KSOL-FM
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| KSOL | |
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| City of license | San Francisco, California |
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| Broadcast area | San Francisco Bay Area |
| Branding | "Radio Estereo Sol, 98.9 y 99.1" |
| Frequency | 98.9 FM MHz |
| Format | Regional Mexican music |
| ERP | 6,100 watts |
| Class | B |
| Callsign meaning | SOuL (old format); SOL=Spanish for "sun" |
| Owner | Univision |
| Website | Radio Estereo Sol |
KSOL 98.9 FM ("Radio Estereo Sol, 98.9 y 99.1") is a Spanish language radio station in San Francisco, California. KSQL (99.1 FM) simulcasts the station in Santa Cruz. KSOL and KSQL program a format consisting of regional Mexican music and talk shows. Both stations are owned by Univision.
There are two booster stations for this station: KSOL-FM2 in Sausalito since 1992, and KSOL-FM3 in Pleasanton since 1997.
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[edit] History
The 98.9 frequency is the third station in the San Francisco market to use the callsign KSOL. The first was the AM rhythm and blues station at 1450 AM (the current KEST). The second was a popular soul music station at 107.7 FM (now known as KSAN). The current KSOL is unrelated to the previous two stations.
The station at 98.9 was the original home of KCBS-FM. In September 1978, CBS purchased a much stronger station at 97.3 FM. As part of a three-station swap, KMPX move from 106.9 FM to 98.9 FM, along with their big band and swing music format, and KEAR moved their Christian-based format from 97.3 FM to 106.9 FM..
In August 1982, KMPX was sold, and flipped to a mainstream rock format as KQAK, aka "The Quake", signing the popular Alex Bennett, who had left KMEL in a disagreement over station direction a few months earlier, to host mornings. At the time, there were three other station airing virtually the same format, not to mention two stations in San Jose. Less than a year later, they broke away from the rock pack and segued to a New Wave/modern rock format as "The Rock Of The 80s".
[edit] History of the KQAK Call Letters
KQAK was an American radio station better known as The Quake, located at 98.9 FM. The Quake was on the air in San Francisco, California from August 23, 1982 until June 22, 1985.
Formerly known as KMPX, the station was purchased by a New Jersey investor group in 1982 and was administered by general manager Les Elias and station manager Bob Heymann. Under their guidance, KQAK assembled a talented air staff, including weekday morning host Alex Bennett (with Joe Regelski as co-host, continuing their collaboration from KMEL), Big Rick Stuart, Jed Gould III (aka Jed the Fish), Mike Koste, Richard Gossett, Belle Nolan, Rob Francis, Oscar Medina (aka Oz), Paul Wells (aka Lobster), and comedian Tim Bedore, among others. Although The Quake was not in operation for very long, it continues to command a devoted following decades after its final broadcast. In addition, The Quake was an important catalyst for the shift to a similar but more polished format at "Live 105" (KITS) in 1986.
KQAK was a personality-oriented album-oriented rock station for its first eight months of operation, and was partially influenced by the programming of WLUP in Chicago, the station where Elias and Heymann had previously managed. A month after KQAK's debut, another Bay Area station, KFOG changed its format from beautiful music to rock. This change left the San Francisco radio market with six very similar-sounding stations (KMEL, KRQR, KQAK and KFOG, plus San Jose stations KOME and KSJO).
Elias and Heymann decided to reposition the station (under the programming guidance of Rick Carroll from KROQ) in April 1983 as "Rock of the '80s," emphasizing new wave, punk, reggae, 'Two-Tone' ska, first generation Gothic rock, tracks from the 1960s and 1970s by musicians whose work influenced later punk and new wave performers, and the occasional novelty track.
Popular programs on The Quake, in addition to the 'Alex Bennett Program', included 'Early Tremors', 'Midnight Dread' and a syndicated program called 'Rock Over London'.
The KQAK broadcast studios were located at 1311 Sutter Street in San Francisco.
On June 22, 1985, The Quake dropped modern rock, becoming KKCY ("The City"), with an eclectic rock format, partly inspired by another midwestern station, KTCZ in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All of The Quake's on-air staffers left the station, except for Bennett and his morning sidekick, Joe Regelski. Bennett left a short time later when station management insisted he play more music on his show, and later brought his morning show (sans Regelski) to KITS.
The 98.9 frequency then underwent years of turmoil. In late 1987, the station dropped the eclectic freeform rock in favor of Big Band / Adult Standards(shades of the original KMPX) then early the next year they changed its call letters to KHIT and format to CHR, amid a large outcry from the dedicated following the station had gathered. A group called "Coalition To Save The City" was formed and lobbied KHIT's owners to change the format back.
The station was eventually purchased by Bay Area media mogul James Gabbert, who changed the call letters to KOFY-FM on May 14, 1988, matching the calls of sister TV station KOFY Channel 20 and 1050 AM. Gabbert returned the station to its previous adult album alternative (Triple A) format. The next owner of KOFY obtained their neighboring station on the dial, KLRS (99.1 FM) in Santa Cruz. The two stations tweaked the Triple A format and adopted the call letters KDBK (98.9) and KDBQ (99.1) - "Double 99" in July 1990.
A current San Francisco progressive talk radio station, KQKE (960 AM), calls itself "The Quake," but it is also unrelated to KQAK, though air personality Paul "Lobster" Wells has the distinction of working for both stations.
"Star 99" arrived on the two frequencies in the Spring of 1993, as the call letters KSRY and KSRI were picked up for the stations' new adult contemporary format.
One year later, the station at 107.7 switched their call letters to KYLD in April 1994, becoming "Wild 107.7". The KSOL call letters were put on then-co-owned 98.9 frequency, with the format was switching to urban adult contemporary. The south signal of 99.1 became a simulcast of "Wild 107.7" as KYLZ.
Both KSOL and KYLZ were sold in August 1996. KSOL switched to a Regional Mexican music format, and 99.1 became KZOL, again a simulcast.
In April 2002, KSOL swapped call letters with KEMR (105.7 FM) in San Jose, and shifted toward a Spanish language adult contemporary approach, with 99.1 becoming KZMR. When 105.7 switched formats and call letters to KVVF, the KSOL call letters returned to 98.9, with 99.1 redubbed KZOL.
The two station have simulcasted since 1990, with 98.9 covering the north bay, and 99.1 covering the far south bay.
[edit] Callsign history for 98.9
[edit] External links
Univision Communications (a subsidiary of TPG Capital, L.P.)
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