History
KJR is the oldest station presently operating in Seattle, having been founded March 9, 1922. Beginning in the 1950's and lasting until 1981, KJR was a pioneer Top 40 radio station owned by entertainer Danny Kaye and Lester Smith, "Kaye/Smith Enterprises". In the 1960s, under the programming guidance of Pat O'Day, the station was top rated in Seattle and well known for introducing the Pacific Northwest to many recording stars such as Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts and the Ventures. Today, the call letters are used by KJR-FM, which broadcasts a format that includes many of the songs and shows (including original American Top 40 shows from the 1970s) from that era.
Competitors against KJR's top 40 format at the time included KOL-AM 1300, KING-AM 1090, and KIRO 710.
KJR would switch to soft adult contemporary in 1981, following in KING's footsteps. In 1986, the station shifted to oldies, playing the music that had made the station famous throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
KJR's shift to sports programming was a gradual evolution starting in 1989, when the station added some sports-themed shows in mid-days and afternoons. The rest of the music programming would be phased out in September 1991.
On November 4, 2011, at 7 AM, KJR began simulcasting on 102.9 FM, replacing country-formatted KNBQ. Clear Channel did not transfer the KJR-FM calls from 95.7 to 102.9.
Read more about this topic: KJR (AM)
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