KLCA
Encyclopedia
KLCA is a commercial radio station
licensed to Tahoe City, California
, broadcasting to the Reno, Nevada
, area on 96.5. A translator at 96.1 helps cover the Northwest Reno/Caughlin Ranch portion of the market. KLCA airs a contemporary hit radio
music format branded as Alice @ 96.5.
KLCA was also the fictional Los Angeles
radio station featured at the beginning of the Robert Downey Jr.
film, "Air America
".
and improved coverage to include the Lake Tahoe
and Carson City areas.
Alice's growth was initially sluggish after moving to the 96.5 frequency as longtime Howard Stern
fans in the Tahoe area were angry that they could no longer hear Stern on KRZQ's 100.9 frequency (with a tower on the valley floor). But the original Alice concept of a pop/alternative format designed to flank Hot AC KNEV
(Magic 95.5) and CHR KWNZ (K-Wins 97.3) built a solid following on a diet of Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind
, Sugar Ray
, etc. The original position statement was "Modern Hits." Longtime KWNZ morning show host "Wild" Bill Cody was hired to host mornings. The pop/alternative audience didn't gravitate to Cody's CHR stunts, and the station moved in a different direction in 1998 while transiting to the 96.5 frequency.
The station attracted fans with a playful attitude not typically heard on Hot AC radio at the time - including giving away a divorce on Independence Day (Reno is the divorce capital), conducting a displaced Bunny Ranch "working girls" job fair, hosting an Elaine Dance contest during the final episode of Seinfeld
, looking for Nevada's best looking "Wookie" before the Star Wars Episode I premiere and bringing street side speed dating to Reno. It also played alternative rock
songs that did not fit the hot AC format such as Weezer
's Troublemaker in the playlist despite being on the playlist of KRZQ-FM (now KMXW).
When the pop/alternative format began to fade nationally, KLCA moved more toward a pure pop/hits approach leading to today's positioning statement: "#1 for Today's New Music." However, Mediabase
moved KLCA to the contemporary hit radio
panel, although still generally an adult top 40 (according to the Nielsen BDS reports) despite KWNZ & KWYL
continuing the contemporary hit radio
trend. The last official day for Nielsen BDS reports as a hot adult contemporary for the station was on July 19, 2011
. After that, the shift to contemporary hit radio
completed, overlapping slightly for a month with its sister station KWNZ, which became adult hits
after this. Two months later, the hot adult contemporary format resurfaced on KMXW, replacing alternative rock
station KRZQ-FM.
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...
licensed to Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City, California
Tahoe City is an unincorporated community in Placer County, California. Tahoe City is located on Lake Tahoe, southeast of Donner Pass. It lies at an elevation of 6250 feet ....
, broadcasting to the Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
, area on 96.5. A translator at 96.1 helps cover the Northwest Reno/Caughlin Ranch portion of the market. KLCA airs a contemporary hit radio
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...
music format branded as Alice @ 96.5.
KLCA was also the fictional 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...
radio station featured at the beginning of the Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
film, "Air America
Air America (film)
Air America is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots, during the Vietnam War, flying missions in Laos...
".
History
"Alice" launched in early 1997 at the 100.9 frequency (replacing a country formatted station) where KMXW currently broadcasts. In 1998, the two stations swapped frequencies, which gave the station a broadcast antenna atop Slide MountainSlide Mountain (Nevada)
Slide Mountain is a peak in the Carson Range near Reno, in Washoe County, Nevada. The Mount Rose Ski Tahoe resort is located on this mountain...
and improved coverage to include the Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
and Carson City areas.
Alice's growth was initially sluggish after moving to the 96.5 frequency as longtime Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
fans in the Tahoe area were angry that they could no longer hear Stern on KRZQ's 100.9 frequency (with a tower on the valley floor). But the original Alice concept of a pop/alternative format designed to flank Hot AC KNEV
KNEV
KNEV is a commercial radio station located in Reno, Nevada, broadcasting on 95.5 FM. KNEV airs an Adult Contemporary music format branded as "Magic 95.5"...
(Magic 95.5) and CHR KWNZ (K-Wins 97.3) built a solid following on a diet of Matchbox 20, Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
, Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
, etc. The original position statement was "Modern Hits." Longtime KWNZ morning show host "Wild" Bill Cody was hired to host mornings. The pop/alternative audience didn't gravitate to Cody's CHR stunts, and the station moved in a different direction in 1998 while transiting to the 96.5 frequency.
The station attracted fans with a playful attitude not typically heard on Hot AC radio at the time - including giving away a divorce on Independence Day (Reno is the divorce capital), conducting a displaced Bunny Ranch "working girls" job fair, hosting an Elaine Dance contest during the final episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, looking for Nevada's best looking "Wookie" before the Star Wars Episode I premiere and bringing street side speed dating to Reno. It also played alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
songs that did not fit the hot AC format such as Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
's Troublemaker in the playlist despite being on the playlist of KRZQ-FM (now KMXW).
When the pop/alternative format began to fade nationally, KLCA moved more toward a pure pop/hits approach leading to today's positioning statement: "#1 for Today's New Music." However, Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
moved KLCA to the contemporary hit radio
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...
panel, although still generally an adult top 40 (according to the Nielsen BDS reports) despite KWNZ & KWYL
KWYL
KWYL is a commercial radio station located in South Lake Tahoe, California, USA, broadcasting to the Reno, Nevada, area. The station has a top 40 music format.-History:...
continuing the contemporary hit radio
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...
trend. The last official day for Nielsen BDS reports as a hot adult contemporary for the station was on July 19, 2011
2011 in radio
The following events occurred in radio broadcasting in 2011.-Events:*January 1: 2 Knoxville stations change formats as WDLF and WYLV flip to K-LOVE and Air 1 , and a few Pittsburgh station change formats, as ESPN Radio moves from WEAE to WBGG, and Radio Disney moves from WWCS to the renamed WDDZ,...
. After that, the shift to contemporary hit radio
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...
completed, overlapping slightly for a month with its sister station KWNZ, which became adult hits
Adult hits
Adult hits is a radio format, popular in the early 2000s, that does not adhere to a specific music genre, but instead draws from a wider playlist...
after this. Two months later, the hot adult contemporary format resurfaced on KMXW, replacing alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
station KRZQ-FM.
On-air line-up
- Bill Schulz, Connie Wray and "Traffic Trey" Valentine host mornings
- Laurie Adamson hosts mid-days
- Rudy Michaels hosts afternoons
- RJ hosts Nights
Alice program directors
- Blaze (currently at KTHXKTHX-FMKTHX-FM is a commercial radio station located in Reno, Nevada, broadcasting to the Reno and Lake Tahoe area on 100.1 FM. KTHX-FM airs an adult album alternative music format branded as "The X".-External links:*...
) launched the station at 100.9 - Bob Walker (currently the PD at WCTKWCTKWCTK is a country music formatted radio station serving Southern New England, with studios in Providence, Rhode Island, and transmitter in New Bedford, Massachusetts.History=...
/Providence) was the 2nd PD and moved the station to 96.5 - Carlos Campos
- Benjamin "Beej" Bretz
- Bill Schulz (also current Americom Director of Operations)
See also
- KALCKALCKALC is a commercial radio station located in Denver, Colorado, USA. KALC airs an Adult Top 40 music format branded as "Alice 105.9".-History:...
, Alice 105.9, Denver, Colorado - KALZKALZKALZ is a commercial radio station located in Fowler, California, broadcasting to the Fresno, California, area. KALZ airs a hot adult contemporary music format. Initially, the station broadcast on 102.7 MHz from 1998 to early 2006...
, Alice 96.7, Fowler, California - KLLCKLLCKLLC is a commercial radio station located in San Francisco, California, broadcasting to the San Francisco Bay Area. KLLC airs an Adult Top 40 music format same as KZZO in Sacramento and on 97.3 HD-2 is Chill With Alice, a Chill format channel...
, Alice @ 97.3, San Francisco