BREAKING: KCAL 96.7 Fires the Entire Air Staff

Another radio station turns off the microphones.

Anaheim Broadcasting announced that KCAL 96.7/Riverside-San Bernardino is “expanding the musical focus” to offer a broader mix of classic rock. The new “All Music, All The Time” format begins Saturday.

But the real story is this: KCAL’s live personalities are all gone.

The station terminated its entire air staff 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 and street team employees were also let go.

The corporate announcement makes it all sound so nice.

“KCAL has a longstanding history in the Inland Empire, and this next chapter builds on the station’s strong rock heritage,” Anaheim Broadcasting Chief Operating Officer Kelly Sanders wrote. The company promised a “focused, consistent listening experience” with broader appeal to listeners and advertisers.

In plain English: fewer people, fewer salaries and more nonstop music.

Radio companies love this kind of move because it cuts costs. But it’s another death move for radio. Local personalities give a station its identity. They talk about the community, connect with listeners and offer something a playlist cannot.

Without them, KCAL becomes another jockless jukebox—and why should anyone listen to a station playing somebody else’s playlist when they can open a streaming app and make their own?

We’ll share more details as they become available.