KKXX-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = KKXX-FM
city = Shafter, California
area = Bakersfield, California


branding = "Pirate Radio"
slogan = "The Best Music Mix on the Planet"
airdate =
frequency = 93.1 FM MHz
format = Adult Hits
erp = 4000 watts
haat = 123 meters (404 feet)
class = A
facility_id = 35953
coordinates = coord|35|28|21|N|119|01|40|W
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = KXHA (10/17/90-4/8/95) KLYD (4/8/95-7/8/97) KSAN (7/8/97-12/11/97) KCOO (12/11/97-3/20/02) KRFR (3/20/02-9/20/04)
owner = American General Media
licensee =
sister_stations = KEBT, KERI, KERN, KGEO, KGFM, KISV
webcast = [http://player.warpradio.com/player.asp?mode=&ref=&page=Tuner&id=1134&wmpVer=10&br=IE&os=win&streamType=&streamRate= Listen Live]
website = [http://www.bakersfieldpirateradio.com BakersfieldPirateRadio.com]

KKXX-FM (93.1 FM, "Pirate Radio") is a radio station in Bakersfield, California. From the early 1980s through the mid 1990s, under several owners, KKXX-FM 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 107.9 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-AM 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.

Frequency changes

A few years earlier KQXR ("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. While KKXX still played the Top 40 hits each week (and was the home of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem), 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.

Peak

The change worked. The station became more popular than ever, and stayed that way well into the 1990s. But by 1996, music had changed. Top 40 was all but dead as a radio format, and the scene was ripe for a shakeup on the radio dial. During KKXX's greatest period of success, now defunct rival KQXR, 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".Fact|date=October 2008

Decline

In 2000, Clear Channel Communications 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. American General Media now holds the KKXX call letters, which sit at 93.1 FM, hosting the "Pirate Radio" format, which is similar to the "Jack-FM" format in other markets.

External links

* [http://www.bakersfieldpirateradio.com/ KKXX-FM official website]
*FMQ|KKXX
*FML|KKXX
*FMARB|KKXX