 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "KYLD" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.svg) | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Frequency | 94.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | WiLD 94.9 |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| History | |
First air date | March 12, 1958; 67 years ago (1958-03-12) |
Former call signs |
|
Call sign meaning | a play on "Wild" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 59989 |
| Class | B |
| ERP | 30,000 watts |
| HAAT | 369 meters (1,211 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 37°41′20″N122°26′13″W / 37.689°N 122.437°W /37.689; -122.437 |
| Repeater | 94.9 KYLD-FM1 (Pleasanton) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live (viaiHeartRadio) |
| Website | wild949 |
KYLD (94.9FM) is acommercial radio station inSan Francisco, California, serving theSan Francisco Bay Area and owned bySan Antonio–basediHeartMedia. The station airs acontemporary hit radio[2] format on itsanalog primary signal. The station has studios located in theSoMa district of San Francisco, and thetransmitter is located atop theSan Bruno Mountains.
The call letters of KSAN have been used by four unrelatedradio stations and one related TV station in theSan Francisco Bay Area since the late 1950s. In the early 1960s, KSAN 1450 AM became KSOL and programmed R&B music, and was also notable for DJSly Stone (Sylvester Stewart), who went on to fame as a musician, fronting the bandSly and the Family Stone.
The KSAN call sign was first used on FM at 94.9 on May 21, 1968, after the former classical music station KSFR was purchased byMetromedia in October 1966.
TheFederal Communications Commission (FCC) had given a construction permit for KSFR on September 20, 1957, to H. Alan Levitt, who owned a San Francisco record shop. Levitt had previously worked as an engineering assistant and announcer atKLX (910 AM) in Oakland. KSFR was assigned 94.9. Levitt had tried unsuccessfully to get 96.5, but the FCC gave that frequency to theSan Francisco Chronicle stationKRON-FM, which returned to the air as a non-commercial classical music station in 1957 after being off the air for three years. (KRON-FM had originally broadcast on 96.5 from July 1947 to December 31, 1954).
Known as "The Concert Music Station", KSFR began broadcasting on March 11, 1958.[3] Its first studios were at 217Kearny Street in San Francisco. The original transmitter onSan Bruno Mountain had an effective radiated power of 9,400 watts. Levitt was general manager and a chief announcer, known primarily for hosting "The Wolfgang" (a program devoted to early classical music) and for producing his own distinctive commercials. An early staff announcer was Bill Agee, who later became a featured announcer and music director of "The Classic Stations"KKHI AM andFM, San Francisco, and host of live Friday nightSan Francisco Symphony Orchestra broadcasts. Announcer Lee Whiting also moved from KSFR to KKHI.
In late 1958, KSFR moved to 10 Claude Lane, a later home ofKFRC. In September 1961, KSFR's power was increased to 35,000 watts. On June 1, 1962, KSFR began broadcasting in multiplexstereo; however, Levitt was criticized by media critic Bob Foster inThe San Mateo Times for rushing into stereo without conducting field tests because there were some serious technical problems with the signal. These were soon resolved and KSFR became the first San Francisco station to broadcast classical music full-time in stereo. KSFR moved to 211 Sutter Street in 1965.
Levitt sold KSFR to Metromedia in 1966, remaining at 211 Sutter Street. Metromedia, the fourth largest broadcasting company in the nation, after NBC, CBS and ABC, also bought San Francisco station KEWB 910 AM, renamed KNEW, to be similar to its WNEW in New York. It bought KSAN-TV channel 32, acquiring this call sign.
Under the original agreement, Levitt was to stay on as KSFR general manager for five years and the classical music format would be maintained. Metromedia continued the classical music format for a couple of years, producing a special series of programs honoring conductorArturo Toscanini during the 1967 centennial of his birth. However, in October 1967, Metromedia replaced Levitt as general manager.
On May 21, 1968, the call letters changed to KSAN and the format switched tofreeform music format. Metromedia transferred the KSAN calls from its TV station, which it renamed KNEW-TV. (The KSFR call letters currently belong to aNational Public Radio station inSanta Fe, New Mexico.)[4]
The timing of the change from KSFR to KSAN was triggered by an event at another station. On March 18, 1968,KMPX program directorTom Donahue turned in his resignation after a series of conflicts with station management. This led directly to astrike by many Donahue-loyal KMPX staff members. They began picketing outside the station's offices, and were soon supported in their efforts by popular bands such as theGrateful Dead andBlue Cheer, as well as the station's devoted listeners. The staff at sister stationKPPC-FM inPasadena walked out the next day.
KMPX and KPPC owner Leon Crosby refused to cave in to his striking staff, and brought in replacements at both stations to continue the progressive rock format. Several popular rock bands — includingThe Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead — insisted that the station not play their music, in a show of support to the picketers. The eight-week strike ended on May 13, with no resolution between the former staffers and Crosby. KMPX continued with the same format, but the controversy opened the eyes of larger broadcasting companies to the potential for rock and roll on FM.
Seeing an opportunity to jump into a hot new radio format against a smaller company,Metromedia decided to switch the format of KSAN from classical music tofreeform rock, and hired Donahue and most of the displaced KMPX staffers, who started at the station on May 21. Metromedia also hired the former KPPC staffers to work atKMET in Los Angeles, which made a similar format switch. Donahue eventually became general manager of KSAN, while also programming consulting for sister station KMET.[5]
KSAN, also known as Jive 95,[6] became a groundbreaking and legendary rock station, influencing other stations across the country.
On December 7, 1969, KSAN broadcast a show discussing what had just happened the night before at thefree Rolling Stones performance atAltamont Raceway. Hosted by Stefan Ponek, the four-hour show fielded calls from a range of people who attended the event and a few who helped organize it, including Rolling Stones personnel and members of theHells Angels. This broadcast is extensively documented in the 2000Criterion DVD release ofGimme Shelter, the result of a restoration effort that included the filmmakers.
In the early 1970s, the station rose to number one in the 18–34 demographic,[7] developing a devotedcult following that lasted for many years.[8] During its heyday, KSAN had maintained a strongcounterculture reputation. News reports often contained political commentary, with stories about theVietnam War, theNixon Administration, growing marijuana anddrugs.[9] When theSymbionese Liberation Army kidnapped heiressPatty Hearst, they used KPFA, a listener sponsored radio station in Berkeley to communicate their message and demands, via cassette tapes.[10] The station enlisted the assistance of theFederal Bureau of Investigation during this ordeal, as they became an unwilling go-between in the Hearst kidnapping.
On April 28, 1975, Tom Donahue died from a heart attack. A sampling of Tom Donahue on KSAN during the late 1960s can be heard on "The Golden Age Of Underground Radio" compilation.
The station started to decline in popularity, with new stationKMEL rising in popularity. By 1978, the station adopted a tighter presentation, with a playlist replacing the longtime freeform ethic. They also added morenew wave andpunk music, such as theSex Pistols,The Clash andBlondie.
California Historical Radio Society is trying to produce a KSAN documentary of the 1968 to 1980 era.[11][12][13]
KSAN's famed rock format ended on November 14, 1980, when the station switched to acountry music format, likely influenced by the success of the 1980 movieUrban Cowboy which greatly increased the popularity of country music, as well of sister stationKNEW, which had switched to country music in July 1974.[14] Under the country format, KSAN thrived as a ratings leader thanks to Program Director Bob Hamilton, and then Lee Logan, Operations Manager from 1987 to 1994, and Head of Programming/West Coast for Malrite. It was during the Logan years that the KSAN/KNEW combo were consistently a top 3 combo based on Arbitron. With Marlene Augustine leading the marketing and Music Director Richard Ryan, along with air personalities such Frank Terry, Sam Van Zandt, Steve Jordan, Jon Wailin, Tom Benner, Teri King, Dave Ware, Tim Anthony, and Buddy Baron, KNEW/KSAN was a massive force in the market. Later talent included Welch and Woody in the Morning, and Rick Neal.
Just before midnight on July 3, 1997, air personality Rick Neal played "The Dance" byGarth Brooks as the last song of the country format on KSAN. At one minute past midnight, KSAN swapped frequencies with KYLD, then on 107.7 FM.[15] The two frequencies simulcasted until midnight on July 7, when 107.7 FM, now with the KSAN call letters, beganstunting with construction noises and song clips as a prelude to a flip toclassic rock on July 11.[16]
In the wake of theTelecommunications Act of 1996, KYLD was sold that year to Chancellor Media (before merged with Capstar to become AMFM, and later, merged with iHeartMedia's predecessor Clear Channel Communications). The move eliminated the ongoing competition with now-sister station KMEL; KMEL maintained its audience approach and format, while KYLD's Rhythmic format shifted to a pop-heavy Rhythmic direction as the market had notop 40/pop station of its own.KZQZ was the last CHR/top 40 station in The Bay Area, as they dropped the format in 2002 for aclassic hits format. Up until February 2015, KYLD was a reporter toNielsen BDS andMediabase on their rhythmic panel, but was moved to both trades' top 40/CHR panel.
The top 40 void, however, would finally be filled by two new competitors. In September 2006, KYLD got some competition whenKFRC changed their oldies format to arhythmic AC format. KFRC changed their call letters to KMVQ in May 2007, and by November 2008, shifted to top 40/CHR. By September 2009, KNGY joined the fray by dropping itsdance format for top 40/CHR as well, becomingKREV. While KREV has since flipped to AAA, KMVQ has since become a viable competitor.
In 1993, a story was circulating thatPresidentBill Clinton tied up traffic on anLAX runway for over an hour while getting a haircut onAir Force One from the hairstylistCristophe. KYLD's morning DJMancow Muller staged a parody of the incident on theSan Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge during rush hour. He used vans to block the westbound lanes on the bridge while his then sidekick, Jesus "Chuy" Gomez, got a haircut. As a result of this stunt, Muller was not only fired from the station, but prosecuted and subsequently convicted of a felony by a San Francisco Municipal Court. His sentence included three years probation, a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service. KYLD eventually paid $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a bridge commuter.[17]
After Muller's departure, KYLD replaced his program with yet another successful—and yet later, another controversial—morning show,The Dog House, hosted by JV (Jeff Vandergrift) and Elvis (Dan Lay). Their program became the #1ratedmorning show in theBay Area[18] receiving higher ratings thanHoward Stern.[19] Despite their success in the ratings, they would find themselves in trouble with station management over a series of stunts that would get them in hot water with the local authorities. One stunt in particular had members of the show dressed up as escaped inmates (and law enforcement officials to fine them for the prank and endangering the public) and causing a walkout at a San Jose high school. The final blow forThe Dog House occurred on April 21, 2005, when station management terminated the show after its hosts made offensive remarks about two female members of the San Francisco Renegades Drum and Bugle Corps. The band's members, Lisa Johnson and Robin Kinoshita, were at the station to promote an annual fundraiser when JV and Elvis allegedly made lewd remarks towards them.[20] JV later returned to KYLD as their morning host.
On August 6, 2008, KYLD PD Jazzy Jim Archer and evening host Joe Breezy were fired over anApril Fools Day 2008 prank, in which the station promised to give awaybreast augmentation surgery (referred to as 'a pair of breasts') from "Dr.Sanders". In reality, the reference was apun, and chicken breasts fromKFC were awarded to the contest winner, who was not impressed and filed a complaint against the station.[21]
KYLD is rebroadcast on the following FMrepeater:
| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | HAAT | Class | FCC info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KYLD-FM1 | 94.9 FM | Pleasanton, California | 59990 | 186 (Horiz.) | 927 m (3,041 ft) | D | LMS |