KPWR - Programming

Programming

Leaning heavily on hip hop and broadening their music mix to challenge competitors, KPWR's core listening audience is geared toward youth and young adults ages 18 to 34, including large English speaking Latino listeners. KPWR is, by de facto, the only full market hip hop station, after its rival, KKBT (now KSWD), flipped from mainstream urban to urban adult-contemporary in May 2006. Meanwhile KDAY, the station that would inherit "The Beat" slogan from KKBT, flipped to Urban AC in August 2008, only to return to a Mainstream Urban direction in January 2009. KDAY's signal does not cover the market in full, which might have played a factor in its brief decision to switch formats, as KDAY broadcasts from a Class A transmitter in Baldwin Hills that is limited in signal range vs KPWR's Class B; ironically KDAY had shifted to Rhythmic in July 2007, only to return to Urban a few weeks later.

Other stations in the market have other primary interests; KIIS plays Top 40 music, KAMP-FM, like Power 106, also plays Rhythmic Contemporary but bills itself as a Top 40/CHR, KXOL has their hurban format, KXOS (KPWR's former sister station) plays a Dance-leaning Rhythmic Top 40 format that features english-language music but uses Spanish-speaking DJs, and KHHT their Rhythmic Adult Contemporary direction. After KDAY began shifting to Old-School Hip-Hop in August 2009, KPWR briefly increased its playlist with Hip-Hop currents, but as of 2010 it began embracing Electropop tracks, and with KAMP moving in on their audience with their shift towards Rhythmic, KPWR continues to add Rhythmic Pop tracks in an effort to retain its Hispanic base, as they see KAMP as a serious competitor. As of 2011, Power 106 had decreased the amount of plays they give to Rhythmic Pop tracks so it can focus on R&B/Hip Hop product, but given the changing taste among its listeners, it continues to add the occasional Rhythmic Pop/Dance track, as it contributes to both Mediabase and BDS Rhythmic reporting panels but remains heavily within the R&B/Hip Hop area. Power 106 finished 2011 #1 Adults 18-34 for three straight ratings periods, fending off competitors from large media conglomerates CBS and Clear Channel Media as a stand-alone FM in Los Angeles.

Although Power 106 had moved away from the Dance music scene in favor of Hip-Hop, KPWR continues to support the genre through the program "Power Tools", produced by Gerry Meraz and hosted by Richard Vission. Power Tools, which airs late night Saturday/Early Sunday morning from 2 to 4am, is also the station's longest running program, debuting in 1992. In addition, they do revisit their Dance and Freestyle music roots during their mixes, especially The World Famous Aquanet Set, which they air on Fridays. In 2008 KPWR began phasing in current Dance and Rhythmic Pop crossovers into their daily and weekend mix shows again, as evidenced by addition of the daily noontime "Power 106 Party Mix," which replaced the Old School mixshow. Power 106 features the daily, "Mickey Fickey Mix" with DJ E-Man at 5:20, 6:20, 7:20, 8:20 and 9:20am, the "Power Party Mix" with DJ Reflex at noon, the New@2 mix with DJ Felli Fel and Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5pm feature celebrity guest DJs with the Jump-off mix.

For a time in 1996, Power 106 switched genres and began to focus more on house music which then was very popular among Latino listeners. They began to play less hip-hop, as many listeners switched over to former rival KKBT. They eventually reverted to Hip-Hop/R&B by the fall of that year, and hired former security guard Big Boy to host the morning show, replacing the veteran Baka Boyz. The Baka Boyz were moved to afternoons, before being dropped by Power and moving to KKBT in 1999, where they would only last several months before KKBT switched genres. The Baka Boyz later moved to San Diego and worked for XHMORE ("Blazin 98.9 FM"), a Rhythmic Top 40 radio station with the same format as Power 106. The Baka Boyz left that station in 2007 (XHMORE would later drop the Rhythmic format in 2008) and now concentrate on their syndicated Hip-Hop remix show "The Baka Boyz Master Mix."

In May 2010, KPWR began streaming the station online.

In September 2011, Power 106 was named Large Market CHR Radio station of the year and awarded the Marconi at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Chicago, Illinois.

On September 19, 2011, Power 106 partnered with Jelli.com and launched a Facebook integrated music streaming platform that was announced at Facebook's f8 convention. Power 106's jelli station www.jelli.com/power106 features new music that is promoted on Power 106's New@2 program. Listeners can "rocket" songs up and vote them off the playlist with a "bomb". Songs can be dedicated and sent to friends via email and on their Facebook pages.

In June 2012, Power 106 was named by Radio Ink as "Best Radio Station Website" at its annual digital convention in San Jose, California. Earlier in the year, Power 106 was recognized as having the best use of Social Media and as "Best Digital Partner" by ThinkLA.com

In June 2012 Power 106 partnered with Tune-In and iHeart Radio to provide the Power 106 stream on their apps.

On July 29, 2012, Power 106 was nominated as Major Market Station of the Year for the NAB Marconi Awards.

On September 18, 2012 Power 106 wins Silver “Best in Show” for best website at the 2012 W3 Awards.