A legendary Southern California basic rock station is pulling the plug on its DJs, shedding its whole on-air employees because it flips to a completely automated, music-only format.
KCAL, a longtime staple of the Inland Empire radio dial, introduced the sweeping adjustments will take impact August 1, with dad or mum firm Anaheim Broadcasting Company promising listeners “nothing however music all day throughout the Inland Empire.”
Chief Working Officer Kelly Sanders stated the DJ-free format will imply fewer interruptions and extra nonstop basic rock, in line with a social media announcement.
“KCAL has a longstanding historical past within the Inland Empire, and this subsequent chapter builds on the station’s sturdy rock heritage,” Sanders stated in a information launch, per the Orange County Register.
“We rebuilt KCAL across the music our listeners grew up on, the songs and the artists that made basic rock, and we constructed it proper right here at house.”
“KCAL will ship a centered, constant listening expertise with broader enchantment for each our viewers and promoting companions,” Sanders added.
The transfer leaves greater than a dozen on-air expertise out of labor like John DeSantis, Nikki Preston, and Patrick Tish.
DJ DeSantis took to social media to submit concerning the massacre calling the layoffs surprising.
“Nicely, it’s lastly our flip. This morning the possession of KCAL launched all the air employees,” DeSantis wrote.
“Sure, all of us.”
“They are going to be transferring to an automatic, human-less format. To say that is surprising is an understatement.”
“I’ve so much to course of, and can be saying extra shortly,” he added. “However for proper now, I simply wish to thank all of you for letting me be a part of the KCAL household. It has been a radio dream come true. You’ll at all times rock.”
The layoffs included longtime favourite like veteran Daryl Norsell, who’s been with KCAL for 42 years.
“Yeah, it’s true. Your entire KCAL air employees was let go right now. Patrick within the Morning, Nikki Preston, John DeSantis, and myself,” Norsell wrote.
“Plus our superior weekend crew. After an incredible 42 yr run with the station, the final 36 within the Afternoon present, I can’t be something however grateful.”
The layoffs prolonged to the weekend crew and fill-in employees like Syeda Jafri, Jeremiah Paul, and Rogelio Orozco, Steve “Razz” Brazill, Mike “Mike Z” Zara, Kelli Cluque, amongst others, per the report.
“It was an unimaginable 20 years as a weekend and fill-in DJ on 96.7 KCAL Rocks,” Jafri stated. “From Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Tommy Chong, I’ve had the privilege of assembly among the most fascinating folks and rock stars, however even radio has a shelf life.”
It’s unclear precisely what number of different folks on the station misplaced their jobs. The Publish reached out to KCAL for extra data.
