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KROQ-FM (106.7
MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...
) is a commercial
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
licensed to
Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...
, serving
Greater Los Angeles Greater Los Angeles is the most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. state of California, encompassing five counties in Southern California extending from Ventura County in the west to San Bernardino County and Riverside County in the eas ...
. Owned by
Audacy, Inc. Audacy, Inc. is an American broadcasting company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1968 as Entercom Communications Corp., it is the second largest radio company in the United States, owning over 220 radio stations across 47 media ...
, it broadcasts an
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
format known as "The World Famous KROQ" (pronounced "kay-rock"). The station has studios at the intersection of
Venice Boulevard Venice Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare in Los Angeles, running from the ocean in the Venice district into downtown Los Angeles. It was originally known as West 16th Street under the Los Angeles numbered street system. A segment o ...
and
Fairfax Avenue Fairfax Avenue is a street in the north central area of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It runs from La Cienega Boulevard in Culver City at its southern end to Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on its northern end. From ...
in the Crestview neighborhood in
West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped ...
. The transmitter is based in the
Verdugo Mountains The Verdugo Mountains, also known as the Verdugo Hills or simply The Verdugos, are a small, rugged mountain range of the Transverse Ranges system in Los Angeles County, California. Located just south of the western San Gabriel Mountains, the Verdu ...
. It was the
flagship station In broadcasting, a flagship (also known as a flagship station or key station) is the broadcast station which originates a television network, or a particular radio or television program that plays a key role in the branding of and consumer loyal ...
of ''
Kevin and Bean ''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock- format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...
'' (revamped as ''Kevin in the Morning'' in 2019) and former show ''
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a radio syndication, syndicated radio Talk show, call-in program in North America that features medical and relationship advice, often with guest appearances by actors and musicians. For most of its original run until ending in ...
'', hosted originally by Jim "The Poorman" Trenton with Dr. Drew Pinsky, and later by
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
as well as "Psycho" Mike Catherwood with Pinsky, and The Young Marquis and Stanley Show.


History


KPPC

On April 23, 1962, KPPC-FM signed-on on 106.7 MHz. It was owned by the Pasadena Presbyterian Church as a companion to its KPPC, a limited-hours AM radio station that had broadcast since 1924. In 1967, the Pasadena Presbyterian Church sold KPPC-AM-FM to Crosby-Avery Broadcasting for $310,000. The church had been attempting to sell the radio stations for a year; station manager Edgar Pierce said the church found commercial radio incompatible with the noncommercial nature of its other efforts. Crosby-Avery was owned by Leon Crosby, a general manager of San Francisco's
KMPX KFAA-TV (channel 29) is an independent television station licensed to Decatur, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside ABC affiliate WFAA (channel 8). The two stations are based at ...
, a station that had just gone to a full-time freeform progressive rock format, and Lewis Avery, former partner in a national ad sales firm. With KMPX soaring to success but KPPC, with its middle-of-the-road format, ailing, Crosby and Avery brought in the architects of KMPX, Tom and
Raechel Donahue Raechel Donahue is a rock radio pioneer generally associated with her husband Tom Donahue (DJ), Tom Donahue, who died in 1975. She was the original entertainment reporter for CNN, briefly served as VJ for the short-lived Cable Music Channel and a l ...
, to turn around their new station in Southern California. Hosts during KPPC's "underground" format included B. Mitchel Reed, Tom Donahue, Les Carter, Ed Mitchell, Steven Clean, Outrageous Nevada, novelty music historian Dr. Demento, Charles Laquidara,
Elliot Mintz Elliot Mintz (born February 16, 1945) is an American radio and television personality as well as media consultant. He began his career as a radio DJ in the 1960s before becoming a radio and television personality. He hosted shows on KPFK, Earth ...
, blues archivist
Johnny Otis Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes (Greek language, Greek: Ιωάννης Αλέξανδρος Βελιώτης)); December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012) was a Greek American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, ...
, Barbara Birdfeather, and more. In 1969, Crosby sold KPPC-AM-FM and KMPX to the National Science Network for $1.2 million. Crosby used the funds to buy a then-silent San Francisco television station,
KEMO-TV KEMO-TV (channel 50) is a television station licensed to Fremont, California, United States, serving the San Francisco Bay Area with programming from Fubo Sports Network. The station is owned by Innovate Corp. KEMO-TV's transmitter is locate ...
. National Science Network's management of the KPPC stations was turbulent, capped by an October 1971 mass firing of the air staff, but the period also included technical upgrades. NSN moved the studios out of the church basement and to 99 Chester Street in Pasadena and the transmitter to Flint Peak, with a slight power increase to 25,700 watts. In 1971, Ludwig Wolfgang Frohlich, founder of the National Science Network and previous owner of an ad agency, died. Upon his death, control of the estate was transferred to Ingrid and Thomas Burns.


KROQ AM and KROQ-FM


Beginnings and brief closing (1972–1974)

Country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
station KBBQ (1500 AM) in Burbank became KROQ in September 1972, changing its format to
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
and hiring established disc jockeys from other stations. The new KROQ called itself "K-ROCK, the ROQ of Los Angeles". In 1973, with National Science Network's estate selling off its assets, KROQ's owners bought KPPC-AM-FM (immediately divesting the AM station to meet then-current ownership limits), changed the calls to KROQ-FM and hired Shadoe Stevens to create a new rock format described as high-energy "all-cutting-edge-rock-all-the-time" and began simulcasting as "The ROQs of L.A.: Mother Rock!" Meanwhile, KPPC on 1240 AM was sold to Universal Broadcasting, a religious broadcaster, and remained on the air with its limited-schedule of Wednesday evening and Sunday operation until subsequent owners took the station off the air permanently in 1996. The two stations (KROQ-AM/FM) were wildly successful initially with the new format, but poor money management plagued the enterprise. When concert promoter Ken Roberts booked
Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band formed in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1966 and active until 1983. Their work, which blended elements of funk, soul music, soul, psychedelic rock, gospel music, gospel, and R&B, becam ...
and
Sha Na Na Sha Na Na was an American rock and roll and doo-wop revival group formed in 1969. The group performed a song-and-dance repertoire based on 1950s hit songs that both revived and parodied the music and the New York City street culture of the 1 ...
for one KROQ-sponsored show at the
Los Angeles Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Col ...
and the station found itself unable to cover expenses, Roberts agreed to pay for the band to play the show in exchange for a small ownership stake in the station.Elaine Woo
"Ken Roberts Dies at 73; Promoter Transformed KROQ-FM into a Powerhouse,"
''Los Angeles Times'', July 4, 2014.
Roberts joined a sprawling ownership group which included a doctor, two dairymen, a political lobbyist, a secretary, and several other minor investors. Roberts, with his background in the music industry, made him a logical choice for president of the struggling company in the minds of the other shareholders, and he was elected such at the first meeting he attended in 1974. By 1974, the station's finances were already untenable following a year of commercial-free programming — a stunt implemented in an effort to gain market share. The stations' debt load reached $7 million; paychecks began to bounce and Shadoe Stevens and the bulk of the staff walked out, shutting the stations down. The closure would last for nearly two years.


Rebirth and increasing popularity (1975–1989)

In late 1975, the FCC ordered KROQ to return to the airwaves or surrender the stations' licenses. With barebones equipment, KROQ returned to the airwaves, broadcasting initially from the transmitter location, followed by a penthouse suite in the Pasadena
Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hi ...
, then again across the street from the Hilton (117 S. Los Robles). Ken Roberts returned to the reborn station in a more forceful ownership role, buying out his partners one by one until he remained the sole owner of the station. KROQ's rebirth was simultaneous with the emergence of
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
in the late 1970s and new wave, and KROQ quickly became the voice of the burgeoning Los Angeles punk and new wave scene. Disc jockey
Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...
introduced many new bands on his show. As punk expanded its hold on the music scene during the mid to late 1970s, and KROQ steadily adding more of it to their freeform format, this cemented their place in the Los Angeles market. In 1979, Shadoe Stevens once again left the station, with
Rick Carroll Rickey Floyd "Rick" Carroll (September 15, 1946 – July 10, 1989) was an American program director (PD) for influential radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, California, United States, where he introduced the "ROQ of the Eighties" format. The ...
taking over as program director, and took all of the new music and combined it in a
Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
formatic structure. By 1980, the station had fully committed to a post-new wave modern rock orientation. KROQ became an even greater success as the "Rock of the 80s" evolved. During that decade, the station mixed punk rock, such as
The Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of t ...
,
The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
,
The Weirdos The Weirdos are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles. They formed in 1975, split-up in 1981, re-grouped in 1986 and have remained semi-active ever since. Critic Mark Deming calls them "quite simply, one of the best and brightest America ...
,
Fear Fear is an unpleasant emotion that arises in response to perception, perceived dangers or threats. Fear causes physiological and psychological changes. It may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the ...
,
The Pandoras The Pandoras were an American all-female Garage punk (fusion genre), garage punk band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1982 to 1991. The band is among the first handful of all-female rock bands to ever be signed to a major label. From t ...
and X, with new wave, such as U2,
Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo () was an American new wave music, new wave band formed by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979. The band emerged from a Surrealism, surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, that Elfman had led and wri ...
,
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads
,
The Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...
,
The Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...
,
Devo Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...
, Sparks,
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
,
Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...
, Blondie,
ska Ska (; , ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...
and similar genres with artists such as English Beat,
Fine Young Cannibals Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham, West Midlands, in 1984 by former The Beat band bassist David Steele and guitarist Andy Cox with singer Roland Gift (formerly of the Akrylykz). Their self-titled ...
and 1960s underground rocker
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
, and huge mainstream artists such as
The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
and
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
. It was also not uncommon for certain KROQ dee-jays to play then-current
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
/
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
artists such as
Arrested Development ''Arrested Development'' is an American satire, satirical television sitcom created by Mitchell Hurwitz. It follows the Bluths, a formerly wealthy, dysfunctional family and is presented in a Serial (radio and television), serialized format, inco ...
,
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
and Parliament/Funkadelic. By 1982, Billboard Magazine reported that KROQ Arbitron numbers of 3.7 were closing in on AOR leaders KMET at 4.0 and
KLOS KLOS (95.5 FM broadcasting, FM, "95-5 KLOS") is a commercial radio station City of license, licensed to Los Angeles, California, and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Group, Meruelo Media. KLOS airs a mainst ...
at 3.9. Carroll, as a consultant, took the "Rock of the 80s" format to other stations, including 91X in
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, KOEU in
Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
, KMGN FM in
Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of th ...
, The Quake in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and KYYX in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, among a few others on the US West Coast in the 1980s. In 1986, KROQ was purchased at a then-record $45 million by
Infinity Broadcasting Infinity Broadcasting Corporation was a radio company that existed from 1972 until 2005. It was founded by Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus. It became associated with popular radio personalities like Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony, Don Im ...
. By the late 1980s, the station had started dipping in the ratings. New wave had declined in popularity and electronic dance bands, such as
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
and New Order, started getting more airplay on the station. Also during this period, KROQ began focusing on
college rock College rock is rock music played on student-run university and college campus radio stations located in the United States and Canada in the 1980s and 1990s. The stations' playlists were often created by students who avoided the mainstream rock p ...
(or so-called
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
) by adding bands into their playlist such as
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
, the
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
,
The Psychedelic Furs The Psychedelic Furs are an English rock band founded in London in February 1977. Led by lead vocalist Richard Butler (singer), Richard Butler and his brother Tim Butler on bass guitar, the Psychedelic Furs are one of the many acts spawned from ...
,
Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...
, The Replacements,
Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California, in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk, folk, alternative, country, and world music, among other ge ...
,
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...
, the Pixies,
The Alarm The Alarm are a Welsh rock band that formed in Rhyl, Wales in 1981. Initially formed as a punk band, the Toilets, in 1977 under lead vocalist Mike Peters, the group soon embraced arena rock and included marked influences from Welsh language ...
,
The Cult The Cult are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Bradford in 1983. Before settling on their current name in January 1984, the band had performed under the name Death Cult, which was an evolution of the name of lead vocalist Ian Astbury ...
,
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza ( ...
, Love and Rockets, Dramarama and
Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. It consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards). Emerg ...
, as well as heavier acts like
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before September 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist/rhythm guitarist ...
and
Living Colour Living Colour is an American rock music, rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992. T ...
and guitar-oriented
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
groups like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys.


KROQ in the 1990s and continued popularity (1990–1999)

Throughout the 1990s, KROQ's format focused on mainly alternative rock (or alternative metal), grunge, punk pop, Britpop, industrial music and nu metal, giving up-and-coming bands their first exposure on the station or in Southern California, including Nirvana (band), Nirvana,
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Oasis (band), Oasis, Foo Fighters, Green Day, The Offspring, Sublime (band), Sublime, No Doubt, Rage Against the Machine, Korn, Bad Religion, Weezer, Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Hole (band), Hole, Garbage (band), Garbage, Lenny Kravitz and System of a Down. They also began adding heavier acts to their playlists such as Metallica, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Tool (band), Tool, all of whom were staples on the Long Beach heavy metal radio station KNAC, formerly an alternative/new wave/punk rock radio station. These helped the station surge back to number one in the ratings, at which it remained until the mid-2000s, when it slipped to the middle-of-the-pack, ratings-wise, for Los Angeles area radio stations. The 1990s also saw a continuation of the weekday morning Kevin & Bean Show, as well as "Rodney on the Roq," hosted by
Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...
, on Sunday nights. In late nights, the station aired
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a radio syndication, syndicated radio Talk show, call-in program in North America that features medical and relationship advice, often with guest appearances by actors and musicians. For most of its original run until ending in ...
, hosted by "The Poorman" Jim Trenton and Dr. Drew Pinsky. The show's purpose was to bring correct information regarding human sexuality and relationships to those 13 to 25 years of age. KROQ also began its own festivals Almost Acoustic Christmas and KROQ Weenie Roast, Weenie Roast, which had taken place every year since 1990 and 1993 respectively; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no lineups for Almost Acoustic Christmas in 2020 and 2021, while there have been no editions of the Weenie Roast since 2019. In June 1990, Kevin and Bean secretly arranged for a friend to pretend to confess to killing his girlfriend during their "Confess Your Crime" segment. The hoax resulted in investigations by the Sheriff's Department, the FCC, NBC's "Unsolved Mysteries" and other news media. The hoax was exposed 10 months later after KROQ had unknowingly hired the caller, Doug "the Slug" Roberts, as a DJ and the three were heard talking about the hoax on a monitored phone line at KROQ. Kevin and Bean paid the Sheriff's Department $12,170 for the cost of the investigation, and performed 149 hours of community service to compensate for the 149 hours the homicide detective spent on the case. KROQ received a letter of reprimand from the FCC for the incident; the lightest punishment the FCC could give. In 1997, KROQ/Infinity merged with CBS, later changing its name to CBS Radio.


Later history (2000–2016)

Originally located at 117 S. Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena, the station moved to 3500 W. Olive Avenue in Burbank, California, Burbank in 1987 as part of the purchase agreement and to be closer to the music industry. In 2002, the station was moved to a facility at 5901
Venice Boulevard Venice Boulevard is a major east–west thoroughfare in Los Angeles, running from the ocean in the Venice district into downtown Los Angeles. It was originally known as West 16th Street under the Los Angeles numbered street system. A segment o ...
in the Crestview neighborhood in
West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped ...
. Unlike most other (Class B, but with grandfathered greater than B facilities) FM stations in Los Angeles whose transmitters are atop Mount Wilson (California), Mount Wilson, KROQ's (Class B) transmitter is located on Tongva Peak in Glendale, California, Glendale at an altitude of 2,650 ft., which results in somewhat weaker signal coverage. KROQ's format had varied throughout the 2000s and 2010s. The radio station's format had repeated much of the same formula as the 1990s, mixing heavier acts like Linkin Park, Staind, P.O.D., Seether, Velvet Revolver, Cold (band), Cold and Saliva (band), Saliva, with punk rock like Rise Against, Sum 41, AFI (band), AFI, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, Panic! at the Disco and Thrice, and with alternative/indie/garage rock acts such as Muse (band), Muse, Queens of the Stone Age, The Strokes, The Bravery, Arcade Fire and The Killers. This new crop of rock acts found considerable popularity on the radio station while sharing airspace with many KROQ veterans such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana,
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...
, Metallica, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182, No Doubt, System of a Down, Korn,
Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...
, the Beastie Boys, Sublime (band), Sublime, Bad Religion, Stone Temple Pilots, Incubus (band), Incubus, Nine Inch Nails,
Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. It consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards). Emerg ...
and Cypress Hill. In 2004, KROQ began broadcasting in HD Radio. On February 20, 2006, KROQ added streaming music from the radio station to its website. On June 9, 2006, KROQ launched an HD sub-carrier, KROQ HD-2, which airs new wave and alternative tracks from the 1980s which were popular during KROQ's heyday (and is also branded "KROQ 2: Roq of the 80s"). In February 2010, CBS Radio, which controlled the live stream, blocked access for listeners outside of the United States. Steve Jones (musician), Steve Jones came to KROQ from Indie 103.1 with a Sunday night show called "Jonesy's Jukebox", which ran from 7 to 9PM during 2010–2013 before moving to KLOS. In February 2015, KROQ severed ties with Boyd "Doc on the Roq" Britton and Lisa May after deciding to drop news and traffic. The news came as a shock for longtime listeners as Doc on the Roq had been reporting news for the station for 27 years while Lisa May had been reporting traffic for the past 24 years. Fans took to Facebook to boycott the station for not renewing their contracts.


Management and audience changes (2017–present)

On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom. The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was consummated on November 17. After a 28-year run at the station, Senior VP of Programming Kevin Weatherly exited the station to start a new role as Spotify's new Head of North American Programming. Mike Kaplan replaced Weatherly at KROQ in February 2020. On March 18, 2020, Kevin Ryder announced on Twitter that he, Allie MacKay, Jensen Karp, producer Dave Sanchez and contributor Jonathan Kantrowe, had all been let go from the morning show. The show would be replaced by afternoon hosts Ted Stryker and Kevin Klein. In September 2020, the show would be added on sister stations KVIL in Dallas, KITS in San Francisco, and KRBZ in Kansas City via syndication as part of a company initiative to expand networked programming among the company's alternative stations due to COVID-19 pandemic-related cutbacks and layoffs. The firing of Ryder marked a new chapter for KROQ under the leadership of brand manager Mike Kaplan. Kaplan previously served as program director of iHeartMedia's KYSR from 2013 to 2018. By the end of the Weatherly era, KROQ had essentially shifted to a classic alternative format that leaned heavily on heritage acts. Weatherly added new titles to the playlist very conservatively. Kaplan's strategy differed from Weatherly's; he immediately shifted the playlist to focus on alternative pop, with heavy airplay of artists including Billie Eilish, Machine Gun Kelly (musician), Machine Gun Kelly, Post Malone, Powfu, 24kGoldn, Beabadoobee and Dominic Fike. The station also decreased airplay of most 1990s and 2000s alternative titles and artists that defined the station during its heyday, including System of a Down and Muse (band), Muse. The changes drew ire from cultural critics and former KROQ on-air talent, followed by a steep ratings decline. Weatherly would return to KROQ as Senior Vice President of Programming in May 2022. Since then, the station has greatly reduced its focus on alternative rock and has increased airplay of classic alternative tracks from the 1990s and 2000s. On October 5, 2024, KROQ introduced a new electronic dance music show, ''KROQ EQ'', on Saturday nights, with Justice (band), Justice performing a guest DJ set for its premiere edition. Kevin Ryder returned to KROQ on April 2, 2025, after five years, this time as an afternoon host.


Awards

KROQ was awarded Radio Station of the Year in 1992 and 1993 by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine readers poll issues. In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets Alternative station of the year award by ''Radio & Records'' magazine. Other nominees included WBCN (FM), WBCN in Boston, Massachusetts; KTBZ-FM in Houston, Texas; KITS in San Francisco, California; KNDD in Seattle, Washington; and WWDC (FM), WWDC in Washington, DC. KROQ was the recipient of an Alternate Contraband Award for Major Market Radio Alternative Radio Station of the Year 2012. KROQ was inducted into the Rock Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.


HD Radio

KROQ broadcasts a second HD Radio subchannel, with KROQ-HD2 airing ''The ROQ of the 80's'', which features classic rock from the 1980s. In August 2018, Entercom announced it would re-launch the subchannel, adding former KROQ personalities Freddy Snakeskin and Tami Heide as DJs. In 2020, KROQ activated an HD3 subchannel, which aired a new alternative rock format branded as "New Arrivals." On September 23, 2022, the HD3 channel was dropped from the broadcast lineup entirely.


Notable staff

*
Rodney Bingenheimer Rodney Bingenheimer (born December 15, 1946) is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of ''Rodney on the ROQ'', a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he als ...
(1976–2017) * Richard Blade (1982–2000) *
Adam Carolla Adam Carolla (born May 27, 1964) is an American radio personality, comedian, actor and podcaster. He hosts '' The Adam Carolla Show'', a talk show distributed as a podcast which set the record as the "most downloaded podcast" as judged by ''Guin ...
, Loveline, "Mr. Birchum" on the morning drive time
Kevin and Bean ''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock- format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...
Show (1995–2005) * Carson Daly (1996) *
Raechel Donahue Raechel Donahue is a rock radio pioneer generally associated with her husband Tom Donahue (DJ), Tom Donahue, who died in 1975. She was the original entertainment reporter for CNN, briefly served as VJ for the short-lived Cable Music Channel and a l ...
(1980–1986) * Ralph Garman (1997 – November 30, 2017) * Mark Goodman (1990s) * Jed the Fish (Edwin "Jed" Gould, III), week-day drive time show (1978–1984, 1985–2011) * Chris Hardwick (1994–1998) * Thomas Gaither "The Thomas Guide" Late nights and weekends (1992-1995) * Tami Heide (1991–2004, 2018–2022 HD2) * J. J. Jackson (media personality), J. J. Jackson (1987) * Kennedy (commentator), Kennedy (1991–1992) *
Kevin and Bean ''Kevin and Bean'' was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock- format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and n ...
(1990–2020) * Jimmy Kimmel "Jimmy the Sports Guy" on the morning show (1994–1999) * Scott Mason (radio personality), "Spacin'" Scott Mason (1979–2000), former Director of Engineering; West Coast at CBS Radio * Kevin McKeown (politician), Kevin McKeown (1976–1978) GM, exec. prod. Hollywood Niteshift, future Mayor Santa Monica * Frank Murphy (radio personality), Frank Murphy, producer of Kevin and Bean * Cassandra Peterson "Elvira Mistress of the ROQ" (1982–1983) * Dr. Drew Pinsky, Loveline * Riki Rachtman, Loveline (1993–1996) * Frazer Smith (1976–1980) * Matt "Money" Smith "KROQ Sports Guy" (1994–2005) * Shadoe Stevens (1973–1980) First air personality and founding program director. * Dusty Street (1979–1989), on-air host * Stryker (DJ), Stryker * Jim Trenton "The Poor Man" (1982–1993), creator and host of
Loveline ''Loveline'' is a radio syndication, syndicated radio Talk show, call-in program in North America that features medical and relationship advice, often with guest appearances by actors and musicians. For most of its original run until ending in ...
, also host of the show for many years with co-host Dr. Drew Pinsky * Ian Whitcomb (Weekends – early 1980s) * Stanley Sheff (1977–1982)


Festivals

* KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas, first held in December 1989. The festival was initially called KROQ Xmas Bash. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no editions of the Almost Acoustic Christmas for 2020 and 2021. * KROQ Weenie Roast, first held in June 1993; however, this festival had been presented in May from 2005 to 2009 and again from 2012 to 2018. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no editions of the Weenie Roast since 2019. * KROQ LA Invasion, held from 2001 to 2007. * Epicenter (music festival), Epicenter, held from 2009 to 2015, although there was no 2014 edition of this festival.


KROQ-related albums

* ''KROQ Calendar & New Music'', a compilation of new singles that premiered in the subsequent year (1995–present) * ''Rodney on the ROQ, Vol. 1'' a classic punk compilation from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer * ''Rodney on the ROQ Volume 2'' more good punk from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer * ''Rodney on the ROQ Vol III'' even more punk from KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer * ''At KROQ'' (1991), a CD-single by Morrissey * ''On KROQ's Loveline'', CD by Hagfish (band), Hagfish * ''The Best of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas'' (1999), a compilation of concerts recorded at the Acoustic Christmas * ''Kevin & Bean's Super Christmas'' (2006) * ''Kevin & Bean's Christmastime In The 909'' (2004) * ''Kevin and Bean: The Year They Recalled Santa Claus'' (2003) * ''Kevin and Bean: Fo' Shizzle St. Nizzle'' (2002) * ''Kevin and Bean: Swallow My Eggnog'' (2001) * ''Kevin and Bean: The Real Slim Santa'' (2000) * ''Kevin and Bean: Last Christmas'' (1999) * ''Kevin and Bean: Santa's Swingin' Sack'' (1998) * ''Kevin and Bean: A Family Christmas in Your Ass'' (1997) * ''Kevin and Bean: Christmastime in the LBC'' (1996) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: How the Juice Stole Christmas'' (1995) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: No Toys for OJ'' (1994) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: Santa Claus, Schamanta Claus'' (1993) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: We've Got Your Yule Logs Hangin (1992) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: Bogus Christmas'' (1991) – cassette tape * ''Kevin and Bean: Feel the Warmth of Kevin and Bean's Wonderful World of Christmas (The White Album)'' (1990) – LP * ''KROQ Locals Only Vol. 1'' (2019) * ''Kroqing in Pasadena'', a single from XTC (1989) * ''Richard Blade's Flashback Favorites, Volumes 1–6'' (1993)


See also

* KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns


Further reading

*


References


External links

*
History of KROQ 1968–1979



List of KROQ Top 106.7 countdowns with a searchable archive

KROQ/KPPC Reunion held August 4, 2001. Mainly just pictures available.


* [http://www.fybush.com/sites/2006/site-060728.html Pictorial tour of the transmitter facility on Verdugo Peak]
Collection of KROQ jingles from the 70s and ROQ of the 80s

Collection of KROQ jingles from the 70s and ROQ of the 80s

Listen to KROQ online


KPPC








KPPC REVISITED
{{Authority control Radio stations in Los Angeles, ROQ-FM Alternative rock radio stations in the United States Modern rock radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1962 1962 establishments in California New wave radio stations Audacy, Inc. radio stations KROQ-FM,