KKGO-FM to Add Classical to Its Jazz

KKGO-FM, the area’s only commercial all-jazz radio station, will begin programming classical music in January.

“We’ve decided to come to the rescue of the classical audience,” said KKGO general manager and president Saul Levine, referring to the rumored format change at all-classical KFAC-FM.

KKGO, which has been an all-jazz station since its inception in 1959, will continue to play jazz around the clock on its AM station, KKGO-AM (540), which had been a low-power station but is being expanded with new equipment including a 25,000-watt transmitter.

Levine said he plans to turn over the lion’s share of programming hours on its FM station (105.1) to classical music. Classical music will be heard from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the FM station. The remaining night and early morning hours, the station will simulcast the jazz being broadcast on the AM signal, he said.

“We feel very dedicated to the jazz format and we wouldn’t do anything that would take jazz off the air,” Levine said. “We were cast in this dilemma: We’re devoted to jazz but we also weren’t going to stand by and see L.A. left without a classical music station. So, we’re going to do both. We think it will be a nice mix. Actually, we’re hoping classical listeners will listen to jazz too.”

According to industry observers, KFAC-FM (92.3) general manager Jim De Castro told his employees last month to expect a change to a contemporary or album rock format at the station in September. However, this information had not been made public. The station was purchased by Evergreen Media Corp. in January for $55 million and speculation of a format change has been widespread since then. (Evergreen owns several rock radio stations around the country.)

Two months ago, Levine said he had decided that KKGO-AM would begin broadcasting classical music in July. He decided against that plan when he became convinced that KFAC would indeed change formats and realized that this switch would leave no commercial classical station on the FM dial.

Levine further maintained that the sound distinctions of the two musical formats would best be served with jazz--which tends to use fewer instruments--on AM and classical orchestras broadcast on FM stereo.

“A jazz group with piano, drums and a sax will sound very good on AM, whereas 50 violins with strings that go way off the end of the sound spectrum will sound better in FM,” Levine said. “For those who want to hear jazz in full fidelity on stereo, they’ll still be able to hear it at a certain time on FM.”

He said that the FM station would continue to cover special jazz events such as the Playboy Jazz Festival or the Long Beach Jazz Festival.

“We’ll preempt the classical programming,” Levine said. “I’m sure our classical audience that doesn’t want to hear it will understand and come back afterward.”

Jazz fans had mixed reactions to the change.

Said Bob Popescu, owner of Catalina Bar and Grill, a jazz club in Hollywood: “I think it’s a bad idea, because for people like me that listen to KKGO all the time in my car . . . it’s the only station I listen to, and I don’t want to switch around. I may not continue to listen to KKGO.”

Said KKGO listener Ann Erb: “I think it’s an excellent combination: jazz for the evening, classical in the day,”

Levine said his station has been acquiring a library of classical recordings over the past few months and now has “thousands of works.”

Members of the classical music community expressed relief that another commercial station plans to pick up the classical format.

“We certainly need these stations to service the classical music lovers of Southern California,” said Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra spokeswoman Norma Flynn. “We’re very pleased that KKGO and Saul Levine will be coming in. He’s a knight in shining armor.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said Rae Macdonald, production manager of Los Angeles Master Chorale, who said she listens to jazz at night and classical music by day.

Reaction among KFAC staffers to KKGO’s attempt to rescue classical programming was a bit more hesitant, however. Some worried that the station’s manager and Levine had struck a deal that might preclude another station owner from stepping forward and picking up KFAC’s classical format and library. Sources say De Castro has been peddling KFAC’s library and its call letters for the past few months anticipating a public outcry over the format change.

But, Levine said that the price--estimated by industry insiders at more than $1 million--was too steep.

“There’s absolutely no deal between us,” Levine said. “And there’s no understanding, no payments, not anything. We’re just proceeding on our own without any kind of contact with (KFAC).”

Classical music can also be heard on KUSC-FM (91.5), a public radio station. However, the number of hours of classical programming on that station has dropped as more news programs and other forms of musical programming have been added.

Contributing to this story was Rachel Altman.