KUZZ
Encyclopedia
KUZZ and KUZZ-FM (107.9 FM
) are American radio station
s licensed
to serve Bakersfield, California
, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company (which is controlled by the estate of the late Buck Owens
) and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.
They broadcast a simulcast country music
format to the inland central California region. KUZZ's radio signals can extend over 100 miles, from Los Angeles
on some nights to Fresno
with a little better audio in the north, all away to Barstow
in the Mojave Desert
and to Santa Maria
by the Pacific Ocean
.
KUZZ was also the call sign of television station
channel 45 which Owens owned at one time. It is now MyNetworkTV
affiliate KUVI.
. In 1960, the station manager, a local country and western star named "Cousin" Herb Henson, changed the calls to KUZZ. In 1966, country music singer Buck Owens
purchased the station, but kept the country format. One year later in 1967, Owens also purchased the 107.9 frequency. When Owens purchased the frequency, he did not actually start playing country music. He started it out as an alternative rock station. The calls letters for the new 107.9 would be KBBY-FM
.
In 1969 after low ratings at 107.9, Owens flipped the station to country and western and changed the call letters to KZIN-FM
. KUZZ and KZIN were sister stations and both played a country format but KZIN differed from KUZZ by playing more new country than KUZZ. In 1977, plans were made to purchase rival country station AM 970 KBIS-AM. During that same time 800 AM was being sold to Four Square Gospel Church which was headquartered in Los Angeles. The plan for 800 AM was to flip the format from country to a Christian format.
In January 1977, 107.9 KZIN-FM
flipped formats from country to an album oriented rock station. The first song on the new 107.9 was "New Kid In Town" by the Eagles. The new calls letters were KKXX-FM. At this time, 970 AM KUZZ became a full time 24-hour country station (before then, it had been known as a "daytimer" and would only broadcast during the day and turn off at night). In 1984, Buck Owens increased the power of KUZZ to 5,000 watts and also purchased another AM country radio station, 550 KAFY
.
A couple years later, management at the station 970 AM KUZZ and 550 KAFY, decided to exchange dial positions. With music formats on the decline on the AM band, people just weren't listening to AM radio anymore. It was all about FM Radio now. In 1988, after competitors were saying they would bring country music to the FM dial, Owens decided to do that as well. He flipped rock station 107.9 KKXX to now country KUZZ. The logo of the station is an artist impression of Owens' famous red, white, and blue guitar, which he used throughout most of his career.
and the syndicated show After Midnite with Blair Garner. Weekend and fill-in hosts include Cori McGinty, Vicki Pepper, Kerri Caffee, Kenny Hernandez, and Jim Diamond.
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
) are American 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...
s licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to serve Bakersfield, California
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....
, USA. The stations are owned by Buck Owens Production Company (which is controlled by the estate of the late Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
) and the licenses are held by Owens One Company Inc.
They broadcast a simulcast 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 the inland central California region. KUZZ's radio signals can extend over 100 miles, from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on some nights to Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
with a little better audio in the north, all away to Barstow
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
and to Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
by the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
.
KUZZ was also the call sign of television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
channel 45 which Owens owned at one time. It is now MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
affiliate KUVI.
History
In 1958, KUZZ (then KIKK) first began broadcasting a country music format on 800 AMAM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
. In 1960, the station manager, a local country and western star named "Cousin" Herb Henson, changed the calls to KUZZ. In 1966, country music singer Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
purchased the station, but kept the country format. One year later in 1967, Owens also purchased the 107.9 frequency. When Owens purchased the frequency, he did not actually start playing country music. He started it out as an alternative rock station. The calls letters for the new 107.9 would be KBBY-FM
KBBY-FM
KBBY-FM is a commercial radio station located in Ventura, California, broadcasting to the Oxnard-Ventura, California area on 95.1 FM. KBBY airs a hot adult contemporary music format, and branded as "B 95.1"...
.
In 1969 after low ratings at 107.9, Owens flipped the station to country and western and changed the call letters to KZIN-FM
KZIN-FM
KZIN-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Shelby, Montana. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and licensed to Townsquare Media Shelby License, LLC. It airs a Country music format....
. KUZZ and KZIN were sister stations and both played a country format but KZIN differed from KUZZ by playing more new country than KUZZ. In 1977, plans were made to purchase rival country station AM 970 KBIS-AM. During that same time 800 AM was being sold to Four Square Gospel Church which was headquartered in Los Angeles. The plan for 800 AM was to flip the format from country to a Christian format.
In January 1977, 107.9 KZIN-FM
KZIN-FM
KZIN-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Shelby, Montana. The station is owned by Townsquare Media, and licensed to Townsquare Media Shelby License, LLC. It airs a Country music format....
flipped formats from country to an album oriented rock station. The first song on the new 107.9 was "New Kid In Town" by the Eagles. The new calls letters were KKXX-FM. At this time, 970 AM KUZZ became a full time 24-hour country station (before then, it had been known as a "daytimer" and would only broadcast during the day and turn off at night). In 1984, Buck Owens increased the power of KUZZ to 5,000 watts and also purchased another AM country radio station, 550 KAFY
KAFY
KAFY is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish Oldies format. Licensed to Bakersfield, California, USA, the station is currently owned by La Favorita Radio Network, Inc.-History:...
.
A couple years later, management at the station 970 AM KUZZ and 550 KAFY, decided to exchange dial positions. With music formats on the decline on the AM band, people just weren't listening to AM radio anymore. It was all about FM Radio now. In 1988, after competitors were saying they would bring country music to the FM dial, Owens decided to do that as well. He flipped rock station 107.9 KKXX to now country KUZZ. The logo of the station is an artist impression of Owens' famous red, white, and blue guitar, which he used throughout most of his career.
Programming
The programming on this station features local personalities, most notably the locally-produced morning show Gradowitz in the Morning which includes host Steve Gradowitz and Geoff Emery. Other weekday programming includes Casey McBride on mid-mornings and music director Toni-Marie on mid-days. Toni-Marie's show features "The Country Cafe", an hour of requests during the lunch hour. Chris Conner is on afternoons and currently Brent Michaels is on nights. The night show is an all-request show and includes "The Top 8@8", a countdown of the eight most requested songs of the day. Overnights feature Blair GarnerBlair Garner
Blair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
and the syndicated show After Midnite with Blair Garner. Weekend and fill-in hosts include Cori McGinty, Vicki Pepper, Kerri Caffee, Kenny Hernandez, and Jim Diamond.