San Jose's oldest rock station switches to Spanish programming

modbee ^ | 10-29-04

[LouAvul]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The city's oldest rock station has started programming in Spanish, a move industry officials say was prompted by the growing influence of the area's Hispanic population and the graying of the rock market.

The last complete English song to play on KSJO-FM (92.3), which started as a rock station in 1968, was Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" Thursday night.

Instead of hard rock staples such as Metallica and AC/DC, the station now plays "La Preciosa," an oldies hit format featuring hits by Vicente Fernandez, Los Bukis and Juan Gabriel.

Also featured is morning host Alex Lucas, a fan favorite in Monterey, Salinas and 14 other Clear Channel markets.

"The fastest part of the market is Latin," said Clear Channel Communications Regional Vice President Ed Krampf. "And rock is having trouble. Young white kids are listening to hip-hop, and the other young segment is Hispanic. ... Sometimes you just have to move on."

[gripper]

Thats freakin' depressing...WTH,are the corporate guys aware that there's LOTS of people(including Chicano kids!)that play&listen to harcore,punk&speed metal?Not to mention roots rockers...talk about an obvious bit of PC puckerin' up...

[montomike]

I remember listening to the last seconds of KMET, the mighty met, in LA in the 80's. It was replaced by cool jazz.

Fraser Smith, Paraquat and all the others.

[Owl558]

Turned it on this morning and had to double-check the station. Guess I won't be going back to listen.

[lormand]

I quit listening to Rock Stations a few years ago. Although I love Rock Music, the DJs are usually limp wristed, purse swinging, panzies who spout "useful idiot" garbage.

[anniegetyourgun]

Hip hop and Spanish language stations - that's 'bout all we get here in S. FL too......

[Rodney Dangerfield]

Noooooooooooooo! Say it ain't so!

I travel to SJ to work about 2x per week and always listen to KSJO while there.

Been listening to them for at least 25 years.

Not anymore.

[Doe Eyes]

Oh well, at least it wasn't country music. Talk about songs for limp d*%ks.

[pipecorp]

I'm on a
Mexican
woa woa
radio.

[Dave278]

Get used to it... If the borders are not tightened up we will all be speaking spanish in a few years.

[dc-zoo]

Hey.. join the club. That stuff happens all the time here in south texas.

[Avalon66]

I grew up listening to KSJO and KOME they were great rock stations back then, what a bummer. :-(

[jimbo123]

i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
and the touch of a world that is older
i turn the switch and check the number
i leave it on when in bed i slumber
i hear the rhythms of the music
i buy the product and never use it
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican radio

i dial it in and tune the station
they talk about the u.s. inflation
i understand just a little
no comprende - it's a riddle

i'm on a mexican radio

i wish i was in tiajuana
eating barbequed iguana
i take requests on the telephone
i'm on a wavelength far from home
i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
i dial it in from the south of the border
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican radio

what does he say?

[Hank Rearden]

I suppose with a CD player and satellite radio, you could tell Aztlan to go pound sand.

[Ptarmigan]

We have lots of Spanish stations in Houston.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

I'm having to learn Spanish in order to communicate with my sister's nurses.

This is probably how the Roman Empire died: people just started going native once the government made it clear they would no longer exert the effort necessary to maintain the culture.

Of course the Spanish radio and TV stations have retained the finest bits of Americana in their programming: teen-pop divas, soap operas, Jerry-Springer freakfests, and infomercials for specially colored rocks that will improve our fortunes ... NOW only $39.99!

[Hoof Hearted]

I was program director at KSJO from 1975-1980, and the news of the change was sad though not unexpected. The culture has changed radically, and the cookie-cutter sameness of corporate radio hasn't helped, but no radio format can survive in todays market when it hasn't updated it's playlist since the late '70's. Do you really want to hear Freebird or Stairway To Heaven every day? It is sad to watch the end of an era, but it's really the right time.

[Alberta's Child]

There are more Spanish stations than rock stations here in New York.

I wouldn't read too much into this, though. With the growth of satellite radio and iPods, MP3s, etc., network radio is eventually going to be aimed primarily at a lower-class market in this country.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

This is why satellite radio was invented. It may be the one thing that saves rock'n'roll from airwave oblivion.

[skeeter]

Wonderful. I grew up on AM stations KLIV, KFRC and KYA, then went FM with KOME & KSJO in the early seventies.

KSJO was the last one in the original format.

I hate this crap.