First, it was WWJ-AM in Detroit.
Now, another AM radio station that has a rich history alongside that of KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh and KCBS-AM in San Francisco is being saluted by the owner of all of these spoken word giants — Entercom.
The company led by President/CEO David Field is officially celebrating 100 years of KNX-AM 1070, the News station serving Los Angeles and Southern California.
KNX signed on the air Sept. 10, 1920 as “6ADZ.” It was May 1922 that the KNX call letters were assigned, and in 1936 it became CBS’s West Coast flagship property. A March 1941 wholesale shift of AM broadcast signals placed KNX on 1070 kHZ, where it remains today.
Starting Tuesday (9/8), the station will air “KNX: a Century of Covering Southern California,” a history-rich, eight-part on-air series to commemorate its centennial anniversary and pay tribute to former employees who helped grow KNX.
On Sept. 10, the station’s official anniversary, KNX will reimage itself for the day using memorable jingles, sounders and sound bites from the previous 100 years.
KNX’s all-News format dates to spring 1968. Its earlier success can be tied to a Full Service format and one of radio’s first “shock jocks,” Bob Crane. As morning host, KNX rode a wave of success from 1957 to 1965 as a hip air talent in the pre-“Boss Radio” era. He was later known to audiences for his starring role in the sitcom Hogan’s Heroes.
“The history of Southern California, this county and our world have been painted by so many legendary broadcasters over the years, which is a daily reminder of the historic brand that KNX is,” said Jeff Federman, Regional President of Entercom Southern California. “I am proud to be a small part of the history of KNX and am grateful of the team here today carrying the torch that our predecessors passed to us. I look forward to celebrating 100 years of this iconic brand.”
