KFRC

Encyclopedia : K : KF : KFR : KFRC

KFRC is an FM broadcast radio station in San Francisco, California in the United States, which began broadcasting as an AM station in 1924. Since 1991, the station has been broadcasting on 99.7 MHz FM, but for over 80 years, the station had served the community on 610 kHz AM until 2005. The famous callsign letters were sequentially issued, as was common when KFRC signed on the air in 1924. They did not stand for "Frisco", nor did they stand for "Known For Radio Clearness," though this was the slogan used when the station first signed on with 50 watts of power. Broadcasts had been heard over a much larger area than had been anticipated. Another slogan KFRC used in its early days was "Keep Forever Radiating Cheer".

Contents

1 Early history
2 Don Lee networks
3 1950s and 1960s: Bill Drake era
4 1970s and 1980s: Dr. Don Rose, Magic 61
5 1990s: adding FM
6 Current events, heritage
7 External links

Early history

The beginning of KFRC was largely due to the efforts of its first manager, Harrison Holliway. As a child, he was an amateur radio buff, and by 1920, he was operating his own amateur radio station, with the call sign 6BN. For a time, Harrison was on the air every day with 6BN, broadcasting record programs "for the sheer pleasure of it". He also worked as a part-time newspaper reporter, covering high school sporting news for the San Francisco Call.

Beginning in 1920, Holliway attended Stanford University. During the summer of 1924, Holliway was working at a radio shop called the Radio Art Corporation in San Francisco. A Western Electric salesman called on the owners, Jim Threlkeld and Thomas Catton, and sold them on the idea of starting a new radio station (and of course, buying a Western Electric transmitter). And so, KFRC was born, and Holliway became the manager.

KFRC went on the air on September 24, 1924 with speeches by local dignitaries, followed by a program with concert, symphony and dance orchestras. Although the signal was only 50 watts, reception proved exceptionally good. It was heard on the U.S. Atlantic Coast, and across the Pacific Ocean as far away as New Zealand.

In the following years, Holliway interviewed such personalities as baseball great Rogers Hornsby, French-Canadian heavyweight boxer Jack Renault, and actors William S. Hart, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and John Barrymore. Harry "Mac" McClintock who hosted a daily children's program, later wrote the hit song "Big Rock Candy Mountain".

Don Lee networks

In 1926, KFRC was purchased by Don Lee, who was the wealthy California distributor for Cadillac automobiles. He is said to have had "a personal habit of doing everything in grand style." His family owned the station for 25 years. In 1927, he purchased KHJ in Los Angeles, and in 1929, both stations became affiliated with William S. Paley's Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

Jack Benny's announcer Don Wilson began his radio career at KFRC. Others included Ralph Edwards, Art Van Horn, and Mark Goodson, who later went on with partner Bill Todman to create many radio and television game and quiz shows. Other personalties associated with KFRC during the Don Lee era were Art Linkletter, Mel Venter, Bea Benaderet, Harold Peary, Morey Amsterdam, Juanita Tennyson, Merv Griffin, and John Nesbitt.

Don Lee died in 1934 and his son took over management. KFRC (and sister KHJ in Los Angeles) switched to the new Mutual Broadcasting System on December 29, 1936.

1950s and 1960s: Bill Drake era

In 1949, RKO-General acquired KFRC. Like most radio stations during the 1950s, KFRC lost ratings and share to television. In the mid-1960s, KFRC changed to a Top 40 rock and roll music format, and quickly became the dominant station in the region with that format through the 1970s, featuring the tight, carefully programmed sound developed programmer, Bill Drake, formerly of cross-town rival, KYA. It entered its second "golden era," which coincided with San Francisco’s Summer of Love.

1970s and 1980s: Dr. Don Rose, Magic 61

From 1973 until 1986, Dr. Don Rose (July 5, 1934–March 30, 2005) was a memorable radio personality on KFRC. With earlier experience at WQXI (AM) in Atlanta, Georgia, and WFIL in Philadelphia, he was known for his corny one-liners, wacky sound effects, and good heart. With Dr. Don as anchor, KFRC was voted "Station of the Year" four times by Billboard Magazine. He was considered by many to be the king of radio in the Bay Area during the last decade of AM's musical dominance.

With the decline of the Top 40 format by the mid 1980s, KFRC's programming was changed to feature a 1940s big band format, and was known as "Magic 61".

1990s: adding FM

In the 1990s, KFRC changed to a nostalgia format by playing the rock hits of the 1960s and 70's, recreating the successful Bill Drake years.

When, in 1980, KFRC sold off its money-losing FM station at 106.1 (to become KMEL), it soon became clear that the owners had made a mistake. This was corrected in 1991 with the purchase of the station at 99.7. The frequency for many years had been KNBC, and later KYUU and KXXX. Under KFRC, the FM signal at 99.7 was simulcast (which means broadcast together) with the popular AM station at 610. The oldies format proved very successful in the Bay market.

Current events, heritage

In 2005, the owners, Infinity Broadcasting (now CBS Radio), announced the sale of the AM station, which was anticipated to receive new call letters. The sale price was reported to be $35 million. The oldies format of KFRC AM and FM was scheduled to continue on the FM frequency.

The sale of the AM station came about as a result of the purchase of CBS' Sacramento television affiliate, KOVR, by Viacom, at the time the owner of both CBS and Infinity. Because KFRC's strong 5,000 watt AM signal from the Berkeley Marina was heard as a local station not only in San Francisco, but in Sacramento as well, the FCC required Infinity to sell either one of its Sacramento stations or a Bay Area station that had Sacramento as part of its city-grade coverage.

Gerry Cagle, who programmed KFRC in the early eighties, and now writes for MusicBiz.com, commented in 2005:

"KFRC wasn't a position on the dial. It was a place in the hearts of the many professionals who worked there to build and continue a legacy unmatched in radio. It was also a place in the hearts of the listeners who made it important in their lives. 610 means nothing. 'KFRC San Francisco with the Best Music!' will live forever in that magical place we all go when we think about the good things of the past." [link]

Infinity sold the AM station to Family Stations, the owners of KEAR 106.9 FM, a Christian radio station. Shortly thereafter, Family Stations sold their FM station to Infinity. On April 29, 2005, Family Stations began simulcasting the signal of their FM station on 610 AM. The Oakland Athletics baseball team, which was the only sports tenant the past few years on the AM side, negotiated with Family Stations to have their games broadcast until the end of the 2005 baseball season.

On September 5, 2005, KFRC-FM, the only oldies outlet in San Francisco moved their format ahead ten years switching to a '70s & '80s music format. The station now bills itself at "The Bay Area's Classic Hits".

The legendary KFRC call letters left the AM band on October 17, 2005, when the KEAR call letters were transferred from 106.9 FM to 610 AM. Meanwhile, 106.9 FM became KIFR, and is now an FM talk station owned by CBS Radio.

External links

FM radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area market

By frequency: 87.9 | 88.1 | 88.1 | 88.5 | 88.9/91.9/99.3/103.1 | 89.3 | 89.3 | 89.5 | 89.5 | 89.7 | 90.1 | 90.1 | 90.3 | 90.5 | 90.5 | 90.7 | 90.7 | 91.1 | 91.5 | 91.7 | 92.1 | 92.3 | 92.7 | 93.3 | 93.7 | 94.1 | 94.5 | 94.9 | 95.3 | 95.3 | 95.7 | 96.1 | 96.5 | 96.9 | 97.3 | 98.1 | 98.5 | 98.9 | 99.1 | 99.3 | 99.7 | 100.1 | 100.3 | 100.7 | 100.9 | 101.3 | 101.7 | 102.1 | 102.5 | 102.9 | 103.3 | 103.3 | 103.7 | 104.1 | 104.5/97.7 | 104.9 | 105.3 | 105.7 | 106.1 | 106.5 | 106.9 | 107.3 | 107.7

Past Stations: KJAZ | KOME | KYA | KYUU

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CBS Corporation

1Will Become The CW Television Network>The CW Owned and Operated Television Stations on September 18, 2006

2Will become affiliates of Fox Broadcasting Company>Fox's My Network TV in September 2006

3Will become Independent station>independent stations on September 18, 2006 Annual Revenue:

.54 billion USD (2005) | Employees: Unknown at this time. | Stock Symbol: NYSE: [CBS] | Website: [www.cbscorporation.com]

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