BREAKING: KCAL 96.7 Fires the Entire Air Staff

Another radio station turns off the microphones.

Another radio station goes lifeless.

Anaheim Broadcasting says KCAL 96.7 in Riverside-San Bernardino is “expanding its musical focus” with a broader classic rock playlist. The new “All Music, All The Time” format starts tomorrow (Saturday).

The official announcement leaves out something very important: All of the station’s local personalities are gone.

KCAL let its entire on-air staff go today, including morning host Patrick Tish, midday host Nikki Preston, afternoon host Daryl Norsell, night host John DeSantis, and morning weather and production personality Eve Hart. Several production employees and members of the street team were also laid off.

The company’s bloodless statement leans on the usual language.

“KCAL has a longstanding history in the Inland Empire, and this next chapter builds on the station’s strong rock heritage,” COO Kelly Sanders said. The release also promises listeners and advertisers a “focused, consistent listening experience.”

Translated into radio: fewer payroll checks. Fewer humans.

It’s easy to see why companies make these decisions. Live talent costs money. And that’s what it’s all about, not the product.

But every time another station does this, radio gives up more of what made it different. Local personalities know the streets, talk about what’s happening around town, and build relationships that don’t come from a playlist. Things AI can’t fully replicate (yet), and things a streaming music service doesn’t offer.

Take them away, and KCAL is just another station playing songs people can hear anywhere.

Which leads us back to the same question: if radio is offering the same music as every streaming service, only with more commercials, why would listeners choose it? Especially when they can control their own playlists?

We’ll update this story if Anaheim Broadcasting gives us more information or makes any statement at all about staffing changes.