KZZO
Encyclopedia
KZZO is a hot adult contemporary radio station
in Sacramento, California
.
At 115 kilowatts, KZZO is one of the most powerful FM radio stations in Northern California, and can be received in the California Central Valley
from as far south as Modesto, CA to just north of Chico, California
, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east, and the Coast Ranges to the west.
, a SF Bay Area based organization.
After a lengthy period broadcasting Harold Camping's Bible talks and largely orchestral religious music, Family Radio sold the station to commercial owners in 1988—a move that surprised radio insiders in the market.
The new owners installed a smooth jazz format, re-branded it as The Point and changed its call letters to KQPT. It would last as The Point for nine years and a couple of ownership changes. Brown Broadcasting changed the branding to "The Zone" in 1995 and the format to a wide ranging AAA
mix it promoted as "bands you've never heard of." Brown sold KQPT, KXOA (AM) and KXOA (K-108FM) to American Radio Systems in 1996, and a change in call letters to KZZO happened in 1997. There was a three-way battle for rock listeners during this period between KWOD
, KRXQ
(93 Rock) and "The Zone."
However, after a year as a Triple-A, KZZO began evolving to Hot Adult Contemporary, later moving to Modern Adult Contemporary (after the shift of KGBY
to Hot Adult Contemporary in 2007
) where it would remain in that direction until June 22, 2010, when it shifted to a broader Adult Top 40 direction and adopted the "Now" approach. They are the first Adult Top 40/Hot AC station in the CBS Radio stable to use the slogan, as "Now" is more associated with being a Rhythmic pop-leaning Top 40/CHR brand. But unlike other "Now" stations, KZZO, due being a Adult Top 40 and having Rhythmic Top 40 KSFM
as a sister station, will not play any Hip-Hop or Rap songs, although it does share some artists (i.e. Kesha
and Lady Gaga
) at both stations. In addition, KZZO has vowed not to play any gold or recurrent songs from the 80s or 90s, a message aimed directly at rival KGBY
, whose Adult Top 40 direction features that approach.
KZZO is currently part of the CBS Radio Sacramento cluster. The station's current website is now100fm.com.
By December 2011
, KZZO becomes the only hot adult contemporary radio station in Sacramento due to Clear Channel Communications
changing KGBY from hot adult contemporary to news-talk as KFBK-FM, simulcasting KFBK, but its playlist largely resembles a contemporary hit radio
station despite higher-charting songs getting more than 100 plays per week, while it continues to report as hot adult contemporary per Mediabase
& Nielsen BDS.
).
The station is host to several community events, including A Day In The Zone (a concert held during the summer months featuring outdoor performances by hot artists) and Exotic Zone Ball (an adult themed Halloween party held annually).
in Long Island.
The Zone originally posted contest rules which stated that the prize was a share certificate valued at $3,400 from the Sacramento Credit Union, that matured to the total reward value of $25,000 after 10 years. This was only temporary rules set in place while the credit union gathered the funds for the entire $25,000 cash. Only if the "Outlaw" was caught in the first few days would these rules be put into place. By the 2nd week of the promotion, the entire $25,000 cash was value of the prize, and the rules reflected that change.
On April 14, 2008, the morning show of rival radio station KDND
began to advertise on their station that they were going to give away the location of the $25,000. KDND, owned by Entercom, not CBS like The Zone, used a full day worth of advertising promoting a contest on another radio station. The following morning, April 15, KDND's morning show spent the entire 7:00am hour reading the then-expired contest rules on the air. The reasons for doing this were not completely clear.
The outlaw was "caught" outside of the Nugget Market in Rocklin, California
on April 29, 2008 at noon. The winner was greeted by Zone Staff with the letter from Sacramento Credit Union redeemable for $25,000. The video can be seen on YouTube
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-6JpiqtZk.
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...
in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
.
At 115 kilowatts, KZZO is one of the most powerful FM radio stations in Northern California, and can be received in the California Central Valley
California Central Valley
California's Central Valley is a large, flat valley that dominates the central portion of California. It is home to California's most productive agricultural efforts. The valley stretches approximately from northwest to southeast inland and parallel to the Pacific Ocean coast. Its northern half is...
from as far south as Modesto, CA to just north of Chico, California
Chico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
, as well as the Sierra Nevada mountains to the east, and the Coast Ranges to the west.
History
The station signed on in October 1958 as KEBR, a religious station owned by Family RadioFamily Radio
Family Radio, also known by its licensee name Family Stations Inc., is a Christian radio network based in Oakland, California, USA, founded by Lloyd Lindquist, Richard H. Palmquist and Harold Camping...
, a SF Bay Area based organization.
After a lengthy period broadcasting Harold Camping's Bible talks and largely orchestral religious music, Family Radio sold the station to commercial owners in 1988—a move that surprised radio insiders in the market.
The new owners installed a smooth jazz format, re-branded it as The Point and changed its call letters to KQPT. It would last as The Point for nine years and a couple of ownership changes. Brown Broadcasting changed the branding to "The Zone" in 1995 and the format to a wide ranging AAA
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
mix it promoted as "bands you've never heard of." Brown sold KQPT, KXOA (AM) and KXOA (K-108FM) to American Radio Systems in 1996, and a change in call letters to KZZO happened in 1997. There was a three-way battle for rock listeners during this period between KWOD
KWOD (defunct)
KWOD was a commercial radio station in Sacramento, California, primarily known for playing alternative music before it was mainstream...
, KRXQ
KQJK
KQJK is a commercial adult hits music radio station in Roseville, California, broadcasting to the Sacramento, California, area on 93.7 FM. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications, which acquired it along with four stations in Seattle, Washington, Baltimore, Maryland, and Portland,...
(93 Rock) and "The Zone."
However, after a year as a Triple-A, KZZO began evolving to Hot Adult Contemporary, later moving to Modern Adult Contemporary (after the shift of KGBY
KGBY
KFBK-FM is a news/talk formatted radio station serving the Sacramento, California area and broadcasts at 92.5 FM. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and simulcasts KFBK .-History, 2000-2011:...
to Hot Adult Contemporary in 2007
2007 in radio
The year 2007 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 8: Nanci "The Fabulous Sports Babe" Donnellan returns to radio after a six-year absence, filling in for local hosts in Florida....
) where it would remain in that direction until June 22, 2010, when it shifted to a broader Adult Top 40 direction and adopted the "Now" approach. They are the first Adult Top 40/Hot AC station in the CBS Radio stable to use the slogan, as "Now" is more associated with being a Rhythmic pop-leaning Top 40/CHR brand. But unlike other "Now" stations, KZZO, due being a Adult Top 40 and having Rhythmic Top 40 KSFM
KSFM
KSFM is a Rhythmic Contemporary Hits formatted radio station serving the Sacramento, California, USA, area. Its city of license and transmitter are located in Woodland but their studios are based in Sacramento...
as a sister station, will not play any Hip-Hop or Rap songs, although it does share some artists (i.e. Kesha
Kesha
Kesha village is a small village nestled in the mountains of Yongshun County, northwestern Hunan province, China, located at latitude 29 05' 50", longitude 109 57' 9". The name is pronounced in Standard Chinese. The official language is Manderin Chinese....
and Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
) at both stations. In addition, KZZO has vowed not to play any gold or recurrent songs from the 80s or 90s, a message aimed directly at rival KGBY
KGBY
KFBK-FM is a news/talk formatted radio station serving the Sacramento, California area and broadcasts at 92.5 FM. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and simulcasts KFBK .-History, 2000-2011:...
, whose Adult Top 40 direction features that approach.
KZZO is currently part of the CBS Radio Sacramento cluster. The station's current website is now100fm.com.
By December 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,...
, KZZO becomes the only hot adult contemporary radio station in Sacramento due to Clear Channel Communications
Clear 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...
changing KGBY from hot adult contemporary to news-talk as KFBK-FM, simulcasting KFBK, but its playlist largely resembles 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...
station despite higher-charting songs getting more than 100 plays per week, while it continues to report as hot adult contemporary per 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...
& Nielsen BDS.
Service area
The stations serves the Sacramento, California community, with a strong signal that can be heard as far north as Chico and to the south in parts of the San Francisco Bay area. KZZO is one of six stations owned and operated by CBS Radio in the Sacramento market (the other five including FM stations KQJK, KYMX, KSFM, KNCI and AM station KHTK) and one of eight broadcast stations owned by CBS Corporation in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto market (the other two being KOVR and KMAXKMAX-TV
KMAX-TV, channel 31, is the CW affiliate serving the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, California broadcast area. The station is owned by CBS Television Stations along with the local CBS station, KOVR; the two stations are two of the 3 English network O&Os in the market, along with Ion Television...
).
The station is host to several community events, including A Day In The Zone (a concert held during the summer months featuring outdoor performances by hot artists) and Exotic Zone Ball (an adult themed Halloween party held annually).
Outlaw Scandal
In April 2008, The Zone began a contest in which a listener would be required to correctly identify an individual as "The 100.5 The Zone $25,000 Outlaw" in order to receive a monetary prize of $25,000 cash. This was a variation of the popular radio promotion called "The $10,000 Fugitive" done on numerous stations across the country such as WBLIWBLI
WBLI is a Top 40 music formatted radio station which mainly serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. It can also be heard in the Hudson Valley, the South Shore of Connecticut, and the Jersey Shore...
in Long Island.
The Zone originally posted contest rules which stated that the prize was a share certificate valued at $3,400 from the Sacramento Credit Union, that matured to the total reward value of $25,000 after 10 years. This was only temporary rules set in place while the credit union gathered the funds for the entire $25,000 cash. Only if the "Outlaw" was caught in the first few days would these rules be put into place. By the 2nd week of the promotion, the entire $25,000 cash was value of the prize, and the rules reflected that change.
On April 14, 2008, the morning show of rival radio station KDND
KDND
KDND is an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California at 107.9 MHz. It is owned by Entercom. KDND broadcasts a Pop Contemporary Hits format under the name 107.9 The End...
began to advertise on their station that they were going to give away the location of the $25,000. KDND, owned by Entercom, not CBS like The Zone, used a full day worth of advertising promoting a contest on another radio station. The following morning, April 15, KDND's morning show spent the entire 7:00am hour reading the then-expired contest rules on the air. The reasons for doing this were not completely clear.
The outlaw was "caught" outside of the Nugget Market in Rocklin, California
Rocklin, California
Rocklin is a city in Placer County, California located in the metropolitan area of Sacramento. It shares borders with Roseville, Loomis, and Lincoln...
on April 29, 2008 at noon. The winner was greeted by Zone Staff with the letter from Sacramento Credit Union redeemable for $25,000. The video can be seen on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ-6JpiqtZk.
External links
- KZZO Website
- 100.5 The Zone on Radio Station Zone - ratings, comments and listen live links