Format Change: Mellow Rock KNX-FM Los Angeles flips to CHR as HitRadio 93 | August 25, 1983

93.1 Los Angeles KKHR KNX-FM

Perhaps the most coveted aircheck on this site from Los Angeles is this format change of 93.1 FM from ‘Mellow Rock’ KNX-FM to “HitRadio 93” KKHR. Your webmaster’s experience with CBS Radio’s ‘Mellow Rock’ format is from Boston, where 103.3 WEEI-FM was Boston’s “Soft Rock”. In that case, WEEI-FM took a month to do a gradual change from Soft Rock to Top 40, then eventually a tighter CHR as WHTT (Today’s WODS).

In Los Angeles, this abrupt flip to CHR was immediately preceeded by a tastefully done history of Mellow Rock KNX-FM’s format and jingles. It marked the end of a ten year period where the ‘Mellow Rock’ format grew and flourished.

This aircheck marks the end of probably the most stable and best remembered period in 93.1’s history. The start of the HitRadio 93 format will evoke another emotion. This aircheck is about one third KNX-FM and two thirds HitRadio.

One other interesting tidbit – The KKHR call letters that were identified with HitRadio 93 were not yet authorized by the FCC, so when HitRadio launches with Todd Parker at 3:00 PM, the first legal ID is for HitRadio 93, KNX-FM Los Angeles. In Boston, HitRadio 103 began its life as WEEI-FM and later became WHTT. I guess in the corporate world, new trends tend to roll out in similar fashion at different offices, it’s mostly no different in radio.