radio Corporation stations.[26]
KNBR has been the radio home of theSan Francisco Giants since 1979 (taking over fromKSFO). Play-by-play is done byJon Miller andDave Flemming. Miller and Flemming are frequently joined by Giants television broadcastersMike Krukow andDuane Kuiper. The four announcers often share radio and TV broadcasting duties during a game.[27] Marty Lurie continues to host the Giants pre-game show on weekends.
Tim Roye was the radio play-by-play announcer for theGolden State Warriors, and was occasionally joined byJim Barnett on non-televised games as Barnett serves as an analyst for TV broadcasts. On August 25, 2016, the Warriors announced they have ended their partnership with KNBR and signed withKGMZ-FM. The partnership with KNBR lasted 40 years, including 32 consecutive years.[28]
The station has long been a home for arena and indoor football. A vast array of announcers participated inSan Jose SaberCats broadcasts, includingTim Roye,Bob Fitzgerald,Ray Woodson,Keena Turner,George Atkinson, andTroy Clardy. In 2020, KNBR via KTCT began to broadcast games of theBay Area Panthers. Scott Reiss is the voice of the Panthers.[29]
In2005, KNBR became the official radio home of theSan Francisco 49ers. All games are also heard on sister stationKSAN; some AM broadcasts may be moved to KTCT due to conflicts with Giants games. 49ers games were broadcast byJoe Starkey andGary Plummer for four seasons until Starkey's retirement following the2008 season. In the 2009 season, former Giants baseball and world-class tennis announcerTed Robinson took over for Starkey as the play-by-play announcer.Greg Papa andTim Ryan currently call 49er games on KNBR.
KNBR and KTCT are charter affiliates ofCBS Sports Radio, (nowInfinity Sports Network) a joint venture betweenCBS Radio and Cumulus, which started on January 2, 2013.[30]ESPN Radio is also carried on KTCT.
On KNBR, weekday programming consists of the following blocks, which are preempted or moved to KTCT when there are regularly scheduled sports events. The morning shows includeMurph and Markus (Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher)[31]Papa and Silver (Greg Papa and Greg Silver). The afternoon show is Dirty Work (Derek Papa and Adam Copeland). The evening show isSportsphone KNBR (Multiple hosts).[32] Late night programming on days when no games are being replayed is filled in by hosts featured on the Infinity Sports Network.
Weekend programs includeCommonwealth Club,Hooked on Golf,Protect Your Assets with David Hollander,Sports Saloon,At the Track,Gary Allen on Business, and assorted Infinity Sports Network programming.[33]
On KTCT, weekday programming consists of theESPN Radio network schedule, other than the first 3 hours ofFreddie and Harry, which is not aired in favour ofThe Jim Rome Show. Weekend programs includeMortgage Makeover and various ESPN programming.Commonwealth Club is presented early Sunday mornings.[34]
Framing the variousSan Francisco Giants events, Marty Lurie fills in as a host ofSportsPhone 680 Giants Warm-Up shows on KNBR every weekend during the baseball season.[35]
Originating as part of the station'sstatutory requirement ofpublic affairs programming, the station now airs an hour-long interview show Saturday mornings at 5 am.
During the 1990s, the program typically began and ended with the phraseThis is Gimmy Park Li, your host. No program title was given. Interviews for this program often consisted of local individuals in volunteer, charitable, or minor governmental capacities.
Due to its time slot, the program is thequintessential example of theSunday morning public affairs ghetto. The program has never been promoted outside of its timeslot. Gimmy Park Li was the station's public affairs director. Her signature was her sign off:This is Gimmy Park Li, your host. Thank you for spending your time ... with us.
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