KROY

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This article is about the Sacramento radio station. For other uses, see Kroy (disambiguation).

1240 KROY was a popular AM radio station in Sacramento, California best known for its "music power" pop/rock format.

1 Early years
2 The music power years
3 Later years
4 External links

[edit] Early years

KROY was initiated in 1937 by station owner Royal Miller (for whom the station's call letters were named after) and originally operated at 1210 kHz. In its early years, it programmed the music and programs of its time.

In 1941, KROY moved to 1240 kHz where it stayed for the remainder of the station's history. As the decades passed, KROY would develop itself as the homing ground for many disc jockeys who would eventually find fame nationwide.

[edit] The music power years

In the 1960s, with the rise of the rock-and-roll format, KROY developed its own style of programming called "music power", featuring DJs who would use their unique, energetic talents to carry its programming through the next two decades. Supplemented by occasional (and sometimes outlandish) promotions for concerts, clothing, movies, and Cal Expo 4th of July fireworks shows, KROY would become the number one radio station in the Sacramento area for years.

DJ Martin "Wonder Rabbit" Ashley had a memorable jingle set to Woody Woodpecker's theme for his show. It went "Eat a banana, eat a banana- It's the Wonder Wonder Rabbit Show."

In 1977, an FM companion station, KROI, signed on the air to complement KROY's programming. But in 1981 KROY finally changed its popular "music power" format and went to album rock. The switch didn't work as ratings finally declined. So one year later, in 1982, the call letters were dropped, albeit temporarily.

[edit] Later years

In 1985, KROY returned as an Adult Contemporary/Top 40 FM station at 96.9 on the FM dial. But competition from other stations finally caused KROY to leave the air permanently on November 12, 1990. The 96.9 frequency became KSEG ("The Eagle"), a classic rock station.

On April 1, 1996, in an April Fools' Day stunt, KROY returned to the airwaves one last time (on what was now KSEG) as many of KROY's DJs (including Dave Williams, Johnny Hyde, and Martin "Wonder Rabbit" Ashley) reunited for an historic twelve-hour broadcast recreating a typical KROY broadcast day.

The original station is now home to 1240 KSAC

[edit] External links

Sacramento AM radio stations (Arbitron #27)

By frequency: 650 | 710 | 830 | 950 | 1110 | 1140 | 1210 | 1240 | 1320 | 1380 | 1430 | 1470 | 1530 | 1580 | 1620 | 1690

Defunct stations: KGMS KNDE KROY KXOA

California Radio Markets

Bakersfield AM/FM · Chico AM/FM · Eureka · Fresno AM/FM · Imperial Valley AM/FM · Los Angeles AM/FM Merced · Modesto Orange County AM/FM · Oxnard-Ventura AM/FM · Palm Springs AM/FM · Redding AM/FM · Riverside-San Bernardino AM/FM · Sacramento AM/FM · San Diego AM/FM · San Francisco AM/FM · San Jose AM/FM · San Luis Obispo AM/FM · Santa Barbara AM/FM · Santa Cruz AM/FM · Santa Maria-Lompoc · Santa Rosa AM/FM · Stockton AM/FM Victor Valley · Visalia-Tulare AM/FM