KROQ-FM
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Format | Modern rock
<tr><th>ERP</th><td>5500 watts</td></tr><tr><th>Class</th><td>B</td></tr> |
|---|---|
| Owner | CBS Radio
<tr><th>Website</th><td>http://www.kroq.com</td></tr> |
KROQ-FM is a commercial modern rock music radio station in Los Angeles, California, broadcasting on 106.7 FM. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock."
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] KPPC
Originally, 106.7 FM was KPPC, owned by the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. They broadcast religious programming with a co-owned AM station. As the church encountered difficulties operating the stations, they sold the two stations to an outside company, Crosby-Avery Broadcasting, with the church retaining the right to broadcast its services over both stations. Until 1969, the station still broadcast from the basement of the church.
In 1967, Tom and Raechel Donahue created a freeform progressive rock format at co-owned KMPX in San Francisco. KMPX became a big success, and in 1968, the Donahues were sent to Pasadena to introduce the format to the ailing KPPC-FM.
The following year, after a few bounced paychecks, dress code regulations and other rules changes, The Donahues and the disc jockeys at both KMPX and KPPC walked out on the stations in what was called by some at the time as "The Great Hippie Strike." The former KMPX and KPPC staffers were later hired at Metromedia-owned KSAN in San Francisco and KMET in Los Angeles. KPPC hired new staffers and kept the freeform format, though they floundered for several years following the strike. In 1969 the two stations were sold to the National Science Network.
In April 1970, the studios were moved out of the church basement. In September of that year, the FM transmitter was moved to Flint Peak, a mountaintop adjacent to Pasadena, and the station's power was significantly upgraded.
- See KPPC
[edit] KROQ-AM and KROQ-FM
Country music station KBBQ (1500 AM) in Burbank became KROQ in September, 1972, changing its format to Top-40 and hiring established disc jockeys from other stations. The new KROQ called itself the "ROQ of Los Angeles". In 1973 KROQ's owners bought the struggling KPPC-FM from National Science Network, which was forced by the FCC to sell their stations due to compliance issues 1. The FM station's call letters were changed to KROQ-FM and began simulcasting a freeform rock format as "The ROQs of L.A.". (KPPC (AM) was sold to Universal Broadcasting, and remained on the air with its limited-schedule of Wednesday evening and Sunday operation until subsequent owners took the station -- by then, KBLV -- off the air permanently in 1996.)
The two stations were mildly successful with the format, but poor money management by the general manager resulted in more bounced paychecks, and in 1974, the entire staff walked out, shutting the stations down. In 1976, the FCC ordered KROQ to return to the airwaves or surrender the stations' licenses. With barebones equipment, KROQ returned to the airwaves, broadcasting initially from the transmitter location, followed by a penthouse suite in the Pasadena Hilton Hotel, then across the street from the Hilton (117 S. Los Robles). At the time, Rodney Bingenheimer was introducing many new and local bands, including The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and The Runaways on his Sunday night show.
The management of KROQ once again had problems maintaining payroll, and the staffers again quit, taking all of the station's records with them. Bingenheimer was the only one who stayed. KROQ scrambled to find new air personalities. One of the new on-air talents was Jed Gould, aka Jed the Fish, who is still with the station. Around this time, the owners pared down to one station when they sold the weak-signalled KROQ-AM, which switched to an ethnic format briefly, then went off the air in 1986 when the new owners lost their lease on the property where the transmitting towers were located.
By 1978, new wave and punk rock were becoming increasingly popular, and KROQ started adding more of it to their freeform format. Program director Rick Carroll arrived at the station in 1979 and took the new music and combined it with a Top 40 formatic structure. Subsequently, KROQ became an instant success. The "Rock of the Eighties" was born.
The station still mixed the new music of the Talking Heads and Blondie with established artists such as The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd, but by 1982, the station was full-fledged modern rock.
The station's proximity to Hollywood and the Los Angeles punk rock scene gave it a unique place in the development of the new wave and alternative rock genres, and KROQ quickly became one of the most influential radio stations in broadcast history, particularly when Carroll, as a consultant, took the "Rock of the 80s" format to other stations, including 91X in San Diego and The Quake in San Francisco.
Over the years, KROQ had a unique place in the development of popular music, promoting groups as diverse as the The Cure, Limp Bizkit, Coldplay, Duran Duran, Franz Ferdinand and Nirvana.
In 1986, KROQ was purchased at a then record $45 million by Infinity Broadcasting, which merged with CBS in 1997, and is now owned by CBS Radio.
[edit] KROQ today
Originally located at 117 S. Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena, California, the station moved to 3500 W. Olive Avenue in Burbank, California in 1987 as part of the purchase agreement and to be closer to the music industry. In 2002, the station was moved to a facility at 5901 Venice Blvd. in Los Angeles, California to consolidate operations with K-Earth.
Unlike most other FM stations in Los Angeles whose transmitters are on top Mount Wilson, KROQ's transmitter is located on Verdugo Peak in Glendale at an altitude of 2500 feet.
[edit] KROQ-HD
In 2004, KROQ began broadcasting in High Definition Radio for a higher quality broadcast. On February 20th, 2006, KROQ added streaming music from the radio station to their website.
[edit] KROQ-HD2
On June 9, 2006, KROQ launched a HD2 subcarrier, which focuses on the harder edged rock. The station is known as "Q2".
[edit] Personalities
The early success of the radio station can be attributed to the stations almost anarchic beginnings, playing music that was not being aired anywhere else. The personalities and their willingness to explore and take risks led to the stations success among the young and burgeoning punk and new wave scene of the late 70's and early 80's. Rodney on the Roq was the new music guru, while Richard Blade brought forth a lot of the UK music scene. The rise of the Poorman from local surf reporter to one of the most popular figures at the station reflected the station's fun and hip attitude which appealed to listeners not satisfied with the music offerings at the time presented by local rock stations KMET or KLOS and pop stations like KIIS-FM.
[edit] Present
- Kevin and Bean (Weekday morning show, 5-10am: hosts)
- Doc on the 'ROQ (Weekday morning show: news)
- Ralph Garman (Weekday morning show: movies, celebrity voices)
- Lisa May (Weekday morning show: traffic report)
- Kat Corbett (Weekdays 10am-1pm)
- Jed the Fish (Weekdays 1-4pm)
- Stryker (Monday to Thursday 4-7pm, and Friday)
- Nicole Alvarez (Weekdays 7-10pm)
- Dr. Drew (syndicated Loveline, weeknights 10pm-12am)
- John Michael (Weekends)
- Scott Mason ( Sunday AM's)
- Jason Bentley (Saturday 12am-3am)
- Rodney Bingenheimer (Monday 12am-3am)
- Doug the Slug aka Sluggo (various)
- Rick Savage (Weekends)
[edit] Past
- Lee Albert provided legal perspective on "Loveline" (1986-1989)
- Roberto Angotti host of Reggae Revolution (1989)
- Raymond Banister aka Raymondo (1980-2000, but left his airshift in the mid 90s) He is now at Magic 99.1 KTMG in Arizona http://www.magic991.com/personalities.asp.
- Dave Baxter aka Big Dave the KROQ Van Driver (1989-1993)
- Richard Blade (1982-2000)
- Jack Blades (Weekends)
- Adam Carolla Loveline, "Mr Birchum" on the morning show (1995-2005)
- Carson Daly (1996)
- Dr. Demento (1970-71)
- Raechel Donahue (1984-86)
- Mike Evans (1980-82, 1984-89)
- Sam Freeze (1982-85)
- John Frost (1987-95?)
- Don Fujiyama "Don Kohihuluhulu" also drove van before Dave (1984-1989)
- Ken Fusion (Ken Schneider) (1982-90)
- Mark Goodman (1990's)
- Tami Heide (1991-2004)
- J.J. Jackson (1987)
- Wayne Jobson "Native Wayne" host of Reggae Revolution (mid 1990's)
- Christopher "Van" Johnson (1986-91)
- Brent Kahlen (1978)
- Kennedy (1991-92)
- Jimmy Kimmel "Jimmy the Sports Guy" on the morning show (1994-99)
- Lewis Largent became Music Director (1986-93)
- Money the sports guy (morning show till 2006)
- John Logic (1982-86)
- Katy Manor (1983-89)
- "Spacin'" Scott Mason (1979-2000), now Director or Engineering; West Coast at CBS Radio
- Mr. Hand (1991)
- Cindy Paulos (1979)
- Jimmy Rabbit AKA Eddy Payne (1972-73, 1976-78)
- Riki Rachtman Loveline (1993-96)
- Sam Riddle (1970s)
- Robert Roll "Three Guys from Hollywood"[1] (1981-85)
- Shana (1980)
- Lee Baby Sims (1960s/1970s)
- China Smith (1973-74)
- Frazer Smith (1976-80)
- Matt "Money" Smith "KROQ Sports Guy" (1994-2005)
- Freddy Snakeskin (1980-90, 1992-94)
- Shadoe Stevens (1973)
- Sly Stone ('70s)
- Dusty Street (1979-86, 1987-89)
- Swedish Egil (Egil Aalvik) (1983-90)
- Jim Trenton ("The Poorman") (1982-93)
- "Insane" Darryl Wayne (Darryl Wayne Wampler) (1976-81)
- Pat Welsh also General Manager (1979-84)
- Denise Westwood (1980-82)
- April Whitney (1978-87, 1990-94)
- Larry Woodside (1980-81)
- Michael Dair (1983-?
- The Young Marquis and Stanley (1977-83) http://theyoungmarquis.com [2]
- Zeke Piestrup | Zeke (??-??)
- Mark Silverman (1986-90) Did prank calls and impersonations on the Richard and Poorman Morning Drive show.
[edit] Concerts and communities
- KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, first aired in December 1990
- KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns, first aired in December 1980 - on New Year's Eve every year, they do top 106.7 songs for the year
- The Monsters of KROQ, June 18th, 1988 KROQ sponsored the 101st and final show of Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses Tour, which also included Wire, Thomas Dolby and OMD. The show sold out, with 80,000 people filling the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calfornia.
- KROQ Weenie Roast, first aired in June 1993
- KROQ Inland Invasion, first aired in September 2000
[edit] KROQ-related albums
- Rodney on the ROQ, Vol. 1 a classic punk compilation from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer.
- Rodney on the ROQ, Vol. 2 more good punk from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer.
- Rodney on the ROQ, Vol. 3 even more punk from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer.
- 2005 KROQ New Music, a collection of new singles that were premiered in 2004.
- At KROQ, a CD-single by Morrissey.
- On KROQ's Loveline, CD by Hagfish
- The Best of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas, a compilation of concerts recorded at the Acoustic Christmas.
- Time Bomb Recordings Kroq: B.O. Acoustic Christmas
- Kevin and Bean: Kevin and Bean's Super Christmas (2006)
- Kevin and Bean: Christmastime in the 909 (2004)
- Kevin and Bean: The Year They Recalled Santa Claus (2003)
- Kevin and Bean: Fo' Shizzle St. Nizzle (2002)
- Kevin and Bean: Swallow My Eggnog (2001)
- Kevin and Bean: The Real Slim Santa (2000)
- Kevin and Bean: Last Christmas (1999)
- 1998 KROQ New Music CD (1998)
- Kevin and Bean: Santa's Swingin' Sack (1998)
- Kevin and Bean: A Family Christmas in Your Ass (1997)
- Kevin and Bean: Christmastime in the LBC (1996)
- Kevin and Bean: How the Juice Stole Christmas (1995)
- Kevin and Bean: No Toys for OJ (1994)
- Kevin and Bean: Santa Claus, Schamanta Claus (1993)
- Kevin and Bean: We've Got Your Yule Logs Hangin' (1992)
- Kevin and Bean: Bogus Christmas (1991)
- Kevin and Bean: Feel the Warmth (1990)
- Kroqing in Pasadena, a single from XTC (198?)
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Complete countdown list of KROQ songs (1980-present)
- History of KROQ 1968-1979
- History of KROQ 1980-1990
- KROQ: An Oral History
- KROQ Classics Webcast - A Tribute to KROQ 1980-1990
- List of KROQ Top 106.7 countdowns with a searchable archive
- KROQ Usenet newsgroup alt.fan.kroq
- KROQ/KPPC Reunion held August 4, 2001. Mainly just pictures available.
- Listing of Former KROQ/KPPC jocks and info on where they are now
- Pictorial tour of the transmitter facility on Verdugo Peak
- Query the FCC's FM station database for KROQ-FM
