As of today, KCAL-FM 96.7 is dropping its active rock format and live on-air personalities for an automated “All Music, All the Time” classic rock approach.
Anaheim Broadcasting Corporation, the station’s owner, announced the shift in a news release Friday, saying the change expands KCAL’s musical focus with a broader selection of classic rock spanning multiple generations while sharply reducing interruptions.
“KCAL has a longstanding history in the Inland Empire, and this next chapter builds on the station’s strong rock heritage,” said Kelly Sanders, Chief Operating Officer of Anaheim Broadcasting Corporation. “We rebuilt KCAL around the music our listeners grew up on — the songs and the artists that made classic rock — and we built it right here at home. KCAL will deliver a focused, consistent listening experience with broader appeal for both our audience and advertising partners.”
The Inland Empire station, licensed to Redlands and serving the Riverside-San Bernardino market, will emphasize the songs and artists that defined the genre, delivering a more consistent, music-heavy listening experience.
The move also creates two complementary adult-targeted music brands for the company in the region. KCAL’s new classic rock programming will pair with sister station KOLA-FM 99.9’s classic hits format, giving advertisers distinct options for reaching established adult consumers.
The format change comes with the dismissal of the entire on-air staff. Among those let go were evening host and program director John DeSantis (six years with the station), longtime afternoon host and programming director Daryl Norsell (42 years at KCAL, including 36 years in afternoons), morning host and imaging director Patrick Tish (13 years), and midday host and public service director Nikki Preston (eight years).
DeSantis confirmed the layoffs in a public Facebook post, describing the shift to an “automated, human-less format” as shocking and thanking listeners for their support.
KCAL-FM signed on in 1965 and has long been a rock fixture in the Inland Empire. It evolved from earlier rock formats into active rock (branded “96.7 KCAL Rocks”) that mixed current and recent rock with harder-edged classics. The station’s studios are in Redlands, with its transmitter near Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains.