KCAL-FM

KCAL-FM (96.7 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Redlands, California, and broadcasting to the Inland Empire. The station is owned by Anaheim Broadcasting and airs an active rock format. The station's studios are on Orange Tree Lane in Redlands.

KCAL-FM

Redlands, California United States
Broadcast area	Inland Empire
Frequency	96.7 MHz
Branding	96.7 KCAL Rocks
Programming
Languages	English
Format	Active rock
Ownership
Owner	Anaheim Broadcasting (SBR Broadcasting Corporation)
Sister stations	KOLA
History
First air date	1965; 60 years ago (1965)
Call sign meaning	California
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	59272
Class	A
ERP	1,750 watts
HAAT	115 meters (377 ft)
Repeater(s)	96.7 KCAL-FM1 (Twin Peaks)
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Webcast	Listen live
Website	www.kcalfm.com

KCAL-FM is a Class A station. Its transmitter site is off Cloudland Truck Trail near Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains.^[2] Programming is simulcast on KCAL-FM1, a booster station in Twin Peaks.

History

Early years

KCAL-FM first signed on the air in 1965.^[3] It had a middle of the road (MOR) format. Originally owned by Southwest Broadcasting Company, it was the sister station of KCAL (1410 AM).

In 1969, KCAL-FM adopted a dayparted rock format, playing soft rock during daytime hours and harder album rock at night. This hybrid format, known as "The Rock Spectrum", was unique in the Inland Empire radio market. A prominent feature on KCAL-FM was a weekly program called Album Premiere, during which a newly released album was played Monday and Tuesday evenings – one side each evening. This eventually led to a switch to album-oriented rock (AOR) full-time in 1978.

Changes in ownership

In October 1986, Southwest Broadcasting sold KCAL-FM to San Bernardino Broadcasting, headed by Tim Sullivan, for $4 million; KCAL (AM) remained with Southwest.^[4] On January 1, 1987, control of the station passed to Anaheim Broadcasting, also led by Sullivan; that March, the new owner installed former KGGI program director Cliff Roberts in the same position at KCAL-FM.^[5]

During the 1990s, KCAL-FM adjusted its AOR format to active rock. The station mixes new and recent rock releases with hard-edged classic rock titles, going back as far as the early Rolling Stones and Steppenwolf.

In the late 1990s, the station began hosting a listener appreciation party known as the "KCAL Kegger". Held in the station's parking lot in Redlands three times a year, each party features live rock bands, local vendors, refreshments, and a beer garden; the station donated proceeds from beer sales to local charities.^[6] Each year's final Kegger includes a bikini pageant called "Miss KCAL".

Tower topples

On December 31, 2014, high winds in the San Bernardino Mountains toppled KCAL-FM's transmission tower, knocking the station off the air. The station resumed broadcasting two days later on the evening of January 2, 2015. Engineers were able to attach the station's transmission equipment to KFRG's tower temporarily.^[7]

In January 2018, longtime KCAL-FM on-air personalities Michael "Stu-Man" Stewart, "Tiffany" Angelo, and James "Jimbo" Smith – the morning drive hosts collectively known as "STJ", and previously known as "The Morning Stiffy" — were dismissed from the station due to budget cuts. Morning show producer Steven Kono was also let go. Patrick Tish took over morning host duties.^[8]