KKGN

Infobox Radio Station


name = KKGN
airdate = 1925
frequency = 960 kHz HD Radio
area = Oakland/San Francisco, California
format = Progressive talk
owner = Clear Channel Communications
power = 5,000 Watts
branding = "Green 960"
slogan =
class = B
webcast = [http://2005.quakeradio.com/pages/dynamic.html?feed=119934&article=361024 Listen Live]
website = http://www.green960.com
callsign_meaning = KKGreeN
former_callsigns = KROW, KABL, KQKE
sister_stations = KIOI, KISQ, KKSF, KMEL, KNEW, KYLD

KKGN (960 AM, "Green 960") is a progressive talk radio station licensed to Oakland, California which serves the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

On August 27, 2007, the station underwent a re-imaging with an environmental theme as "Green 960." [http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2007/08/greening-of-quake-part-2.html] The call letters were changed to the current KKGN on August 13, 2007. [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?state=&call=kkgn&arn=&city=&freq=530&fre2=1700&type=0&facid=&class=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9] [http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2007/08/quake-goes-green.html]

History

This station went on the air as KROW in 1925, and used those call letters until 1959. It was a full service station that launched the career of comedian Phyllis Diller and for helping the career of "the world's greatest disc jockey" Don Sherwood.

KABL

This station is best known as the longtime home of KABL, the successor to KROW and one of the first beautiful music stations in the United States, owned by 1950s radio pioneer Gordon McLendon.

As KABL, the station was one of the first beautiful music stations, combining a mixture of easy listening string and orchestra music with light classics and an occasional latin cocktail hour tune. KABL was known for presenting poetic vignettes about San Francisco life, a harp interlude between songs, and a cable car bell to announce the news.

Licensed to Oakland, with a transmitter near the east end of the Bay Bridge, KABL was also noted in radio history for its failure to properly identify its city of license. In its attempt to identify with San Francisco rather than Oakland, KABL used slogans such as "KABL Oakland, serving San Francisco on your San Francisco radio dial, in the air, everywhere over San Francisco." This raised the ire of the FCC, resulting in a fine and an admonishment to all broadcasters that they were licensed to serve a particular community, not surrounding ones.

In 1997, the station switched to a traditional pop and big band format. In 2000, they briefly switched to a 1960s-1970s soft rock format, but went back to older music after complaints from their regular audience. In September, 2004, 960 AM dropped the adult standards programming and the KABL call letters. KABL subsequently reemerged at then co-owned 92.1 FM in Walnut Creek, California. The station had a very limited signal beyond its immediate broadcast area however, and in July 2005, switched to an AC format.

KABL then began broadcasting as an internet radio station. This lasted until January 31, 2007, when Clear Channel Conmmunications discontinued KABL's streaming music. On June 1, 2007, under license from Clear Channel, the [http://www.bayarearadio.org Bay Area Radio Museum] launched a streaming tribute to KABL on the Internet at [http://www.KABLradio.com KABLradio.com] , which featured Beautiful Music, Easy Listening, Adult Standards, Big Bands, traditional pop and middle-of-the-road music, to represent the various musical styles presented during the station's forty-years on the air.

Progressive talk as KQKE and KKGN

Replacing KABL were new call letters KQKE and a progressive talk format. The Quake's tag lines are "The Bay Area Home of Air America", "Talk Radio for the Rest of Us"and "Talk Radio from the Left". The station carries a mix of Air America Radio programs, Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, and local programming in the mornings and on weekends.

One weekend show, "Shake!", airs on Sunday nights and is targeted toward the Bay Area's gay and lesbian community. The show also aired on co-owned KLSD in San Diego until November 2007.

In 2006, KQKE introduced a local morning show featuring political satirist Will Durst and former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. "Keeping it Real with Will and Willie" aired from 7AM to 10AM Monday through Friday. The show was canceled, and aired its final regular broadcast on September 29, 2006. At that time, the program director indicated that "the pair will still do special broadcasts and appearances for the station."

"The Progressive News Hour" with John Scott once aired weekdays from 6AM-7AM, leading into "Keeping it Real with Will and Willie" and was a rundown of local and national news, as well as weather and traffic reports. Shortly after Will and Willie disappeared, Stephanie Miller's morning show arrived to take the 6AM to 9AM slot on KQKE. "The Progressive News Hour" currently airs from 4-6PM, and its content is now a little more focused on the Bay Area, including more interviews and news about Bay Area people and politics, with a little less repetition of national news stories.

"AM 960 The Quake" was not related to KQAK, a San Francisco station that was on the air from 1982 to 1985 that also called itself "The Quake". However, Paul "Lobster" Wells holds the distinction of working for both 'Quake' stations, as he served as producer and on-air contributor for KQKE's former morning show.

On August 13, 2007, KQKE changed their call sign to KKGN, with a repositioning as "Green 960" and an emphasis on environmental issues following on August 27. Though nationally syndicated host Thom Hartmann is a published author and filmmaker on environmental issues, most of the rest of the daily schedule is made up of nationally syndicated talk show hosts who do not place an especially large emphasis on the environment.

Logo gallery

External links

* [http://www.green960.com KKGN official website]
*AMQ|KKGN
*AML|KKGN
*AMARB|KKGN