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KIOZ
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KIOZ
KIOZ (105.3 FM, "Rock 105.3") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to San Diego, California. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and broadcasts an active rock music format. KIOZ's studios are located in San Diego's Serra Mesa neighborhood on the northeast side, and the transmitter is located in La Jolla.
The station at 105.3 FM went on the air in 1954 as KSON-FM, co-owned with KSON (AM). It broadcast initially on 101.5 MHz and moved to 104.7 MHz at the end of 1954. The station changed call letters twice in 1957; the second call sign, KDFR, reflected its ownership by Dorothy and C. Fredric Rabell.
In March 1958, the newly renamed KITT, a beautiful music-formatted station, began broadcasting on 105.3 MHz. The transmitter was located in downtown San Diego atop the Bank of America building. The station struggled financially for many years; the station was perpetually for sale, at one point for as low as $100,000. KITT was airing an Adult Contemporary format in 1978 when it went off the air due to transmitter problems, and remained so for more than a year.
When KITT returned to the air in March 1979, it adopted a Disco format. "K105" as it was branded, debuted in the April/May 1979 ratings with a 4.2 share, though the numbers quickly receded.
In 1981, KITT was bought by the owners of KCBQ and began simulcasting its new AM counterpart as KCBQ-FM. The station changed formats many times. First, following the end of the simulcast, KCBQ-FM signed on as "KCBQ Country" to compete with KSON-FM (97.3 FM). When that effort failed, it became "The Eagle", another flop.
KCBQ-FM eventually found success as an oldies station. Owner Compass Media proceeded to rehire former program director Rich Brother Robbin, who adjusted the format to "modern oldies". In October 1995, Compass sold six stations, including KCBQ-AM-FM, to Par Broadcasting for $68 million.
On April 1, 1996 at midnight, KCBQ-FM swapped frequencies with KIOZ, transferring the latter station's call letters and active rock format from 102.1 FM (IOZ resembles the number 102) to 105.3 FM. Meanwhile, KCBQ's call sign was dropped in favor of a new identity: KXST, for "Sets FM", with an adult album alternative (AAA) format. In October 1996, just one year after purchasing KIOZ, Par Broadcasting sold its four-station San Diego cluster to Jacor Communications for $72 million, part of a complex four-way swap of stations throughout California.
The new "Rock 105.3" thrived under Jacor. KIOZ aired the syndicated program The Howard Stern Show weekday mornings after it was pulled from Mexican radio station XETRA-FM. Shannon Leader was on-air middays, B.C. and Woody hosted afternoon drive, Mikey Esparza (later of The Mikey Show) was on evenings, and Mark The Shark hosted the overnight slot. It also had controversial moments, such as the "head up your ass" billboard of the late 1990s.
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KIOZ
KIOZ (105.3 FM, "Rock 105.3") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to San Diego, California. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and broadcasts an active rock music format. KIOZ's studios are located in San Diego's Serra Mesa neighborhood on the northeast side, and the transmitter is located in La Jolla.
The station at 105.3 FM went on the air in 1954 as KSON-FM, co-owned with KSON (AM). It broadcast initially on 101.5 MHz and moved to 104.7 MHz at the end of 1954. The station changed call letters twice in 1957; the second call sign, KDFR, reflected its ownership by Dorothy and C. Fredric Rabell.
In March 1958, the newly renamed KITT, a beautiful music-formatted station, began broadcasting on 105.3 MHz. The transmitter was located in downtown San Diego atop the Bank of America building. The station struggled financially for many years; the station was perpetually for sale, at one point for as low as $100,000. KITT was airing an Adult Contemporary format in 1978 when it went off the air due to transmitter problems, and remained so for more than a year.
When KITT returned to the air in March 1979, it adopted a Disco format. "K105" as it was branded, debuted in the April/May 1979 ratings with a 4.2 share, though the numbers quickly receded.
In 1981, KITT was bought by the owners of KCBQ and began simulcasting its new AM counterpart as KCBQ-FM. The station changed formats many times. First, following the end of the simulcast, KCBQ-FM signed on as "KCBQ Country" to compete with KSON-FM (97.3 FM). When that effort failed, it became "The Eagle", another flop.
KCBQ-FM eventually found success as an oldies station. Owner Compass Media proceeded to rehire former program director Rich Brother Robbin, who adjusted the format to "modern oldies". In October 1995, Compass sold six stations, including KCBQ-AM-FM, to Par Broadcasting for $68 million.
On April 1, 1996 at midnight, KCBQ-FM swapped frequencies with KIOZ, transferring the latter station's call letters and active rock format from 102.1 FM (IOZ resembles the number 102) to 105.3 FM. Meanwhile, KCBQ's call sign was dropped in favor of a new identity: KXST, for "Sets FM", with an adult album alternative (AAA) format. In October 1996, just one year after purchasing KIOZ, Par Broadcasting sold its four-station San Diego cluster to Jacor Communications for $72 million, part of a complex four-way swap of stations throughout California.
The new "Rock 105.3" thrived under Jacor. KIOZ aired the syndicated program The Howard Stern Show weekday mornings after it was pulled from Mexican radio station XETRA-FM. Shannon Leader was on-air middays, B.C. and Woody hosted afternoon drive, Mikey Esparza (later of The Mikey Show) was on evenings, and Mark The Shark hosted the overnight slot. It also had controversial moments, such as the "head up your ass" billboard of the late 1990s.
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