KYA Radio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
KYA Radio originated as KYA in 1926, and is noted as having had the most owners of any radio station in the history of California, USA radio. Many owners had the station for less than a year in its early days, but even at its height, a three-year ownership was typical before changing hands once again. KYA 1260 was owned by everyone from Hearst Corporation to AVCO, the jet and aerospace contractor.
KYA was always tuned into the local community. In the mid-1950s, KYA made its mark as a rock and roll station. KYA was, in fact, the leading top 40 music radio station in the Bay Area, until cross-town KFRC (with a superior signal) switched to top 40 music in 1966. From time to time, up through 1970, KYA would again beat KFRC in the Arbitron ratings, but KYA's dominance was truly over after the mid-60's. Ironically, former KYA-er and legendary radio programmer Bill Drake went on to consult KFRC to its ratings success. In fact, it was at KYA that Bill Drake first made his mark as program director. KYA was also instrumental in the careers of sportscaster Johnny Holliday, audio and electronics store pitchman Tom Campbell, DJ Tom Donahue, and the recently-retired Tommy Saunders.
KYA, now renamed KOIT-AM and owned by Bonneville International Corp., still transmits from the station's classic Julia Morgan-designed transmitter building on Candlestick Point, with studios at 2nd and Howard in San Francisco. Julia Morgan was on retainer for Hearst, and the building has the trademark Hearst eagle above the front door.
In 2006, the low-powered FM radio station KCFL-LP near Seattle — which had been operating as a tribute to Chicago's WCFL — switched to become a tribute to KYA, complete with vintage KYA jingles. [1]
| AM radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area region (Arbitron #4, 35, 80, 81, and 108) | ||
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(Arbitron #4) |
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(Arbitron #35) |
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(Arbitron #80) |
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(Arbitron #81 and 108) |
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Mass media in the San Francisco Bay Area: Radio stations | TV stations | Newspapers |
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