KCAL-FM
 | |
| City | Redlands, California |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Riverside-San Bernardino, California |
| Branding | 96.7 K-CAL Rocks |
| Slogan | K-CAL Rocks! |
| Frequency | 96.7 MHz |
| First air date | 1965 |
| Format | Mainstream Rock |
| ERP | 1,750 watts |
| HAAT | 115 meters |
| Class | A |
| Facility ID | 59272 |
| Owner |
Anaheim Broadcasting (SBR Broadcasting Corporation) |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kcalfm.com |
KCAL-FM (96.7 FM, 96.7 KCAL Rocks!) is a commercial Mainstream Rock radio station. Licensed in Redlands, California, it serves the Riverside-San Bernardino radio market. A typical exchange between on-air personalities and callers to the station will end with the caller yelling KCAL Rocks!, to which the disc jockey will reply, "You rock!" Its studios are in Redlands and the transmitter site is north of San Bernardino.
KCAL is known for its long running morning show hosted by Stu, Tiffany & Jimbo. Anchored by 38 year station veteran, Michael "The Stu-Man" Stewart, STJ have ruled the Inland Empire's Morning Drive with big personality and a listener interactive show for over 15 years. Featuring long running bits like "The NFL Torture Chamber", where they have to perform crazy punishments if their football teams lose that weekend's games, they are as much an Inland Empire staple as hot, smoggy summer days.
Other on-air voices include midday personality Kelli Cluque, 28+ year afternoon personality Daryl, and Patrick Tish in the evenings. KCAL also holds big, fun contests such as "Rock 'n Roll Bingo", "Workforce Getaways", and "The Ultimate Summer Road Trip". KCAL holds legendary listener parties three times each summer in the radio station's parking lot called "KCAL Keggers". The station is also known for its "Mandatory Metallica" segment every night at 10 pm.
History
KCAL-FM turned from a MOR (middle of the road) format to a daytime mellow rock format and nighttime album rock format in 1969, a format quite unique in Southern California.
The station's slogan was "The Rock Spectrum" with its mascot as the KCAL-FM Wizard playing a wide variety of music, including oldies, contemporary and current light rock.
Unique to KCAL-FM was the weekly airing of "Album Premiere" Monday thru Thursday nights at 10PM, where side one of a new release would be played in its entirety with no breaks or commercials on Monday night with side two scheduled for Tuesday night. Record companies were not pleased that KCAL-FM listeners could record a new album off the air instead of buying it.
The station switched to Album Oriented Rock in 1978 under the direction of programming director Jim James (Fakas), playing an open format of album rock playing more than just the single, usually four or five songs deep.
Many radio announcers enjoyed their time at KCAL-FM, including Ted Ziegenbusch, John Leslie, Mike Stewart, and, Shana and Lisa Clayton of KLOS.
Jim James (Fakas) left KCAL-FM to build and operate two radio stations on the Big Island of Hawaii from 1990 to 1997. KLUA-FM, licensed to Kailua-Kona, became the most popular radio station in the history of the market with its first Arbitron rating of 56.7% 12+. Jim James (Fakas) still resides in Redlands, California.
During the 2000s, KCAL-FM evolved into its current mix of classic rock and newer songs, and became known as "KCAL Rocks!"
Coverage
KCAL-FM's radio coverage area serves the Inland Empire (San Bernardino/Riverside/Ontario metropolitan area).
External links
- KCAL-FM official website
- KCAL-FM listener club
- Query the FCC's FM station database for KCAL
- Radio-Locator information on KCAL
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for KCAL
- Stu, Tiffany & Jimbo
Coordinates: 34°11′53″N 117°17′13″W / 34.198°N 117.287°W