| City of license | Eugene, Oregon |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Eugene-Springfield, Oregon |
| Branding | 96.1 KZEL |
| Slogan | "Oregon's Quality Rock" |
| Frequency | 96.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
| Translator(s) | 96.5 K243BG (Corvallis) 96.7 K244DL (Cottage Grove) 102.1 K271BL (Roseburg) 102.9 K275AA (Springfield) |
| First air date | 1969 |
| Format | Classic rock/AAA |
| ERP | 100,000 watts (horiz) 43,000 watts (vert) |
| HAAT | 333 meters |
| Class | C |
| Facility ID | 49822 |
| Callsign meaning | George ZELlner, station founder[1] |
| Owner | Cumulus Media |
| Sister stations | KUJZ, KNRQ, KEHK, KUGN, KSCR |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | 96kzel.com |
KZEL-FM (96.1 FM) is a commercial radio station in Eugene, Oregon, USA. The station airs a classic rock/adult album alternative hybrid music format.[2]
Contents |
KZEL-FM programming is also carried on a series of broadcast translator stations to extend or improve the coverage area of the station.
| Call sign | MHz | City of license | Power (W) |
Class |
Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K243BG | 96.5 | Corvallis, Oregon | 250 | D | FCC |
| K244DL | 96.7 | Cottage Grove, Oregon | 250 | D | FCC |
| K271BL | 102.1 | Roseburg, Oregon | 62 | D | FCC |
| K275AA | 102.9 | Springfield, Oregon | 35 | D | FCC |
KZEL-FM was founded and funded in 1967 by Eugene lumberman George "Tirebiter" Zellner. When he purchased the station, its call letters were KWFS.[3] Zellner changed the call letters to KZEL and sold the station to Jay and Barbara West in 1971. [4]
The Wests led KZEL for most of the 1970s as a free format station. Its studios were located in Glenwood, just outside of Springfield, Oregon. The master of KZEL's free form format was John Napier. Any given moment, you could always count on Napier to arc off onto a "rant" about how 'I think someone's watching me...." and then drift off and segue into something by Gil Scot-Heron or maybe a little, Little Feat.
Other DJs during the heyday included Gary 'The Wasted Potato' Palmatier, Stan 'Harry 'Til 6' Garrett, Michael Waggoner, Sleepy John (Cuthbertson),JET, Tom Krumm, Chris Kovarik ,Magic Mike, Peyton Mays...Anyone remember "Jaimie"?... KZEL was known for doing basically, whatever it wanted to do....Remember the time the legendary FIRESIGN THEATRE took over the afternoon drive news and did it all impromptu? Or how about those live concert broadcasts from "The Place" (could you believe you heard PATTI SMITH live...in Eugene...in fact Patti recorded those shows, and has released the KZEL show on several b-sides.
Additionally, KZEL distinguished itself with its alternative news presence with the long-form story format of "Daybreak" in the morning and "News & Information" in the afternoon. Notable news anchors included Melinda Coates, Rosemary Reed, Cal Turlock (real name Phillip Johnson) and Bryce Zabel.
KZEL-FM is currently owned by Cumulus Broadcasting, a major owner of radio stations across the country. In Spring 2006, the program director, Mark Raney, locked himself in the station's control room for ten days in protest of the station's management's decision to scrap KZEL's classic rock format and replace it with a country station. Raney, with support of its listeners, was able to persuade the station's management to keep KZEL and its classic rock roots.[5]
KZEL-FM has been slowly evolving from a classic rock format into an adult album alternative music format, adding music like Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Jack Johnson to the playlist.
Weekday personalities on the station include Mark Raney & John Frederick on mornings, Emma on mid-days, and C.Y.D. on afternoons.
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