KCAL-FM lays off all on-air staff in switch to all-music radio station – Redlands Daily Facts
KCAL-FM 96.7 has announced that it is moving to an “All Music, All the Time” classic rock format beginning Saturday, Aug. 1.
“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, in a news release. “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 release added that this new change “expands the station’s musical focus and will have fewer interruptions and more music throughout the day.” Absent from the release was how the new format would impact the on-air staff.
However, some of the radio station’s recent talent confirmed they had all been laid off, including evening host and program director John DeSantis, who had just celebrated six years with the station.
“Well, it’s finally our turn. This morning, the ownership of KCAL released the entire air staff,” DeSantis wrote in a public Facebook post. “Yes, all of us. They will be moving to an automated, human-less format. To say this is shocking is an understatement. I have a lot to process, and will be saying more shortly. But for right now, I just want to thank all of you for letting me be part of the KCAL family. It has been a radio dream come true. You will always rock.”
Jeffrey Parke, longtime leader of KCAL-FM and KOLA-FM, announces retirement
The layoffs at KCAL-FM included 42-year station veteran Daryl Norsell, who held a programming director position since 2014 and the afternoons slot for the past 36 years; Patrick Tish, a 13-year air talent who spent the last nine years in the mornings slot and served as Imaging Director; and Nikki Preston, who was the midday host for eight years and also served as the Public Service Director.
Part-time weekend and fill-in staff, including Lacey Kendall, Tim Brown, Steve “Razz” Brazill, Mike “Mike Z” Zara, Kelli Cluque, Frank “Frank-O” Garcia, Syeda Jafri, Jeremiah Paul, and Rogelio Orozco, were also laid off.
“It was an incredible 20 years as a weekend and fill-in DJ on 96.7 KCAL Rocks,” Jafri said. “From Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Tommy Chong, I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the most fascinating people and rock stars, but even radio has a shelf life. I appreciate KCAL Rocks for giving me the opportunity to be part of Southern California’s legendary rock station. It has been an absolute honor to share the airwaves with so many talented jocks. I had two supportive program directors, Steve Hoffman and Daryl Norsell. To our listeners, your passion for rock ‘n’ roll made this journey unforgettable. I’m signing off from the microphone; the music lives on. Thank you, and you rock.”
“Hire these jocks,” Norsell said. “They deserve to be on the air somewhere tomorrow, and you’ll love how they approach everything they do. While it’s been a really tough day for us here, I couldn’t be more proud of the KCAL crew, past and present, and what we were able to put together on this little Class A signal in the shadow of LA for so many years.
“We’ve always worked really hard to build a deep community connection with the KCAL listeners, and they’ve always been there for us too. It’s been an incredible 42-year ride for me, and I leave with nothing but gratitude for the experience. I want to thank all the talented and passionate personalities who have cracked the mic at the station over the decades, the awesome staffers that put their all into making this place special, and my longtime partner in crime, former KCAL GM Jeffrey Parke.”
Earlier this month, Inland Empire radio executive Parke announced he would retire on July 24 after nearly four decades leading Redlands-based KCAL-FM and KOLA-FM. In a phone interview, he said he always fought for the local and live side at the station, and wasn’t part of the decision to lay off the on-air staff.
“I was stunned that the company was making this move, but the reality is that this is happening everywhere in radio, and it’s really become a bottom-line thing,” Parke said.
Parke added that the radio market in general had not recovered since the coronavirus pandemic but that this year has been detrimental to the radio business across the country. On a local level, Riverside’s 99.1 KGGI laid off its only remaining radio personalities as part of iHeartMedia’s latest layoffs last month.
99.1 KGGI cuts the last of local radio personalities in latest layoffs
“In my time, we faced all the threats and survived, including cassette and CD players, Sirius XM, Spotify, everything that’s been out there. This team has weathered the storm and always came out on top, but in the end, the financial statements rule the day,” he said. “There are still many other good people there, and because I’m such a believer in radio and in that team, I have every faith that they will weather this storm. It’s going to be an adjustment, but I wish them all nothing but the absolute best going forward.”
