KSEG (96.9
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 ...
"The Eagle") is a
commercial FM 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 ...
in
Sacramento, California
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
. It airs a
classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...
radio format
A radio format or programming format (not to be confused with broadcast programming) describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. The radio format emerged mainly in the United States in the 1950s, at a time when Radio broadcasting, ...
and is owned by
Audacy, Inc. The
studios and offices are located on Madison Avenue in
North Highlands (with a Sacramento address). KSEG is co-owned with five other Sacramento Audacy radio stations.
KSEG has an
effective radiated power (ERP) of 50,000
watt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...
s. The
transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications, a radio transmitter or just transmitter (often abbreviated as XMTR or TX in technical documents) is an electronic device which produces radio waves with an antenna (radio), antenna with the purpose of sig ...
is off North Market Boulevard in Sacramento, near
Steelhead Creek. KSEG broadcasts in the
HD Radio hybrid format.
History
Classical: 1959-1971
On October 2, 1959, after beginning testing the previous month, the station
signed on. Its
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
was KSFM. It was owned by local radio personality Fred White and
KXTV engineer Bob Stofan, doing business as the Audiolab Company.
[ ( Guide to reading History Cards)] KSFM played
classical music
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
from studios and a transmitter site in Arden Town. In 1961, the station moved its studios and transmitter to a site on Rosebud Lane, increasing power from 6,400 to 64,000 watts.
KSFM went silent for 90 days on October 11, 1963, to permit a financial reorganization of the station. That December, a judge ordered the station to return $16,000 worth of equipment to the Collins Radio Company after not making monthly payments on its purchase. It was announced in August that the Belltone Music Company would assume operations of the silent station, with an affiliated background music service broadcast on its subcarrier.
This prompted a lawsuit from Dale Flewelling, founder of
KXRQ (98.5 FM). Flewelling, who had bought KSFM's existing background music business in December 1962, charged that KSFM's reentry into that market violated a non-compete clause and sought an injunction to prevent such activity at KSFM until December 1965. The Flewelling lawsuit was dismissed in January 1965.
Beautiful music: 1971-1975
In 1971, KSFM was acquired by PSA Broadcasting, a division of
Pacific Southwest Airlines. While there were no changes in personnel as a result of the purchase, PSA changed the station to a
beautiful music format, as its other stations had, and the call letters changed to KPSC. (The KSFM call letters were adopted by
102.5 FM in June 1972.) PSA chose
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...
s for its four stations in California with designations including the letters "EZ." KPSC thus became KEZS in 1973.
Rock: 1975-1984
In 1975, Atlantic States Industries, owners of popular
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 ...
station
KROY 1240 AM, acquired KEZS. To echo its new
sister station, the call letters were changed to KROI. KROY-KROI was acquired in 1978 by Jonsson Broadcasting Corporation, with the two stations fetching $1.65 million and $1.1 million, respectively. While separately programmed from the AM station as an
album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an FM radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of rock albums and is currently associated with classic rock.
US rad ...
station, KROI became KROY-FM on April 23, 1979. Management believed the separate KROI designation confused advertisers used to the more familiar KROY call letters.
The rapid rise of
KZAP after its 1978 sale to Western Cities Broadcasting gave KROY-FM a powerful rock competitor.
Adult contemporary: 1984-1985
In 1984, KROY-FM became adult contemporary outlet KSAC, doing what a number of Sacramento radio stations had attempted to do but fail—secure the call letters that had belonged to
the radio station of Kansas State University since the early days of radio. That station had been KSAC, since the university was known as Kansas State Agricultural College when it was founded. 1984 was its 60th anniversary, and the station's longtime desire to obtain call letters containing KSU, plus a $25,000 offer from the Sacramento station and FCC deregulation, helped secure the change.
Dick Tracy, radio columnist for the ''
Sacramento Bee'', questioned Jonsson's management of its Sacramento stations, noting that "long-range ineptitude" had caused listenership to its local stations to decline considerably. Jonsson moved its stations to new quarters in the American River Commons office park.
Hot adult contemporary: 1985-1990
In 1985, Jonsson sold its two Sacramento radio stations to Commonwealth Broadcasting for $12 million. Commonwealth relaunched 96.9 FM as
hot adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
/
contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...
KROY-FM (branded as "97 KROY"), restoring the call letters that Jonsson had moved to
a station in Reno, and moved KSAC to 1240 AM. Ratings surged from a 2.2 to a 5.9 in 1987, coming close to beating
KSFM (102.5 FM), which had led the market overall prior to the creation of 97 KROY.
In 1988,
Great American Broadcasting acquired KROY for $11.8 million.
Classic rock: 1990-present
On November 12, 1990, KROY became KSEG, flipping from CHR to classic rock; the first song under the new format was "
Fly Like an Eagle" by the
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock music, rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1966. The band is led by Steve Miller (musician), Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles ...
. The move came as the CHR format was in a decline, and Sacramento had three stations in the format. The flip to classic rock put KZAP on notice and surpassed it in the ratings; ultimately, that station bowed out of the competition and flipped to country in January 1992.
KSEG attracted local attention in its early years for giving away condoms in an
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
education campaign, while in 1993, Governor
Pete Wilson took an air shift on its "Classic Nine at 9" program for his 60th birthday, taking KSEG up on a long-standing offer.
In 1993, Great American Broadcasting acquired rock outlet
KRXQ (93.7 FM), which targeted a younger audience. After
Jacor Communications acquired Great American, it sold both Sacramento stations to Entercom, which at the same time purchased
KXOA-FM 107.9; the two Jacor pickups sold for $45 million. In the wake of the sale, KSEG dismissed its morning show team of Jeff McMurray and Mark Davis, ultimately replacing them with ''
The Mark & Brian Show'' from Los Angeles. The current morning show is hosted by market veteran Pat Martin, who joined the station on July 6, 2021, after a 33 year run at sister station KRXQ.
KSEG was the Sacramento market affiliate for
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
game broadcasts, directly contracting with San Francisco station
KGO for the rights. When the Niners changed flagships to
KNBR ahead of the 2005 season, however, KSEG lost the rights alongside KGO and opted not to even pursue a new deal, citing KNBR's strong signal into Sacramento.
References
External links
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{{Entercom
SEG
Classic rock radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1959
1959 establishments in California
Audacy, Inc. radio stations