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KABL and KFRC

C

cc333

This is my thread dedicated to discussing all things KABL and KFRC. If it goes off topic, that's OK. If it gets totally out there and ends up getting locked, that's fine too. I'll just open a new one!

I am currently enjoying some wonderful airchecks of the good old KABL I remember from 2001-2004, and I will soon also being enjoying some good KFRC from the same period.

I'm aware of the online KABL revival, which is a valiant effort that I greatly appreciate, but since it's intended to be a sort of amalgamation of all of KABLs various formats, it comes across to me as kind of choppy and disjointed. The KABL I remember was, by comparison, very smooth sounding and well produced, and I was just wondering (as I listen to the aircheck from 2001) if maybe somehow a proper and more focused recreation of KABL from the specific 2001-2004 period and put it on the air somehow, perhaps as a non-commercial, donation supported station (since this kind of music mostly died out as a viable commercial format about 20 years ago). Of course it would have a few polishes and updates, but it would try to stay as close to the original as possible.

I don't know about the original jingles, which would be used if possible, but the online KABL amalgamation got permission to use them, so I don't see why this venture couldn't either.

I know that streaming is the future of commercial radio, and the traditional over the air approach is becoming obsolete, but I think broadcast radioas a small, non-com community-supported station (Part 15, maybe even?), it can still work over the air, and thus I don't think it needs a huge audience to succeed. The hardest part would be affording licensing and finding/building the transmitting facilities, so this may just be a pipe dream.

But it's something to think about.

It could even be a soundalike that doesn't explicitly use KABL branding, so it can achieve a similar sound without being locked into a specific identity (it can thus be used as a blueprint for similar stations in other regions).

c
 
cc333 said:
The KABL I remember was, by comparison, very smooth sounding and well produced,
Click to expand...

KABL's program director in those days was Bob Hamilton, who was one of the best. He was PD at KRTH from 1977-1986, then KSFO/KYA-FM and KFRC AM&FM after Magic 61 was put out to pasture. He moved to KABL and programmed the old KABL-FM in its Big 98.1 incarnation.
 
cc333 said:
I don't know about the original jingles, which would be used if possible, but the online KABL amalgamation got permission to use them, so I don't see why this venture couldn't either.
Click to expand...

More likely than permission would be that David Ferrell Jackson paid to license the jingles, and he'd likely be the one who'd have a problem if you used them too.
 
michael hagerty said:
KABL's program director in those days was Bob Hamilton, who was one of the best.
Click to expand...
That explains it. He did an excellent job!

michael hagerty said:
More likely than permission would be that David Ferrell Jackson paid to license the jingles, and he'd likely be the one who'd have a problem if you used them too.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I guess the only way to know for sure is to ask him how much and to whom he paid to license the jingles, and do the same if possible. Does that happen?

c
 
cc333 said:
Hmm, I guess the only way to know for sure is to ask him how much and to whom he paid to license the jingles, and do the same if possible. Does that happen?

c
Click to expand...

Jingles are usually licensed on an exclusive basis. And if David has trademarked or servicemarked the call letters, that would be another barrier.
 
I listened to KABL from circa 1998-2006, and I too liked the playlist from these years. The only drawback is that the playlist was fairly small. It would be wonderful to listen again to KABL circa 1998-2006.
 
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