KCHJ
Encyclopedia
KCHJ is a radio station
that broadcasts a ranchera
and Norteño
oldies format to the Bakersfield
, California
, area. Licenced to Delano, California
, the station is currently owned by Lotus Bakersfield Corporation.
in the 1960s and 1970s. It was owned by Charles H. Johnes hence the call leters KCHJ. It was a clear channel station so it had listeners over a large geographical area in Central California, as Mr. "Jones" was fond of pointing out on the air. He was one of the disk jockeys, using the name Gable Herman. He was a pilot before he died. He died in an auto accident in 1968, and from 1968 until the station was sold in 1991, it was operated and managed by his widow, Jean Johnes. She died in 2009 at the age of 94. Tapes of his program were broadcast on the radio station for many years after he died. Other popular disk jockeys were Bill Lambert, Cousin Rich Allison, and Gilbert Oeste. Mr. Oeste broadcast a popular Spanish language
program and there was also a program called Filipino Ling Ling Dai broadcast in Tagalog
and other Filipino languages. There was a studio at the station which was located north west of Delano. A live program called "The Barn Dance" was broadcast on weekends and the public was invited to visit during the show.
The station was sold in 1991 and became a Spanish language outlet.
In 2000, KCHJ adopted the "El Gallito" format of classic ranchera and Norteño hits.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
that broadcasts a ranchera
Ranchera
Ranchera is a genre of the traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer with a guitar. It dates to the years of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. It later became closely associated with the mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco. Ranchera today is also played...
and Norteño
Norteño (music)
Norteño , also norteña or conjunto, is a genre of Mexican music. The accordion and the bajo sexto are norteño's most characteristic instruments. The norteño genre is popular in both Mexico and the United States, especially among the Mexican community...
oldies format to the Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, area. Licenced to Delano, California
Delano, California
Delano's climate is characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. Frequent ground fog known regionally as "tule fog" can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115°F and 14°F...
, the station is currently owned by Lotus Bakersfield Corporation.
History
KCHJ was an outlet for Country Western musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
in the 1960s and 1970s. It was owned by Charles H. Johnes hence the call leters KCHJ. It was a clear channel station so it had listeners over a large geographical area in Central California, as Mr. "Jones" was fond of pointing out on the air. He was one of the disk jockeys, using the name Gable Herman. He was a pilot before he died. He died in an auto accident in 1968, and from 1968 until the station was sold in 1991, it was operated and managed by his widow, Jean Johnes. She died in 2009 at the age of 94. Tapes of his program were broadcast on the radio station for many years after he died. Other popular disk jockeys were Bill Lambert, Cousin Rich Allison, and Gilbert Oeste. Mr. Oeste broadcast a popular Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
program and there was also a program called Filipino Ling Ling Dai broadcast in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
and other Filipino languages. There was a studio at the station which was located north west of Delano. A live program called "The Barn Dance" was broadcast on weekends and the public was invited to visit during the show.
The station was sold in 1991 and became a Spanish language outlet.
In 2000, KCHJ adopted the "El Gallito" format of classic ranchera and Norteño hits.