The San Francisco Bay Area is undergoing something of an earthquake on the talk radio/news side of the air with several stations modifying formats and changing call letters.
Leading the way is the change by long-time talker KGO(AM), recently acquired by Cumulus Media in the Citadel Broadcasting deal, to a news format in early December. A number of show hosts and personnel left the station in the shake-up.
Two former KGO hosts, Gene Burns and Len Tillem are moving over to what will become Clear Channel Radio’s Newstalk 910. It is currently the news-talk formatted KNEW(AM) Fox News Radio but will become KKSF(AM) and have more local talk.
The KNEW call letters will be repurposed for the 960 kHz frequency, currently occupied by another Clear Channel Radio property, KKGN “Green 960,” a progressive talker. The (slightly) new format will be, according to a release, “960 AM KNEW, Opinions. Finance. Advice.” The Clear Channel Radio changes begin on Jan. 3.
