KOOL-FM
Encyclopedia
KOOL-FM is a commercial Classic Hits
music radio station
in Phoenix, Arizona
, broadcasting on 94.5 FM
. The station is owned by CBS Radio
. The station features the hits of the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and is one of the top performing stations in Phoenix. The focus is 1964 to 1979.
music in 1971, a format brought to the station by Jerry Osborne, who used the air name Dan Coffey. Since the station did not have an oldies library, Osborne supplied all of the music from his own collection. The Dan Coffey Show, which aired on Saturday and Sunday nights, from 6:00 to midnight, immediately became the most popular program on KOOL-FM — so much so that they hired a woman (Pam MacKenzie) whose only job it was to answer the flood of calls and music requests for the Dan Coffey Show. At the time, no other station in the Phoenix market had an oldies format, and Osborne was given the freedom by KOOL-FM (then owned by Gene Autry
) to play anything he wanted.
Now the door to success was opened and by the end of 1971 the entire station followed. They switched to an all-oldies format.
In 1975, Osborne left radio to start his own publishing company. Before he left, he recorded thousands of oldies for the KOOL-FM music library.
By about 1983, KOOL was playing a small amount of 1980s music as well. Still, they focused on the music of the late 1960s. The station was co-owned with KOOL-AM 960. That station played strictly the music of 1955-1969 with an emphasis on the pre-1964 oldies. The stations were both owned by Adams Communications, along with then-CBS affiliate KOOL-TV, channel 10. Ownership and affiliation changes in the 1980s and 1990s saw it becoming KTSP and then Fox-owned KSAZ-TV
.
Adams kept KOOL-AM-FM when KOOL-TV was sold. The oldies format remained unchanged throughout the 1980s. They even brought their founder, Jerry Osborne, back via telephone interviews with him — a regular feature of the morning show with B.J. Hunter.
In the early 1990s, KOOL 960 began simulcasting KOOL-FM. At that point the music from the late 1970s and early 1980s was eliminated almost completely. The bulk of the music played was from 1964 to 1969 with a couple of songs per hour from the early 1970s and several pre-1964 oldies per hour. The station became more focused at that point. Colfax Broadcasting acquired the stations in 1994.
In 1996, Chancellor acquired KOOL-AM-FM. At that time they acquired several other stations in the market, bringing them to over their ownership limit of 8. They opted to sell KOOL-AM-FM was sold to Salem Media in 1997 and the AM, renamed KPXQ, became a Christian Talk station. In 2002, KPXQ became NewsTalk 960 KKNT
focusing on conservative talk radio.
KOOL-FM went to Infinity
/CBS Radio
. The music continued to be about the same until about 1999. At that point more late 1970s songs were added while the pre-1964 oldies were cut back slightly. In 2001, some early 1980s music was added and the pre 1964 oldies were cut to about 2 per hour. By 2003, as was the case was the oldies format continued to evolve, the pre 1964 oldies were eliminated almost completely with a handful of exceptions. More 1980s titles were also added at that point. Today the station, like most oldies outlets, has more of a classic hits format rather than a true oldies format.
In February 2008, CBS Radio made major layoffs that sent many longtime personalities packing, including Bill Gardner, John Michaels, Camelback Jack (who will later return), Dave Shannon, and several part-time personalities that had been with the station over the years, including Liz Boyle, Dennis Mitchell and Tony McGraw, aka "Skippy".
With the public release of Arbitron PPM data in July '09, KOOL-FM continues to be one of the most listened to stations in Phoenix with an airstaff anchored by 30 year market veterans Tom Peake and Steve Goddard along with the return of Camelback Jack at night and radio veteran Jeffrey T. Mason in middays.
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
music radio station
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...
in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, broadcasting on 94.5 FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
. The station is owned by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. The station features the hits of the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s and is one of the top performing stations in Phoenix. The focus is 1964 to 1979.
History
KOOL-FM began programming oldiesOldies
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....
music in 1971, a format brought to the station by Jerry Osborne, who used the air name Dan Coffey. Since the station did not have an oldies library, Osborne supplied all of the music from his own collection. The Dan Coffey Show, which aired on Saturday and Sunday nights, from 6:00 to midnight, immediately became the most popular program on KOOL-FM — so much so that they hired a woman (Pam MacKenzie) whose only job it was to answer the flood of calls and music requests for the Dan Coffey Show. At the time, no other station in the Phoenix market had an oldies format, and Osborne was given the freedom by KOOL-FM (then owned by Gene Autry
Gene Autry
Orvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
) to play anything he wanted.
Now the door to success was opened and by the end of 1971 the entire station followed. They switched to an all-oldies format.
In 1975, Osborne left radio to start his own publishing company. Before he left, he recorded thousands of oldies for the KOOL-FM music library.
By about 1983, KOOL was playing a small amount of 1980s music as well. Still, they focused on the music of the late 1960s. The station was co-owned with KOOL-AM 960. That station played strictly the music of 1955-1969 with an emphasis on the pre-1964 oldies. The stations were both owned by Adams Communications, along with then-CBS affiliate KOOL-TV, channel 10. Ownership and affiliation changes in the 1980s and 1990s saw it becoming KTSP and then Fox-owned KSAZ-TV
KSAZ-TV
KSAZ-TV, virtual channel 10.1, is the Fox owned-and-operated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV station KUTP ....
.
Adams kept KOOL-AM-FM when KOOL-TV was sold. The oldies format remained unchanged throughout the 1980s. They even brought their founder, Jerry Osborne, back via telephone interviews with him — a regular feature of the morning show with B.J. Hunter.
In the early 1990s, KOOL 960 began simulcasting KOOL-FM. At that point the music from the late 1970s and early 1980s was eliminated almost completely. The bulk of the music played was from 1964 to 1969 with a couple of songs per hour from the early 1970s and several pre-1964 oldies per hour. The station became more focused at that point. Colfax Broadcasting acquired the stations in 1994.
In 1996, Chancellor acquired KOOL-AM-FM. At that time they acquired several other stations in the market, bringing them to over their ownership limit of 8. They opted to sell KOOL-AM-FM was sold to Salem Media in 1997 and the AM, renamed KPXQ, became a Christian Talk station. In 2002, KPXQ became NewsTalk 960 KKNT
KKNT
KKNT is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Phoenix, Arizona, USA, the station serves the Phoenix area...
focusing on conservative talk radio.
KOOL-FM went to Infinity
Infinity
Infinity is a concept in many fields, most predominantly mathematics and physics, that refers to a quantity without bound or end. People have developed various ideas throughout history about the nature of infinity...
/CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. The music continued to be about the same until about 1999. At that point more late 1970s songs were added while the pre-1964 oldies were cut back slightly. In 2001, some early 1980s music was added and the pre 1964 oldies were cut to about 2 per hour. By 2003, as was the case was the oldies format continued to evolve, the pre 1964 oldies were eliminated almost completely with a handful of exceptions. More 1980s titles were also added at that point. Today the station, like most oldies outlets, has more of a classic hits format rather than a true oldies format.
In February 2008, CBS Radio made major layoffs that sent many longtime personalities packing, including Bill Gardner, John Michaels, Camelback Jack (who will later return), Dave Shannon, and several part-time personalities that had been with the station over the years, including Liz Boyle, Dennis Mitchell and Tony McGraw, aka "Skippy".
With the public release of Arbitron PPM data in July '09, KOOL-FM continues to be one of the most listened to stations in Phoenix with an airstaff anchored by 30 year market veterans Tom Peake and Steve Goddard along with the return of Camelback Jack at night and radio veteran Jeffrey T. Mason in middays.