KSFM
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

KSFM (102.5 FM) is a
commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...
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 ...
that is licensed to
Woodland, California Woodland is a city in and the county seat of Yolo County, California, United States. Located approximately northwest of Sacramento, it is a part of the Sacramento metropolitan area. The population continues to grow every year, with a growth ra ...
and serves the
Sacramento metropolitan area The Greater Sacramento area is a metropolitan region in Northern California comprising either the U.S. Census Bureau defined Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade metropolitan statistical area or the larger Sacramento–Roseville combined sta ...
. The station is 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 ...
and broadcasts an
urban contemporary Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contemporary r ...
format. KSFM's studios and offices are located on Lava Ridge Court in Roseville, and its
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 in Woodland. From 2006 to 2010, KSFM's slogan was "Sacramento's New #1 Station for
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 ...
and R&B". CBS billed KSFM as a rhythmic top 40 station due to its
multicultural Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''ethnic'' or cultural pluralism in which various e ...
listenership. In 2010, the station changed its slogan to simply "102-5" with a broader mix of hip-hop, R&B, and rhythmic pop music. In August 2023, KSFM returned to a more urban-leaning rhythmic format with expanding their R&B playlist, increasing regional music from nearby
Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...
and Sacramento artists, drastically reducing pop music from their regular playlist and adding more urban throwbacks. Their current slogan is "Sacramento’s New #1 for Hip-Hop and R&B." KSFM broadcasts in
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...
.


History


MOR: 1961-1968

On February 4, 1961, the station at 102.5 FM
signed on A sign-on (or start-up in Commonwealth countries except Canada) is the beginning of operations for a radio broadcasting, radio or television station, generally at the start of each day. It is the opposite of a sign-off (or closedown in Commonw ...
as KATT, branded "The Tiger Tail". The station aired a middle of the road (MOR) format and was owned by the Interstate Broadcasting Company, but by 1968, KATT went silent.


Top 40: 1970–1972

In 1970, the station returned to the air as KRBT (Robot 10-25), a
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 ...
(CHR) outlet. It started out with live
disc jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include Radio personality, radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music fes ...
s, but became
automated Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...
shortly thereafter. On August 31, 1971, the station's owners, Tiger Broadcasting, sold the operation to KULA Broadcasting for $94,000.


Easy listening: 1972–1974

KULA Broadcasting, owner of KGMS (1380 AM), took control of the station on April 1, 1972 and switched the format to
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to the 1970s. It is related to middle of the road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit s ...
. Remaining an automated operation, KRBT adopted new
call letters 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 Identifier, unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be fo ...
KSFM that June. (Previously, the KSFM call letters were assigned to a station in
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
at 96.9 FM, but that station was sold to the owners of Pacific Southwest Airlines and renamed as KPSC.)


Progressive rock: 1974-1979

In early 1974, KULA Broadcasting searched for a new programmer and new format for KSFM after upgrading the station's transmitter and improving its signal to cover the Sacramento radio market from suburban
Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...
. The owners hired Don Wright, formerly of KZAP, KXOA/KNDE, and KRBT. His plan was to flip the station to
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
, a format that was slightly more structured than the freeform format of KZAP. The air talent would have a mid-tempo delivery style (neither fast and screaming nor completely laid back). The station kept the KSFM call letters but used the moniker "Earth Rock 102 KSFM". On April 15, 1974, "Earth Rock 102" made its debut.
Drake-Chenault Drake-Chenault Enterprises (originally American Independent Radio Inc.) was a radio syndication company that specialized in automation on FM radio stations. The company was founded in the late-1960s by radio programmer and deejay Bill Drake ...
, owners of KXOA-FM (107.9 FM), attempted to sue KSFM because KXOA-FM had recently (August 1972 through February 1973) used the "Earth Rock" name on the air. As a result, in July 1974, KSFM was rebranded as "Earth Radio 102". Within six months of its debut, "KSFM Earth Radio 102" reached number six in the Sacramento ratings. When the station management only delivered a $25 monthly pay raise, much of the air staff left to run KSJO in San Jose, where they installed the Earth Rock format. Nonetheless, KSFM continued to obtain positive ratings. The format featured both well-established and up-and-coming rock artists. While the station would play popular rock acts, the announcers often focused on their deeper album cuts. Additionally, the music flow was diverse enough that one could hear a searing
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
track and a folksy
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
song in the same set, yet the music would flow naturally. The air talent programmed much of the music without the use of a set
playlist A playlist is a list of video or audio files that can be played back on a media player, either sequentially or in a shuffled order. In its most general form, an audio playlist is simply a list of songs that can be played once or in a loop. ...
. While a listener could hear an occasional
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
record by
Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He also wrote t ...
or a
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
tune by
Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band Bob Marley and the Wa ...
, they knew it would be followed by a rock record along with song information from the knowledgeable air talent. KSFM's format was dayparted: listeners would be treated to a softer rock sound in the daytime and
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
at night. With Earth Radio 102's limited song repetition, listeners were often surprised by what would play next. Earth Radio had several additional programming features that contributed to its unique sound. KSFM ran a news block each weekday morning from 9:20 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. known as "Earth News". The alternative news program included nationally syndicated interviews with rock stars of the day, as well as odd information that would interest the station's audience. Also on weekdays at 9:40 a.m., 1:40 p.m., and 6:40 p.m., the station announced upcoming concerts in both local and regional venues. Some evenings, the station would play an entire album from start to finish; starting out as a weekly feature, it was expanded to three nights a week. Between record sides, announcer Dave Whittaker would play an "Instrumental Interlude", a track from a completely different artist without vocals. In late 1976, the station hired Dennis Newhall as an on-air staff announcer. He had previous experience with KZAP and KSJO. Subsequently, he was promoted to program director in 1977. Earth Radio 102's success continued until mid-1979. In January 1979, KZAP's new owners installed radio consultant Lee Abrams' "Superstars" format on the formerly freeform station. KZAP's new format was rock-oriented, stressing the biggest selling artists. The change brought KZAP stellar ratings at the expense of Earth Radio. In the Spring 1979
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
ratings, KSFM went from a 4.7 share to 3.1. Initially, there were rumors of KSFM either becoming more mainstream or switching to a country music format.


Top 40 / Disco: 1979-1998

In August 1979, KSFM announced it would be switching to a more "mass appeal" music format the following month. On August 20, the ''
Sacramento Union ''The Sacramento Union'' was a daily newspaper founded in 1851 in Sacramento, California. It was the oldest daily newspaper west of the Mississippi River before it closed its doors after 143 years in January 1994, no longer able to compete with ' ...
'' featured an article on the format switch. The entire air staff would be replaced. KSFM management hired radio consultant Jerry Clifton to initiate the new format. In the ''Union'' article, Clifton described the "Earth Radio" format as "esoteric ... similar to a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
station". KSFM broadcast its last full day of progressive rock on September 9, 1979. The following day, September 10, the station began a five-day stunting period by playing music from a well-known artist each day. The first day consisted of all-
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
music, while the second day featured the
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
. By the fifth day, the station was playing
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
and the
Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
as featured artists. On September 14, 1979, KSFM flipped to a hybrid
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 ...
/
disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...
format with the branding "FM102". Under the leadership of incoming programming director Jeff Lucifer, and based on the recommendations of Clifton, KSFM began to gradually work its way up in the ratings with its dance-friendly "churban" (a mix of contemporary hits and urban) format. Clifton would later apply this formula to other stations like KGGI in
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
,
WJMH WJMH (102.1 FM ''"102 JAMZ"'') is an urban contemporary radio station serving the Piedmont Triad region. It broadcasts with 99,000 watts of power and is licensed to Reidsville, North Carolina. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station's studios are lo ...
in
Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...
, and
WPOW WPOW (96.5 FM) – branded Power 96 – is a commercial classic hip-hop radio station licensed to Miami, Florida. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Miami-Dade County, the Miami metropolitan area, and much of surrounding South Florida. ...
in Miami (the last two both sister stations to KSFM). By June 1983, KSFM evolved all the way to its current
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 20, Rhythmic Top 30, Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and upbeat R&B hit ...
direction under the guidance of program director Rick Gillette and music director Chris Collins, the latter who also hosted '' The FM102 Morning Zoo'' and later succeeded Gillette as operating manager and PD. The move occurred after
KPOP K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
, the Sacramento market's only urban contemporary outlet at the time, flipped formats to
modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...
. Gillette and Collins realized that dance music, popular in the clubs and the streets, did not receive any airplay in the area. KSFM took advantage of this opportunity, leading the station to several number one
Arbitron Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio broadcasting audiences. It was founded as the American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by mergin ...
rankings in the market under their guidance, eventually beating the more-mainstream top 40 stations. In July 1987, KSFM owner Duffy Broadcasting Corp. sold all but one of its stations to Genesis Broadcasting Company, a new entity owned in part by Duffy executives, for $74 million. KSFM faced a series of legal issues in the early 1990s. In 1990, KWOD owner Ed Stolz filed a libel lawsuit against Genesis Broadcasting for $10 million. According to the suit, on June 30, 1989, Collins disparaged KWOD on-air as being anti-gay and anti-African American; this resulted in lost advertisers, threats to station staff, and a drop in ratings. Collins, in turn, claimed his remarks were in response to anti-gay comments by KWOD morning host Pat Garrett. In late 1993, Collins sued Genesis Broadcasting for wrongful termination, seeking at least the approximate $335,000 value of the remaining two years of his contract. He alleged he was fired for threatening to report drug use in the workplace and associated abusive behavior by supervisors. Genesis responded that Collins was dismissed because of declining ratings. This dispute threatened to derail the pending merger of Genesis with Secret Communications. Royce International, then-owner of KWOD, petitioned the
Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, internet, wi-fi, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains j ...
(FCC) to investigate the drug use allegations, as well as resolve issues related to a previous petition involving Genesis' alleged interference in Royce's business activities. The merger ultimately was approved, finally closing on August 1, 1994. In May 1996, Secret Communications sent KSFM and sister station KMJI (1380 AM) to American Radio Systems in a four-station swap worth $48.5 million, acquiring WQRS in Detroit and WFLN-FM in Philadelphia. KSFM continued to lead the market as the top 40 station of choice in Sacramento until the arrivals of mainstream contemporary hit radio (CHR) outlet
KDND KDND (107.9 MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. The station first signed on in 1947 as KXOA-FM, an FM simulcast of AM station KXOA, before separating itself with distinct programming, includin ...
(107.9 The End) and urban-formatted KBMB (103.5 The Bomb) in 1998. KSFM offered a current-based mix of rhythmic pop, R&B, and
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- ...
product in its playlist. Those ingredients placed KSFM between KDND, which offered listeners a broad-based playlist, and KBMB, which heavily emphasized hip hop.


Rhythmic Top 40: 1998-present

In 1998, KSFM was bought by Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, which had already been acquired by
Westinghouse Broadcasting The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndi ...
. Westinghouse merged with CBS Radio shortly thereafter. Under CBS Radio ownership, the KSFM lineup featured programming director Tony Tecate in mornings, Bre in middays, Short-E in afternoons, Nina in evenings and The Specialist overnights. Featured programs included ''Club 102'' with The Specialist on Friday and Saturday nights. In January 2010, KSFM's Arbitron 12+ ratings stood at a 3.1 share—the lowest since the Spring 1979 report, when the station aired progressive rock. However, by April 2010, KSFM rebounded, although it achieved nowhere the record-breaking numbers from 1994 to 1997 when 11 and 12 shares under PD's Rick Thomas and Bob West were common. In the June 2012
Portable People Meter The Portable People Meter (PPM), also known as the Nielsen Meter, is a system developed by Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio) to measure how many people are exposed to individual Radio broadcasting, radio stations and television stations. This also ...
(PPM) report, KSFM's ratings rose enough to bring the station to fourth place in the Sacramento market. On June 1, 2010, KSFM relocated its studios from 1750 Howe Avenue to 280 Commerce Circle in Sacramento, home to the CBS Radio cluster there. On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with
Entercom 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 ...
. Entercom also owns KKDO, KUDL, KSEG,
KRXQ KRXQ (98.5 FM, "98 Rock") is a commercial radio station in Sacramento, California. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a mainstream rock format. KRXQ's studios are located in North Highlands (with a Sacramento address) and its ...
, and
KIFM KIFM (1320 AM broadcasting, AM) is a radio station in West Sacramento, California, that has been affiliated with ESPN Radio since February 2007. Owned and operated by Audacy, Inc.. Its studios are located in North Highlands, California, North ...
in the Sacramento market; the company also owned
KDND KDND (107.9 MHz) was an FM radio station licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. The station first signed on in 1947 as KXOA-FM, an FM simulcast of AM station KXOA, before separating itself with distinct programming, includin ...
until it shut down that station and surrendered its license to the FCC two days later. On October 10, 2017, Entercom announced that KSFM would be the only station in the CBS Radio Sacramento cluster that the company would retain following the merger. Entercom's decision to keep KSFM while spinning off the other former CBS stations was due to its rhythmic top 40 format, which would give the company another top 40 station to pair with KUDL and serve as flankers in the market following KDND's aforementioned shutdown, much like the strategy with future rock siblings KKDO, KSEG, and KRXQ. KHTK,
KNCI KNCI (105.1 FM Broadcasting, FM, "New Country 105-1") is a commercial radio station in Sacramento, California, United States. The station is owned by Salt Lake City–based Bonneville International. KNCI carries a country music format, alongsid ...
,
KYMX KYMX (96.1 FM, "Mix 96") is a commercial radio station that is licensed to Sacramento, California, United States. The station is owned by Salt Lake City–based Bonneville International and broadcasts an adult contemporary format. KYMX's transm ...
, and KZZO were divested into a blind trust with
Bonneville International Bonneville International Corporation is a media and broadcasting company, wholly owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) through its for-profit arm, Deseret Management Corporation. It began as a radio and TV networ ...
operating them under a
local marketing agreement In North American broadcasting, a local marketing agreement (LMA), or local management agreement, is a contract in which one corporation, company agrees to operate a radio station, radio or television station owned by another party. In essence, it ...
until they could find new owners. Bonneville purchased the stations outright in September 2018. The CBS Radio—Entercom merger was approved on November 9, 2017 and was consummated on November 17. Upon the change of ownership, KSFM relocated to Entercom's studio building on Madison Avenue in Sacramento. In May 2018, Entercom replaced the KSFM staff. Michael Buhrman, former on-air personality from sister station
KQKS KQKS (107.5 FM, KS107.5) is a rhythmic hot AC radio station, licensed to Lakewood, Colorado. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. and serves the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area. Its studios and offices are located in the Denver Tech Center distr ...
in Denver, took over as the new PD and afternoon host, with Mia Amor from
KRBQ KRBQ (102.1 FM) is a classic hip hop radio station in San Francisco, California and owned by Audacy, Inc. The station transmits its signal from Mount Beacon atop the Marin Headlands above Sausalito, California, while studios are located in ...
in San Francisco working mornings, Nina Hajian
voice-tracking Voice-tracking, also called cyber jocking and referred to sometimes colloquially as a robojock, is a technique employed by some radio stations in radio broadcasting to produce the illusion of a live disc jockey or announcer sitting in the radio stu ...
middays from
WBBM-FM WBBM-FM (96.3 MHz, "B96") is a gold-based contemporary hit radio station in Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by Audacy, Inc. The station has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 3,300 watts, transmitting from atop the Willis Tower (formerly th ...
in Chicago, and SOOSH*E (who was let go from
KHHM KHHM (101.9 Hertz, MHz) is a commercial radio, commercial FM broadcasting, FM radio station city of license, licensed to Shingle Springs, California, and serving the Sacramento metropolitan area. It is owned by Entravision Communications and air ...
after
Entravision Entravision Communications Corporation is an American media company based in Santa Monica, California. Entravision primarily caters to the Spanish-speaking Hispanic community and owns television and radio stations and outdoor media, in several o ...
made major job cuts) taking evenings. In January 2019, KSFM boasted a 100% local on-air staff again when Bianca V moved to middays; she previously had been a part of the KSFM
street team A street team is a term used in marketing to describe a group of people who engage with urban or campus communities to promote events. They are particularly prevalent in the music industry, which uses street teams for grassroots marketing and to p ...
and hosting the ''Club 102'' mix show. The station also brought in DJ Elements and DJ Oasis to mix their ''Club 102'' mix shows, along with DJ Squintz who hosts the overnight time-slot. In July 2019, KSFM once again became the only rhythmic top 40 station in Sacramento following KHHM's flip to a bilingual top 40 format. Since that move, KSFM had seen a resurgence ratings wise, eventually leading sibling KUDL in the Nielsen Audio ratings to become the most-listened to top 40 station in Sacramento. In June 2023, KSFM fired its entire on-air staff and began gradually transitioning away from their 13 year stretch of rhythmic pop and mainstream hip hop. This transition was followed up with the hire of Damien ‘D-Lo’ Barling and Kenny ‘KC’ Caraway. In August 2023, KSFM revived their 2000s era slogan, “Sacramento’s #1 for Hip-Hop and R&B”. The station has introduced more R&B into their format, cut rhythmic pop songs, inserted local artists like E-40, Too $hort, and others, and added throwbacks into their rotation with current music. As of December 2023, KSFM is the only radio station in the Sacramento market to have a heavy 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 R&B rotation on their playlist.


HD radio

KSFM broadcasts in the
HD Radio HD Radio (HDR) is a trademark for in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcast technology. HD radio generally simulcast, simulcasts an existing analog radio station in digital format with less noise and with additional text information. HD R ...
format with two digital subchannels: *KSFM-HD1 is a digital
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...
of the analog signal. *KSFM-HD2 broadcasts an
urban adult contemporary Urban adult contemporary, often abbreviated as urban AC or UAC, (also known as adult R&B,) is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have hip hop music on ...
format known as "The Love Train". The HD2 subchannel was launched in 2008 with a commercial-free dance top 40 format. From August 2017 to January 2018, KSFM-HD2 featured
hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...
.


References


External links

* {{Audacy SFM Rhythmic contemporary radio stations in the United States Urban contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1961 1961 establishments in California Audacy, Inc. radio stations