Last Country Radio Station in San Francisco Area Sold, to Sign Off
Another major market in the United States will no longer have a major country music radio station. New York City lost its final station in October of 2021 when WNSH 94.7 Nash FM switched formats. Now the San Jose-based Country 95.3 KRTY has been sold and will be signing off as a country station as well, leaving the greater San Francisco metropolitan area without a country station.
In FCC filings, it was revealed that 95.3 was sold to the Educational Media Foundation, or EMF, which owns hundreds of Christian radio stations in the United States, and is expected to air religious content on the frequency, making the switch later this year.
Also making the news significant is that KRTY was one of the last independently-owned radio stations in the market, and one of the few independently-owned country radio stations in the United States. Started by Bob Kieve who was a former speechwriter for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he died in 2020 at the age of 98.
The station began broadcasting in 1989 right as country music’s “Class of ’89” (Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, et al) were making a big splash. At that time KRTY was one of numerous country stations in the region.
VP/General Manager Nate Deaton says, “This is the end of a magical era. Bob [Kieve] would be sorry to see the end of Country Radio in San Jose, but we know he would be proud to see how the employees at the station have honored his legacy since they lost Bob two years ago. We extend our congratulations and compliments to the entire team at EMF.”
According to Nielsen, ratings for the radio station were quite strong, with a 7.5 share in San Jose, and a 1.8 share in San Francisco. The station is reportedly being sold for $3.1 million to EMF. The sale is scheduled to close on June 1st, or when the FCC approves it. The changeover in format is expected to happen soon afterwards.
March 29, 2022 @ 11:48 am
Sad article, especially since I am about to move to San Jose, CA. In all truth, I can’t remember the last time I listened to FM radio. I spend all day listening to Radio Bristol from the Birth Place of Country Music.
March 29, 2022 @ 12:08 pm
Can’t believe i hadn’t heard of Radio Bristol before. Awesome stuff — thanks for the heads up!
March 29, 2022 @ 1:07 pm
No problem,
Just trying to spread the good word on great music. Radio Bristol is 80% bluegrass/vintage country/oldtime and 20% off the wall whatever music.
March 29, 2022 @ 2:00 pm
Bluegrasscountry.org is another one I listen to often.
June 10, 2022 @ 5:12 pm
It’s not like they actually play country all that much anymore. All they do is play the same pop songs out of Nashville over and over and over
March 29, 2022 @ 12:20 pm
I don’t listen to KRTY (mostly pop country), but my biggest concern is how this affects who plays at Club Rodeo in SJ (e.g. The station may have had a hand in bringing Randall King there last November).
March 29, 2022 @ 12:28 pm
Radio stations like this are definitely important partners to bringing musical acts to the region, and when you don’t have them, it can negatively impact that for sure.
March 29, 2022 @ 4:52 pm
Saw Jack Ingram there about a dozen years ago, when I lived at legacy fountain plaza, which was within walking distance. That place can get rowdy though on the weekends, and not in a good way…
March 29, 2022 @ 12:52 pm
Well a little religion out there won’t hurt.
March 29, 2022 @ 1:19 pm
I was a kid when NY lost WYNY; they gave them a real classy send-off, and everybody cried. But at the time, it was a huge loss. It was prior to the time of internet radio, and we actually had no access to country music.
But nowadays, it’s an afterthought and nobody who listened to that station will lose access to music. The real question is, was this a real country station or just trash that stole the name?
March 29, 2022 @ 1:31 pm
I just tuned into the KRTY livestream and it’s a lot of Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. I’m 15 mins into the stream and I want my 15 mins back.
March 29, 2022 @ 2:48 pm
It’s funny to me they are independent, they can play whatever they want- and the choose crap
March 29, 2022 @ 3:30 pm
That’s pretty much what I expected.
March 29, 2022 @ 2:23 pm
When KRTY signed on in 1989 it played real country. At that time we also had KEEN 1370 on the AM dial in San Jose, and KSAN in San Francisco. Those two disappeared in the early 90s. Sadly over the years KRTY drifted into the same kind of country heard on mainstream stations across the nation.
March 29, 2022 @ 2:36 pm
Country music doesn’t need that capital of debauchery and poop-filled streets.
March 29, 2022 @ 3:56 pm
Ummm…we love our country music here too. So be more Christ-like and save the judgement for someone who’s above all of our pay grades.
March 29, 2022 @ 5:35 pm
Love it so much that the lone station has shut down.
Sure.
March 30, 2022 @ 1:29 am
Did you read the article? Ratings were good. The station was sold because the owner died and religious broadcasters are the only one buying stations these days. This has more to do with FCC’s ridiculous ownership rules and lax enforcement of the public interest provision than the market’s need for a 5th religious FMer
June 2, 2022 @ 11:02 am
Countryknight Obviously can’t read. As for everyone whining about KRTY not being real country…that’s a bunch of nonsense. Music doesn’t need fickle nonsense, if newer country isn’t your gig….fine, but it’s your opinion. Disparaging what many others prefer is a foolish.
March 29, 2022 @ 3:11 pm
So, Trigger can’t abide the queer jokes; jokes which every REAL MAN finds very humorous.
Hmm . . .
March 29, 2022 @ 4:12 pm
No, we are not allowing “queer jokes” on this post or any other.
As for your insinuation, if I was “queer,” I would have declared as much many months ago. It would have been the best thing for my career, and I could use it as a shield and a cudgel to my advantage.
March 29, 2022 @ 6:32 pm
Cudgel? You might be a little light in the loafers with language like that, Kyle. Stay fabulous cowboy!
March 30, 2022 @ 8:44 am
Speaking of queers, does any one know if Sunshine Saloon in SF is still going. I went a few times and they played solid (if mostly 90s) country. And apparently on of the bigger queer country dance events.
March 29, 2022 @ 4:21 pm
What the hell? What are you, 12 years old?
March 29, 2022 @ 6:16 pm
That’s an insult to twelve year olds.
April 3, 2022 @ 9:23 am
Last time I checked, I was a “real man”, and I haven’t found queer jokes funny since I was about 13.
March 29, 2022 @ 3:27 pm
I live in San Jose and haven’t listened to KRTY since the late 90’s. Country music has all but disappeared from the Bay Area with KEEN, KFAT, and KSAN all changing formats and the Saddle Rack closing a few years ago. Luckily this is the age of the internet, go listen to Gimme Country on the web or download the app from your various app stores. Plays all the great stuff curated by musicians and fans of REAL country music!!
March 29, 2022 @ 4:50 pm
No Saddle Rack?! What the hell happened?! That place was BOOMING ten years ago… hmmm, I may have answered my own question…
March 30, 2022 @ 8:59 am
It did pretty well when it moved from SJ to Fremont. However it did not survive the first few weeks of the pandemic, closing permanently three weeks into the first shelter in place.
March 30, 2022 @ 8:42 am
The Saddle Rack closed. Damn. I went there once with friends of friends and was STUNNED at how damn country that place was. My friends thought it was a top 40 bar.
I hope sunshine saloon still two-steps on.
I will say in Berkeley there is Freight and Salvage which does a damn good job of hosting country acts. Saw Kathy Mattea there, Marty Stuart, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Secret Sisters….
March 30, 2022 @ 9:03 am
Never heard of Sunshine Saloon so I’d assume it is no more. I’ve been to Freight & Salvage to see Junior Brown. It’s a weird venue- all seats, no dance floor. Not allowed to stand, staff gives you the side eye if you order more than one or two beers throughout the evening. Moe’s Alley, Felton Music Hall, The Catalyst (all in Santa Cruz) seem to be booking a decent amount of country. Occasionally The Ritz in SJ will get a country act in. Ivy Room in the East Bay, but it’s very small.
April 4, 2022 @ 8:56 am
Yeah the sometimes will remove the front seats. They did for Asleep at The Wheel. But I’ve never had any side eye. I always dance ALWAYS. But I am in the back or on the side. I agree overall about the seats though (for any venue). I need to dance!!!
March 29, 2022 @ 5:55 pm
I haven’t tuned in for awhile but KPIG though not strictly country plays a lot of amazing music. I saw Merle Haggard, Billy Joe Shaver, Dave Alvin, Tom Russell, Todd Snider, REK, Rodney Crowell, Bernie Leadon and a whole lot more at the handful of shows I was able to attend when they did the Fat Fry events. They were broadcasting in SF as well as Santa Cruz last I knew. They did get bought out years ago by people Laura Ellen Hopper thought were idiots but no format change. I think most fans of roots music would like it.
March 29, 2022 @ 9:01 pm
I wonder why Cracker hasn’t suggested that this is due to the radio station having been vaccinated
March 30, 2022 @ 11:33 am
SomaFM.com out of San Francisco has a country feed called Boot Liquor. Pretty good play list though it is a bit repetitive after a while.
March 31, 2022 @ 7:55 am
I enjoy reading the many opinions in these replies because of the many radio stations call letters included. I use the call letters, included in the comments, to seek out great radio stations to listen to online. Then I contact those stations to offer them our 300 half-hour “Country Gospel” programs that we have created.
April 1, 2022 @ 2:56 pm
Bless your heart.
April 1, 2022 @ 7:26 am
That may not be the end for the music that is now known as “country” on the radio in that region. Given KRTY’s track record it’s possible that another underperforming radio station in that area might see the opportunity and pick up the format. They might even hire some or all of the KRTY staff.
I do feel very sorry for the hard-working KRTY folks that made that station successful for the past 30+ years. Nothing worse than getting the rug pulled from underneath you when you were doing everything well. More and more jobs in radio are disappearing everyday so it may be difficult for many on the staff to find another opportunity in radio.
April 1, 2022 @ 1:46 pm
Yes! Gimme some of that disco!
April 5, 2022 @ 4:23 pm
UPDATE: The country format is back in the Bay area, with the debut of “Bay Country” on 94.5 Gilroy (San Jose) and 92.1 Walnut Creek.
First song was Thomas Rhett “What’s Your Country Song?”.
April 5, 2022 @ 6:16 pm
Thanks for the update Chris.
April 7, 2022 @ 7:19 am
Additional detail courtesy of Country Aircheck. Bad news for the listeners is that the new country station will be airing the dreadful Bobby Bonehead syndicated morning show:
Alpha Classic Hits KBAY/San Jose flipped to Country Tuesday (4/5) at 3pm PT as “Bay Country 94-5,” with sister AC KKDV at 92.1 joining in a simulcast Wednesday (4/6). The move comes 13 days after the sale and imminent format change of the Bay Area’s sole Country station, Empire KRTY/San Jose, was announced. KBAY operates with 44,000 watts covering the south bay area and transmits from the same tower as the last San Jose Country competitor did from 2014-2016, Cumulus KSJO. KKDV operates with 3,000 watts and covers Contra Costa County in the northeastern part of the San Francisco market. In the February Nielsens, KRTY was No.1 in San Jose with a station record 7.5 share, while KBAY was 6th with a 4.7. In the San Francisco ratings (which includes San Jose), KRTY was tied for 20th with a 1.8, KBAY was tied for 24th with a 1.2 and KKDV was tied for 33rd with a 0.2. Premiere syndicated The Bobby Bones Show will be in mornings beginning April 15, with a local staff to be announced in other dayparts.
April 8, 2022 @ 3:11 pm
Even though I didn’t listen very often I’m sad to see 95.3 go. I would put it on once a while to see what was happening in pop country and was happy they brought some regional musicians like Aaron Watson to the area.
June 10, 2022 @ 5:16 pm
I’m sorry but krTY was a joke. Just because you play pop songs that come out of Nashville does not make it country. I’m glad I don’t have to hear those 2 idiots in the morning either