KMZT
Encyclopedia
KMZT is a radio station
licensed to Beverly Hills, California
, and broadcasting to the Los Angeles Metro area from a transmitter in Mission Hills. KMZT airs classical music
.
music format. KGIL aired other formats including talk
until 1993.
From 1993 to 1995, it had the call letters KJQI, playing Adult Standards
music. In 1995, it became K-NEWS, simulcasting with XESURF
(then with call letters XETIN) and now-defunct KNNZ
in Costa Mesa. K-NEWS was an all-news radio
service with content from the Associated Press
and local announcers Peter Arbogast, Jim Roope, and H.K. Malay. K-NEWS was also the home of the Los Angeles Clippers
and had an unprecedented 8 traffic reports an hour, causing competitors KNX
and KFWB
to add more traffic reports to its lineup. In 1997, the station reverted to the KGIL call letters and hosted an all-Beatles lineup for seven months. The station then went All Broadway Show tunes in August 1997 to Sometime in 1998. The station then switched to Music of Your Life
before going to a mainstream jazz
format, with the call letters KJAZ, in 2000. Then, in 2002, it took on the call letters KSUR and began broadcasting an adult standards
format, changing its call letters to KKGO in 2005. From August 2004 to June 2005 the Station Played an oldies format playing music from the 1950s and 1960s.
On December 1, 2006, KKGO changed to a country music
format, filling the void left behind when KZLA became rhythmic adult contemporary
as KMVN earlier in 2006. On February 26, 2007, KKGO swapped callsigns and formats with FM sister station KMZT, moving the country music
format to 105.1 FM, and the Classical format known as "K-Mozart" to 1260 AM and to a new HD channel at 105.1 HD2. On October 29, 2007, KMZT changed its calls back to KGIL and flipped formats from classical to talk radio
, with Michael Jackson
as the headline host. Jackson was laid off from the station about a year later and replaced by John Ziegler, who left after a few months. Aside from Jackson and Ziegler, the bulk of KGIL's programming was syndicated, mostly of second-tier programs left over from what KFI
, KRLA
and KABC
did not want.
On November 27, 2007, KGIL started simulcasting on XESURF 540AM, which flipped from classic country music
.
Owner Saul Levine decided to return KGIL to a music format after the debut of a similar talk radio
format on KFWB, which took place in September 2009. On August 27, 2009, the station switched to a mix of oldies
and adult standards
as "Retro 1260." Mornings had John Regan (formerly with the station), Middays had Gary Hollis, afternoons had Kimber Murphy, followed by Chuck Southcott, who had worked at KGIL from 1962 to 1975. Retro 1260 emphasized vocals and played Elvis Presley
, Sam Cooke
, The Beatles
, and The Beach Boys
, as well as Frank Sinatra
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Steve Tyrell
, and Michael Feinstein
. On March 28, 2011, the Los Angeles Times
reported that the station will begin airing classical music on April 4. The final song on Retro 1260 was "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
" by Keely Smith at 11:58 p.m. on April 3, 2011
. Retro 1260 now is available as an Internet stream at Retro105.com and on KKGO 105.1 HD3.
In addition to the music, KGIL is the Los Angeles-area affiliate for California Golden Bears football
and has aired games of the Los Angeles Clippers
and Los Angeles Kings
in the past to resolve time conflicts with other stations.
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...
licensed to Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
, and broadcasting to the Los Angeles Metro area from a transmitter in Mission Hills. KMZT airs classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
Station history
KGIL signed on in 1947 airing a big bandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
music format. KGIL aired other formats including talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
until 1993.
From 1993 to 1995, it had the call letters KJQI, playing Adult Standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
music. In 1995, it became K-NEWS, simulcasting with XESURF
XESURF
XESURF-AM is a Mexican-licensed radio station. The transmitter site is located near Tijuana, Baja California. The AM station is operated by Zion Multimedia Inc. located in Downey, California, United States. The station is owned by a company in Mexico and Zion Multimedia has the programming...
(then with call letters XETIN) and now-defunct KNNZ
KFOX (AM)
KFOX is a Korean language AM radio station licensed to Torrance, California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles metropolitan area on 1650 kHz AM.KFOX is one of three radio stations in the greater Los Angeles area that broadcast entirely in Korean; the others are KMPC and KYPA.KFOX was launched in 1997...
in Costa Mesa. K-NEWS was an all-news radio
All-news radio
All-news radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcast of news.All-news radio is available in both local and syndicated forms, and is carried in some form on both major US satellite radio networks...
service with content from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and local announcers Peter Arbogast, Jim Roope, and H.K. Malay. K-NEWS was also the home of the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and had an unprecedented 8 traffic reports an hour, causing competitors KNX
KNX (AM)
KNX is an all-news radio station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station operates on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. KNX broadcasts from facilities shared with sister stations KFWB, KCBS-FM, KTWV, and KAMP on Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...
and KFWB
KFWB (AM)
KFWB is a Los Angeles, California AM radio station operating on 980 kHz with 5,000 watts of power from a transmitter site near Lincoln Park . The station had a mostly all-news format from 1968 until September 8, 2009, after which it converted to a news-talk format...
to add more traffic reports to its lineup. In 1997, the station reverted to the KGIL call letters and hosted an all-Beatles lineup for seven months. The station then went All Broadway Show tunes in August 1997 to Sometime in 1998. The station then switched to Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is a satellite-delivered radio network featuring the Adult Standards music format. Created by record executive and jingle writer Al Ham, and now under the direction of Marc Angell, Music of Your Life has more than 50 AM, FM and HD-2 radio station affiliates, and has been in...
before going to a mainstream jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
format, with the call letters KJAZ, in 2000. Then, in 2002, it took on the call letters KSUR and began broadcasting an adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
format, changing its call letters to KKGO in 2005. From August 2004 to June 2005 the Station Played an oldies format playing music from the 1950s and 1960s.
On December 1, 2006, KKGO changed to a country music
Country 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...
format, filling the void left behind when KZLA became rhythmic adult contemporary
Rhythmic Adult Contemporary
Rhythmic adult contemporary is a format used on stations in the United States and Canada. It usually gears toward an older audience, ages 25 to 54. Stations using this format play disco from the 1970s and early 1980s, dance/pop music, adult-friendly hip hop/old school tracks, R&B, dance/freestyle...
as KMVN earlier in 2006. On February 26, 2007, KKGO swapped callsigns and formats with FM sister station KMZT, moving the country music
Country 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...
format to 105.1 FM, and the Classical format known as "K-Mozart" to 1260 AM and to a new HD channel at 105.1 HD2. On October 29, 2007, KMZT changed its calls back to KGIL and flipped formats from classical to talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson (radio commentator)
Michael Jackson is an American talk radio host based in the Los Angeles, California area. Jackson is best known for his radio show which covered arts, politics, and human interest subjects, particularly in the Los Angeles and greater Southern California area in the era before "shock jocks." His...
as the headline host. Jackson was laid off from the station about a year later and replaced by John Ziegler, who left after a few months. Aside from Jackson and Ziegler, the bulk of KGIL's programming was syndicated, mostly of second-tier programs left over from what KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
, KRLA
KRLA
KRLA is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, California, USA, it serves the Southern California area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- KIEV :...
and KABC
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
did not want.
On November 27, 2007, KGIL started simulcasting on XESURF 540AM, which flipped from classic country music
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
.
Owner Saul Levine decided to return KGIL to a music format after the debut of a similar talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format on KFWB, which took place in September 2009. On August 27, 2009, the station switched to a mix of oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
and adult standards
Adult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
as "Retro 1260." Mornings had John Regan (formerly with the station), Middays had Gary Hollis, afternoons had Kimber Murphy, followed by Chuck Southcott, who had worked at KGIL from 1962 to 1975. Retro 1260 emphasized vocals and played Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, as well as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Steve Tyrell
Steve Tyrell
Steve Tyrell is an American jazz musician.-Early career:Upon moving to New York City at the age of 18, he was made head of A&R and promotion at Scepter Records...
, and Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein
Michael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
. On March 28, 2011, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
reported that the station will begin airing classical music on April 4. The final song on Retro 1260 was "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
"How Sweet It Is " is a 1964 hit song written and produced by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was originally recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and became one of his most popular songs...
" by Keely Smith at 11:58 p.m. on April 3, 2011
2011 in radio
The following events occurred in radio broadcasting in 2011.-Events:*January 1: 2 Knoxville stations change formats as WDLF and WYLV flip to K-LOVE and Air 1 , and a few Pittsburgh station change formats, as ESPN Radio moves from WEAE to WBGG, and Radio Disney moves from WWCS to the renamed WDDZ,...
. Retro 1260 now is available as an Internet stream at Retro105.com and on KKGO 105.1 HD3.
In addition to the music, KGIL is the Los Angeles-area affiliate for California Golden Bears football
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and has aired games of the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the past to resolve time conflicts with other stations.