Sacramento has a deep rich history of amazing radio talent. Many legendary voices came through town and made it big
nationally, which was summarized in a News 10 report covered by Cristina Mendonsa, who at one time did news for the
legendary KZAP, which rocked Sacramemto at 98.5 FM from 1968 through 1992.
KZAP was freeform until the late seventies
when it sold to a big company consulted by a national executive, who crafted the sound of other rock stations around
the country, which is when playlists became more standardized and jock freedom began to disappear. That entire incredible
story is documented in The Legend of KZAP.
This montage kicks off a series of montages featuring local radio personalities over the years such as Tony Cox (KROY),
Dennis Newhall (KZAP, Earth Radio and KROY), Robert Williams (KZAP) and Jeff Hughson (KZAP). KROY was the number one
station in Sacramento from 1968 to 1974, although the life of the call letters stretched from the 1930s through 1990s.
Earth Radio was also an amazing freeform station programmed by Dennis Newhall, who let jocks pick their music from a wall
of records, similar to how he and Hughson were allowed artistic freedom as jocks on KZAP. Newhall describes how you had to
be knowledgeable about music to work for freeform KZAP in 1972. Hughson was KZAP's first music director.
