As expected, Connoisseur Media put its \u201cK-Bay Country\u201d brand on another FM frequency in San Jose \u2013 the 98.5 signal long home to the South Bay\u2019s classic rock KUFX. \u201cK-Fox\u201d midday man and 35-year station vet Chris Jackson pulled\u00a0 the trigger at noon PT today that relegated KUFX to a pair of HD2 signals: KUFX 98.5-HD2 in San Jose and KMVQ 99.7 HD3 in San Francisco, along with the KFOX mobile app and website.<\/p>\n
The impetus is the pending $2 million sale of KBAY (94.5) to K-Love Inc ., announced July 9. Until the FCC greenlights the deal and the new owner picks up the keys, expected in early fall, \u201cK-Bay\u201d will continue to air on its longtime 94.5 signal. It also continues to simulcast on 92.1<\/p>\n
\u201cExpanding Bay Country to 98.5 \u00a0is an investment in both our listeners and our advertising partners,\u201d Connoisseur Media Regional Operations Manager Brian “Fig” Figula said Wednesday in a press release. \u201cThis gives KBAY the stronger signal and broader reach the brand deserves.”<\/p>\n
The 98.5 stick is a 10,000-watt Class B, licensed to San Jose. KBAY is a 44,000-watt Class B, licensed to Gilroy, CA, about 32 miles south of San Jose.<\/p>\n
All current KBAY on-air personalities \u2014 including Danny Miller, Tony Michaels and Emily Harlan \u2014 remain in place. Additional programming leadership changes across Connoisseur’s West Coast markets are expected soon.<\/p>\n
K-Fox Goes Jockless<\/p>\n
The HD-only version of K-Fox \u201cwill launch with all music,\u201d Figula tells Inside Radio. \u201cWe’ll explore options for talent later this year.\u201d The current KUFX airstaff \u2013 Jackson, morning host Morris Knight (6-9am) and PM driver Ilenna (2-6pm) \u2013 \u201cwill move into new roles within the company,\u201d Figula says. \u201cWe’ll announce over the next month or so the plan.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After almost 19 years at \u201cK-Fox,\u201d Tim Jeffreys took to Facebook last weekend to let listeners know Sunday (July 19) marked his final show on the station. \u201cIt has been one hell of a run \u2014 actually, 2 runs. From 2004 to 2012 and 2016 to today, almost 19 years in total,\u201d Jeffreys wrote.<\/a> \u201cThere is no way I could have accomplished this without help along the way, including Laurie Roberts giving me my first shot in 2004 and Brian Figula for bringing me back in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n The talent list that\u2019s been part of KUFX over the years is a long one. It includes Greg Kihn, Sloppy Joe, Dan Rusanowsky, Russ Reynolds, Laura Steele, Billy Vega, Big Rick, Karen Nakamura, Nancy Newcomer, and Celeste Perry.<\/p>\n \u2018Born To Be Wild\u2019<\/p>\n The final hour of \u201cK-Fox\u201d on 98.5 contained more than a few songs that took on special meaning: Queen\u2019s \u201cAnother One Bites The Dust,\u201d REM\u2019s \u201cIt\u2019s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)\u201d, The Offspring\u2019s \u201cGone Away\u201d and the Steve Miller Band\u2019s \u201cTake The Money and Run.\u201d<\/p>\n Jackson signed \u201cK-Fox\u201d off with Steppenwolf\u2019s \u201cBorn To Be Wild. It was the first song the station played when it signed on 35 years ago.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n