Throughout the 80’s, KZZP/Phoenix enjoyed incredible success, establishing itself as one of America’s legendary CHRs. Per the station’s Wikipedia page, it “produced a long list of future stars in the radio business”, and offered a music mix that was adventurous for a Top 40 station – as illustrated by the other KZZP montages posted here.
But, like many of its peers in the format, KZZP struggled to adjust to changing pop music tastes in the early 90’s. By the Spring of 1991, the station had morphed into an Adult CHR, as heard on this aircheck. (It reminds me very much of what was playing on cable’s VH1 at the time, when it still focused on showing music videos.)
Not long after this recording, KZZP’s 11-year run sadly came to an end – owner Nationwide Communications flipped it to AC (making it the fifth station in the market to offer some variation of the format) as KVRY “Variety 104.7”.
Podcast: Embed
Thanks for this aircheck of KZZP in its last days (the first time around) before the flip to Variety 104.7. Of course we all know that Variety 104.7 was a disaster in the ratings, which eventually brought back the second incarnation of KZZP in 1996.
I interned for Jack Hammer in 1991. At his early age, and considering the pressure all the Jock’s were under from management at the time Jack was by far the country’s top evening jock at that point in his career !! Just pure high energy talent !!