KKXX
Encyclopedia
KKXX-FM is a radio station
broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR)
musical format. KKXX-FM is licensed to Shafter, California
, and serves the Bakersfield, California
area. The station is owned by American General Media. From the late 1970s through the early 2000s, under several owners, KKXX was one of the most popular radio stations in Bakersfield and Kern County for youth oriented music.
FM
and was owned by Buck Owens
Productions. Its transmitter is located on top of Mount Adelaide, northeast of Bakersfield. At the time Owens owned both KKXX and KUZZ
located at 550 on the AM dial. Under Owens, KKXX was programmed as an Adult Contemporary/Top 40 station well into the 1980s. During that time it sat at the top of the ratings in Bakersfield. In 1988, Owens dumped the KKXX call letters and format and moved his country station KUZZ
to 107.9
. KUZZ
was now on both AM and FM. He did this because is AM was losing listeners to the new American Country KAMM
at 105.3
. In May 1988 KAMM
picked up the old KKXX calls and dumped country and brought back the KKXX Top 40 sound Kern County. Before KAMM there was KZAY at 105.3
in the early 1980s.
("Q94 FM"), which was located at 94.1
FM, went on the air. It offered the same Hot/AC format that KKXX had under Buck Owens' ownership. In the summer of 1988, Mondosphere re-tooled the station, calling it "Power 105.3". It began to reflect its growing Latino
listenership, by rotating more dance
, R&B, and Latin freestyle songs into its playlist, making it one of the earliest examples of the Rhythmic CHR format. While KKXX still played the Top 40 hits each week, the playlist tended to shy away from artists like Rod Stewart
and Elton John
, and included acts like Salt-N-Pepa
, Stevie B. and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.
KKXX was also a long-time affiliate of the "Rick Dees
Weekly Top 40". The nationally syndicated countdown show ran on "Power 105"(and later X96.5) from 1988 until 2001. KKXX also carried "Casey's Top 40
" hosted by veteran personality Casey Kasem
from 1989 until 1998.
, and its parent company American General Media, had been undergoing many changes. "Q94 FM" had been renamed KERN-FM, and had switched to a moderately successful Oldies format. Then in 1997, AGM launched "Kiss 94.1"
. Its Hip Hop
& R&B format came in stark contrast to the mainstream pop music that KKXX had been playing at the time. 94.1, under the new call letters KISV
, began moving up in the ratings quite rapidly. In response, Mondosphere Broadcasting once again changed the frequency of "Bakersfield's Hit Music Station". After 9 years at 105.3
, KKXX moved to 96.5
FM as the new "X96.5". The smooth jazz
format located at KSMJ
96.5
was moved to 98.5
. The oldies
at 98.5
were moved to 105.3
. They dumped smooth jazz
in 2000 and made 98.5
KDFO
classic rock
. 105.3
was replaced with KKDJ, or "Star 105.3", which began as an Oldies
format and later morphed into Adult Contemporary. Fans of the old station thought it simply disappeared, which served to boost the ratings of "Kiss 94.1".
bought the station from Mondosphere, and relabeled it "96.5 KISS-FM". Almost immediately Clear Channel
sent American General Media a cease & desist order, insisting that it stop using "Kiss" as a moniker for KISV
. AGM fought back and ultimately lost, renaming its station the "New Hot 94.1, the Rhythm Of the Valley". With victory in hand, Clear Channel began re-tooling KKXX once more, to mirror the Top 40 format of KIIS-FM
in Los Angeles
. Despite the publicity from the "Kiss" dispute and a dial and format change, it wasn't enough to pique the public's interest in KKXX. In 2004, the calls were changed to KBKO-FM, and the format switched to country (96.5 FM
has since changed formats again, and is now known as KVMX-FM, playing 1960's, 1970's and 1980s music). American General Media now holds the KKXX call letters, which sit at 93.1 FM
, which for four years hosted the "Pirate Radio" format, which is similar to the "Jack-FM" format in other markets. On July 20, 2009, at midnight, the station abruptly dropped the Pirate Radio format and began stunting, playing nonstop construction sounds. On July 20, 2009, at 4pm, the station revealed it's new format as a Top 40 (CHR)
format and the station rebranded as Hot Hits 93.1 "Bakersfield's Hot Hit Station."
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR)
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
musical format. KKXX-FM is licensed to Shafter, California
Shafter, California
Shafter is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is located west-northwest of Bakersfield. The population was 16,988 at the 2010 census, up from 12,736 at the 2000 census. Wired telephone numbers in Shafter follow the format 746-xxxx and the ZIP Code is 93263.The city is located...
, and serves the Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
area. The station is owned by American General Media. From the late 1970s through the early 2000s, under several owners, KKXX was one of the most popular radio stations in Bakersfield and Kern County for youth oriented music.
History
KKXX-FM went on the air in 1977, at 107.9KUZZ
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM are American radio stations licensed to serve Bakersfield, California, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.They broadcast a simulcast country music format to the inland central California region...
FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
and was owned by Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
Productions. Its transmitter is located on top of Mount Adelaide, northeast of Bakersfield. At the time Owens owned both KKXX and KUZZ
KUZZ
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM are American radio stations licensed to serve Bakersfield, California, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.They broadcast a simulcast country music format to the inland central California region...
located at 550 on the AM dial. Under Owens, KKXX was programmed as an Adult Contemporary/Top 40 station well into the 1980s. During that time it sat at the top of the ratings in Bakersfield. In 1988, Owens dumped the KKXX call letters and format and moved his country station KUZZ
KUZZ
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM are American radio stations licensed to serve Bakersfield, California, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.They broadcast a simulcast country music format to the inland central California region...
to 107.9
KUZZ
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM are American radio stations licensed to serve Bakersfield, California, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.They broadcast a simulcast country music format to the inland central California region...
. KUZZ
KUZZ
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM are American radio stations licensed to serve Bakersfield, California, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.They broadcast a simulcast country music format to the inland central California region...
was now on both AM and FM. He did this because is AM was losing listeners to the new American Country KAMM
Kamm
Kamm may refer to:* Anat Kamm, Israeli journalist* Frances Kamm, American philosopher* John Kamm, American businessman and human rights activist* Kris Kamm , American actor* Oliver Kamm , political writer...
at 105.3
KBFP-FM
KBFP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Mexican Oldies music format. KBFP-FM is licensed to Delano, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:105.3 FM signed on in 1981 with the call letters...
. In May 1988 KAMM
Kamm
Kamm may refer to:* Anat Kamm, Israeli journalist* Frances Kamm, American philosopher* John Kamm, American businessman and human rights activist* Kris Kamm , American actor* Oliver Kamm , political writer...
picked up the old KKXX calls and dumped country and brought back the KKXX Top 40 sound Kern County. Before KAMM there was KZAY at 105.3
KBFP-FM
KBFP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Mexican Oldies music format. KBFP-FM is licensed to Delano, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:105.3 FM signed on in 1981 with the call letters...
in the early 1980s.
Frequency changes
A few years earlier, in 1982, KQXRKQXR
KQXR is a commercial radio station licensed in Payette, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho metro area on 100.3 FM. The station was acquired in March, 1998 by the Journal Broadcast Group with studios located at 5257 Fairview Avenue #260, Boise, Idaho 83706."The X" -- as the station is commonly...
("Q94 FM"), which was located at 94.1
KISV
KISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW.-History:...
FM, went on the air. It offered the same Hot/AC format that KKXX had under Buck Owens' ownership. In the summer of 1988, Mondosphere re-tooled the station, calling it "Power 105.3". It began to reflect its growing Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
listenership, by rotating more dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, R&B, and Latin freestyle songs into its playlist, making it one of the earliest examples of the Rhythmic CHR format. While KKXX still played the Top 40 hits each week, the playlist tended to shy away from artists like Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, and included acts like Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl "Salt" Renee James, Sandra "Pepa" Denton, and Deidra "DJ Spinderella" Roper, was one of the first all-female rap crews....
, Stevie B. and Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.
KKXX was also a long-time affiliate of the "Rick Dees
Rick Dees
Rigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
Weekly Top 40". The nationally syndicated countdown show ran on "Power 105"(and later X96.5) from 1988 until 2001. KKXX also carried "Casey's Top 40
Casey's Top 40
Casey's Top 40 was a CHR/Pop music countdown that was hosted by Casey Kasem and distributed by Westwood One from 1989-1998. Kasem joined Westwood One when he was unable to reach an agreement with ABC Radio Networks in 1988, who was the distributor of American Top 40 at the time.-Similarities...
" hosted by veteran personality Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
from 1989 until 1998.
Peak
With its re-tooled format, KKXX remained Bakersfield's most popular non-country radio station well into the 1990s. But by 1996, music had changed. Top 40 was a radio format in decline, and the scene was ripe for a shakeup on the radio dial. During KKXX's greatest period of success, now defunct rival KQXRKQXR
KQXR is a commercial radio station licensed in Payette, Idaho, broadcasting to the Boise, Idaho metro area on 100.3 FM. The station was acquired in March, 1998 by the Journal Broadcast Group with studios located at 5257 Fairview Avenue #260, Boise, Idaho 83706."The X" -- as the station is commonly...
, and its parent company American General Media, had been undergoing many changes. "Q94 FM" had been renamed KERN-FM, and had switched to a moderately successful Oldies format. Then in 1997, AGM launched "Kiss 94.1"
KISV
KISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW.-History:...
. Its Hip Hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
& R&B format came in stark contrast to the mainstream pop music that KKXX had been playing at the time. 94.1, under the new call letters KISV
KISV
KISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW.-History:...
, began moving up in the ratings quite rapidly. In response, Mondosphere Broadcasting once again changed the frequency of "Bakersfield's Hit Music Station". After 9 years at 105.3
KBFP-FM
KBFP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Mexican Oldies music format. KBFP-FM is licensed to Delano, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:105.3 FM signed on in 1981 with the call letters...
, KKXX moved to 96.5
KVMX
KXJM is a commercial broadcast radio station located in the Portland, Oregon area and broadcasts at 107.5 FM. The transmitter is located in Portland's west hills; the studio is in downtown Portland, and the license location is in Banks, Oregon...
FM as the new "X96.5". The smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
format located at KSMJ
KSMJ
KSMJ is a commercial radio station located in Shafter, California, broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Buckley Broadcasting and licensed to Buckley Broadcasting of California, LLC...
96.5
KVMX
KXJM is a commercial broadcast radio station located in the Portland, Oregon area and broadcasts at 107.5 FM. The transmitter is located in Portland's west hills; the studio is in downtown Portland, and the license location is in Banks, Oregon...
was moved to 98.5
KDFO
KDFO is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-98.5 KDNO:...
. The oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
at 98.5
KDFO
KDFO is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-98.5 KDNO:...
were moved to 105.3
KBFP-FM
KBFP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Mexican Oldies music format. KBFP-FM is licensed to Delano, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:105.3 FM signed on in 1981 with the call letters...
. They dumped smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
in 2000 and made 98.5
KDFO
KDFO is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-98.5 KDNO:...
KDFO
KDFO
KDFO is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format. KDFO is licensed to Delano, California, and serves the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-98.5 KDNO:...
classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
. 105.3
KBFP-FM
KBFP-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish-language Mexican Oldies music format. KBFP-FM is licensed to Delano, California, and broadcasting to the Bakersfield, California, area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.-History:105.3 FM signed on in 1981 with the call letters...
was replaced with KKDJ, or "Star 105.3", which began as an Oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format and later morphed into Adult Contemporary. Fans of the old station thought it simply disappeared, which served to boost the ratings of "Kiss 94.1".
Decline and Rebirth
In 2000, Clear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
bought the station from Mondosphere, and relabeled it "96.5 KISS-FM". Almost immediately Clear Channel
Clear channel
A clear-channel station is an AM band Radio station in North America that has the highest protection from interference from other stations, particularly concerning night-time skywave propagation. Usually known as class A stations since 1982, they are occasionally still referred to by their former...
sent American General Media a cease & desist order, insisting that it stop using "Kiss" as a moniker for KISV
KISV
KISV is a Rhythmic Top 40 music formatted radio station based in Bakersfield, California. The American General Media outlet broadcasts with an ERP of 4.5 kW.-History:...
. AGM fought back and ultimately lost, renaming its station the "New Hot 94.1, the Rhythm Of the Valley". With victory in hand, Clear Channel began re-tooling KKXX once more, to mirror the Top 40 format of KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Despite the publicity from the "Kiss" dispute and a dial and format change, it wasn't enough to pique the public's interest in KKXX. In 2004, the calls were changed to KBKO-FM, and the format switched to country (96.5 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
has since changed formats again, and is now known as KVMX-FM, playing 1960's, 1970's and 1980s music). American General Media now holds the KKXX call letters, which sit at 93.1 FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
, which for four years hosted the "Pirate Radio" format, which is similar to the "Jack-FM" format in other markets. On July 20, 2009, at midnight, the station abruptly dropped the Pirate Radio format and began stunting, playing nonstop construction sounds. On July 20, 2009, at 4pm, the station revealed it's new format as a Top 40 (CHR)
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format and the station rebranded as Hot Hits 93.1 "Bakersfield's Hot Hit Station."