Phoenix
KAJM (Mega 104.3/99.3) – Payson/Phoenix, AZ – 8/23/02 – Alicia Torres, Alex Santa Maria (FREESTYLE FRIDAY)
For over two decades, 104.3 FM in Payson (now Camp Verde), AZ has targeted the Phoenix market with various formats that attempt to fill the void for Rhythmic Oldies. In its earliest days, the station called itself “Arizona Jamz” with a playlist and presentation that was excessively broad and overproduced. In April 2001, KAJM relaunched as “Mega 104.3 & 99.3” with a sharper focus and execution. This is a sample of Mega about 16 months later, during a period when Fridays featured a larger than normal dose of music from the Freestyle genre. Please visit this page on Wikipedia for more information on the history of the station.
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – July 2000 – Mini Salas & DJ Earth (Power Workout @ Noon)
Since June of 1997, KKFR — both at its former home on 92.3 FM, and at its current home on 98.3 & 96.1 FM — has made hip-hop and R&B the primary focus of its Rhythmic CHR format. However, around January 1999, the station began incorporating elements reminiscent of its days as a more traditional Rhythmic CHR in the early and mid-90’s. This continued until at least July 2000, as heard on this sample of the “Power Workout at Noon” mixshow. The station’s slogan at this time was a hybrid of two of its positioning statements from the mid to early 90’s – “Power 92 Jams Today’s Hottest Music”.
KVIT (Neon 90.7) – Apache Junction (East Phoenix Metro), AZ – July 2018 – DJ Melo & DJ Perry
Neon 90.7 is a non-commercial station licensed to the East Valley Institute of Technology. It offers a broad-based 80’s and 90’s variety hits format. What makes the playlist relatively unique is its inclusion of songs that were hits for a brief time, but generally haven’t received any airplay since then. This is a sample of Neon about six weeks after its launch, when it offered mixshow programming over Independence Day Weekend 2018. Please visit Wikipedia for information on the history of the frequency and station.
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – Spring/Memorial Day Weekend 1997 – Various Personalities
During the mid-1990’s, under the direction of Program Director Don Parker, KKFR (Power 92) in Phoenix was at its peak, registering an all-time high 7.1 share (12+) in the Winter 1996 Arbitron survey. The station offered a broad Rhythmic CHR mix that focused primarily on dance and R&B music. In the Spring of 1996, KBZR (103.9 FM) in rural Coolidge, AZ began a six-month stunt focused on “old school” music that eventually led to a hip-hop/old school-friendly Rhythmic CHR format. At the end of October 1996, the station officially signed on as “The New 103.9, Arizona’s Party Station.” In its first full book (Winter 1997), KBZR (eventually KPTY) achieved a 2.9 share 12+ … which was absolutely remarkable considering that it was operating with a signal...
KZZP – Phoenix – 2/19/99 – Phil Steiner
During the 80′s, KZZP 104.7 FM in Phoenix was one of the most successful Mainstream CHR stations in the country. According to 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. However, a combination of changes in personalities, management, and overall pop music tastes led to the station’s downfall (in April 1991). Five years later, owner Nationwide Communications brought KZZP back to the airwaves with a Modern AC format, making an attempt to appeal to the listeners who grew up with the station as a CHR. The station performed well, ranking #1 in key demos by 1998. However, by that point, Jacor (now Clear Channel) had taken ownership of KZZP along with KGLQ (96.9). On Labor Day We...
KMVA (Hot 97.5) – Phoenix – 8/20/12
Since October 2006, about 18 months after moving from Flagstaff, AZ to Dewey-Humboldt, AZ (in order to better cover the Phoenix market), 97.5 FM has programmed many variations of uptempo formats targeted at adults. It started with MOViN’ 97.5, which launched as a Rhythmic AC but evolved to a Hot AC/Adult Top 40 format. By the end of 2010, the station rebranded as Hot 97.5 but generally kept the same format. It flirted with a Dance-leaning approach early in the decade before returning to Adult Top 40. This aircheck appears to have been recorded somewhere in the middle of that most recent transition. The station began simulcasting on KEXX (now KZON)/Gilbert in January 2014, and now calls itself “Hot 97.5 & 103.9”. Many thanks to Steven Ratz for contributing this airchec...
KBZR (The New 103.9) – Coolidge/Phoenix, AZ – 10/30/96 – Krazy Kid Stevens (DEBUT/FIRST DAY)
On October 30, 1996, at 3:30pm, following more than six months of stunting, KBZR officially launched as “The New 103.9, Arizona’s Party Station”. Shown here are the following: (1) YouTube video: A news story about the debut that aired on the 10pm newscast of local Phoenix TV station KTVK (Channel 3). (2) Aircheck (below the video): the actual sign-on along with a mix show that immediately followed. Please visit Formatchange.com for more details about the history of the station.
KPTY (103-9 the Party) – Gilbert/Phoenix, AZ – 8/3/00 – Rudeboy
In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, 103.9 FM — which targeted the Phoenix area from rural/suburban signals – held a number of different formats. It began in the Spring of 1996 with a six-month Rhythmic Oldies stunt format named “S-T-E-V-E”. On October 30th of that year, it officially signed on as “The New 103.9, Arizona’s Party Station”, with a hip-hop-oriented Rhythmic CHR format and enjoyed impressive ratings (especially considering the signal limitations). Its target, the more dance/pop/R&B-oriented KKFR “Power 92”, took notice and transformed itself into a pure hip-hop/R&B station within 9 months. A year later, 103.9 FM (whose calls had become KPTY) went in a completely different direction, offering a mix of a...
KOY-FM (Y95) – Phoenix – Summer ’93 – Bo and Jamie
In the late 80’s, and the very early 90’s, Phoenix was one of the best markets for fans of the CHR format. Nationwide Communications’ heritage KZZP found itself in a heated battle with The Broadcast Group’s Power 92 (KKFR) and Edens Broadcasting’s Y95 (KOY-FM). KZZP dominated for most of the 80′s. But with changes in management, personalities, and pop music tastes — ratings dropped significantly in the early 90’s, leading to a format and name change in April 1991. Y95, capitalizing on the changes and later demise of KZZP, enjoyed ratings success at the start of the decade. But by 1993, ratings had fallen well below those of Power 92, which had begun to establish itself as the market’s preferred CHR (a title which it held through the 90’s). On September 2, 1993, ...
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – 3/29/91 – Scott Thrower, Danny Partridge, Kelly Boom
Recorded on Good Friday 1991, this is a sample of the dominant CHR station in Phoenix for most of the 1990’s, at the start of that decade. Specifically, this is a montage of the “Power Morning Zoo”. One of the co-hosts was Danny Partridge a.k.a. Danny Bonaduce, who became a TV star via “The Partridge Family” in the 1970’s. He joined KKFR around September 1990. Two days after this aircheck was recorded, Bonaduce was involved in an incident with a prostitute. The next day, he was placed on administrative leave. Many thanks to Beau Duran of WBBM NewsRadio for providing this aircheck.
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – 5/5/95 – Carey Edwards
Recorded on Cinco de Mayo 1995 – this is a sample of the only CHR serving the Valley of the Sun in the early to mid-90’s. In late 1993, despite enjoying great success as a Rhythmic CHR, Power 92 flipped to Modern Rock-heavy Mainstream CHR. Ratings declined, and the station began to move back towards Rhythmic CHR by the Fall of 1994. When this aircheck was recorded, the station used a Dance-heavy approach; the sound evolved to one more based on R&B (but remained Dance-friendly) by the Fall of 1995, which led to the station achieving an all-time high 7.0 Arbitron share (12+). Featuring entertaining sweepers voiced by Marc Driscoll, Power 92 was just a fun station to listen in this era. Especially now, I appreciate that they always had live legal IDs at this time. Also, I&...
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – April 1995 – Brian Simpson
This aircheck is a flashback to KKFR’s days as a 100,000 watt powerhouse originating from South Mountain in Phoenix. Following an ill-fated attempt at a Modern Rock oriented Mainstream CHR format during the first half of 1994, Power 92 began making a gradual transition back to Rhythmic CHR. By the Spring of 1995, as demonstrated on this montage, Dance and R&B-oriented titles dominated the playlist.
