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102-529: From 1946 until its deletion in 1951, 105.9 MHz in Los Angeles was occupied by KFI-FM . In 1955, Planned Music, Inc. applied for a construction permit for a new station on the vacated frequency, which was assigned the call letters KBMS (Better Music Station), before adopting the KWST call sign and "K-West 106" moniker in 1969. During its years as KBMS and KWST, its format had been beautiful music prior to its flip to

204-524: A Hispanic rhythmic , or hurban , format known as "Latino 96.3". The format is a crossover mix of reggaeton , dancehall , R&B, and hip hop targeting a bilingual audience. However, the abrupt switch violated a transmitter lease agreement that KXOL's parent company, Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), had with Emmis; the agreement required formal notification to Emmis of any change in format and expressly prohibited KXOL from programming to directly compete with KPWR. SBS switched formats anyway, and Emmis filed

306-443: A horn section , a string orchestra , and a variety of " classical " solo instruments (for example, flute, piccolo, and so on). Disco songs were arranged and composed by experienced arrangers and orchestrators , and record producers added their creative touches to the overall sound using multitrack recording techniques and effects units . Recording complex arrangements with such a large number of instruments and sections required

408-418: A progressive rock format on January 1, 1975. K-West emulated the then-popular sound of KMET and KLOS . By 1981, though, the ratings had slipped and KWST had changed to a top 40 format, and fired all of their disc jockeys . KWST eventually evolved into KMGG, "Magic 106", playing upbeat adult contemporary music beginning in mid-1982. In May 1984, Century Broadcasting sold KMGG and St. Louis' KSHE to

510-404: A rhythmic contemporary format—the latter as a Hispanic rhythmic . The sale reunited KPWR with the 93.9 frequency under common ownership for the first time since 2012. In the earlier months of Power 106's launch, Tommy Jaxson and Deborah Rath were the original morning jocks and hosts of "The Power 106 Morning Zoo". That changed when actor, comedian, and radio veteran Jay Thomas took the helm of

612-443: A Dance Floor , Random Access Memories , Future Nostalgia , and Kylie Minogue 's album itself titled Disco . Modern day artists like Dua Lipa , Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic have continued the genre's popularity, bringing it to a whole new younger generation. The term "disco" is shorthand for the word discothèque , a French word for "library of phonograph records" derived from "bibliothèque". The word "discotheque" had

714-486: A beat (which in 4/4 time is 4 beats per measure). Disco is further characterized by a 16th note division of the quarter notes (as shown in the second drum pattern in the picture above, after a typical rock drum pattern). The orchestral sound usually known as "disco sound" relies heavily on string sections and horns playing linear phrases, in unison with the soaring, often reverberated vocals or playing instrumental fills, while electric pianos and chicken-scratch guitars create

816-551: A group of accompanying musicians who were among the most dextrous, knowledgeable, and brilliant in all of popular music (Motown bassists have long been the envy of white rock bassists) and 7) a trebly style of mixing that relied heavily on electronic limiting and equalizing (boosting the high range frequencies) to give the overall product a distinctive sound, particularly effective for broadcast over AM radio." Motown had many hits with disco elements by acts like Eddie Kendricks (" Keep on Truckin' " in 1973, " Boogie Down " in 1974). At

918-441: A key influence in the development of electronic dance music , house music , hip hop , new wave , dance-punk , and post-disco . The style has had several revivals since the 1990s , and the influence of disco remains strong across American and European pop music. A revival has been underway since the early 2010s , coming to great popularity in the early 2020s . Albums that have contributed to this revival include Confessions on

1020-465: A key part of the disco club experience. The Loft party host David Mancuso introduced the technologies of tweeter arrays (clusters of small loudspeakers, which emit high-end frequencies, positioned above the floor) and bass reinforcements (additional sets of subwoofers positioned at ground level) at the start of the 1970s to boost the treble and bass at opportune moments, and by the end of the decade sound engineers such as Richard Long had multiplied

1122-452: A launching pad for both co-host/sidekicks Tattoo, who left the station in 2010, and Luscious Liz known as Liz Hernandez, who departed on August 22, 2011 to pursue a television career with E! News . The program became a nationally syndicated morning show on August 20, 2007, after Big Boy signed a multi-year deal with ABC Radio Networks (later Citadel Media , now Westwood One ) to syndicate the show, along with his weekend countdown show, which

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1224-419: A lawsuit to force SBS to either drop the format switch or find a new transmitter. SBS announced that KXOL would move to another transmitter site a month later, and both parties settled the dispute sometime after. KXOL would eventually exit the format on May 16, 2014 to return to Spanish AC as "Mega 96.3" after nine years and moderate to underperformed ratings. Shortly after the debut of Latino 96.3, KPWR replaced

1326-697: A major trend in popular music in the United States following the infamous Disco Demolition Night on July 12, 1979, and it continued to sharply decline in popularity in the U.S. during the early 1980s ; however, it remained popular in Italy and some European countries throughout the 1980s, and during this time also started becoming trendy in places elsewhere including India and the Middle East , where aspects of disco were blended with regional folk styles such as ghazals and belly dancing . Disco would eventually become

1428-406: A merengue, are commonplace. The quaver pattern is often supported by other instruments such as the rhythm guitar and may be implied rather than explicitly present. Songs often use syncopation , which is the accenting of unexpected beats. In general, the difference between disco, or any dance song, and a rock or pop song is that in dance music the bass drum hits four to the floor , at least once

1530-411: A mix of hip hop and R&B music, given that it gained competition from the former urban outlet KKBT and that the original KDAY signed off around that time. In 1996, It even embraced house in addition, although the station would no longer focus on the genre by 1997. By January 2005, the station had woven in non- R&B /hip-hop artists such as Natalie , Baby Bash , NB Ridaz and Gwen Stefani to

1632-428: A non-phallic full body eroticism. Through a range of percussion instruments, a willingness to play with rhythm, and the endless repeating of phrases without cutting the listener off, disco achieved this full-body eroticism by restoring eroticism to the whole body for both sexes. This allowed for the potential expression of sexualities not defined by the cock/penis, and the erotic pleasure of bodies that are not defined by

1734-460: A prominent Moog synthesizer on the beat, was one of the first disco tracks to use the synthesizer. The rhythm is laid down by prominent, syncopated basslines (with heavy use of broken octaves , that is, octaves with the notes sounded one after the other) played on the bass guitar and by drummers using a drum kit , African/ Latin percussion , and electronic drums such as Simmons and Roland drum modules . In Philly dance and Salsoul disco,

1836-495: A relationship to a penis. The sexual liberation expressed through the rhythm of disco is further represented in the club spaces that disco grew within. In Peter Shapiro 's Modulations: A History of Electronic Music : Throbbing Words on Sound , he discusses eroticism through the technology disco utilizes to create its audacious sound. The music, Shapiro states, is adjunct to "the pleasure-is-politics ethos of post- Stonewall culture." He explains how "mechano-eroticism", which links

1938-399: A stronger effect. According to Peter Braunstein , the "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discothèques produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex . While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction , actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells , and so on. In other cases

2040-480: A team that included a conductor , copyists , record producers, and mixing engineers . Mixing engineers had an important role in the disco production process because disco songs used as many as 64 tracks of vocals and instruments. Mixing engineers and record producers, under the direction of arrangers, compiled these tracks into a fluid composition of verses, bridges, and refrains, complete with builds and breaks . Mixing engineers and record producers helped to develop

2142-606: A venue were mostly a French invention, imported to the United States with the opening of Le Club , a members-only restaurant and nightclub located at 416 East 55th Street in Manhattan , by French expatriate Olivier Coquelin , on New Year's Eve 1960. Disco music as a genre started as a mixture of music from venues popular among African-Americans , Hispanic and Latino Americans , gay Americans , and Italian Americans in New York City (especially Brooklyn ) and Philadelphia during

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2244-493: A young reporter, who happened to be covering the opening of the club, impulsively took control of the record player and introduced the records that he chose to play. Klaus Quirini later claimed to thus have been the world's first nightclub DJ. During the 1960s, discotheque dancing became a European trend that was enthusiastically picked up by the American press. At this time, when the discotheque culture from Europe became popular in

2346-588: Is achieved by lightly pressing the guitar strings against the fretboard and then quickly releasing them just enough to get a slightly muted poker [sound] while constantly strumming very close to the bridge." Other backing keyboard instruments include the piano , electric organ (during early years), string synthesizers , and electromechanical keyboards such as the Fender Rhodes electric piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, and Hohner Clavinet . Donna Summer 's 1977 song " I Feel Love ", produced by Giorgio Moroder with

2448-454: Is played for dancing, typically equipped with a large dance floor, an elaborate system of flashing coloured lights, and a powerful amplified sound system. " Its earliest example is use as the name of a particular venue in 1952, and other examples date from 1960 onwards. The entry is annotated as "Now somewhat dated". It defines Disco as "A genre of strongly rhythmical pop music mainly intended for dancing in nightclubs and particularly popular in

2550-693: The Mount Wilson site, for construction of an FM and TV center. This ceremony was broadcast by KFI at AM 640 from noon to 12:15 p.m. KFI-FM was assigned to 105.9 MHz , and began testing in July 1946, although other histories state that the station began operations in 1947. KFI-FM used a General Electric 3 kW Phasotron transmitter with a 2-bay antenna, that provided an effective radiated power (ERP) of 10,000 watts. The 1951 Broadcasting Yearbook listed KFI-FM's power as 16,500 watts. Through 1948 and 1949, KFI-FM featured music programs that were separate from

2652-659: The South Asian communities in three major cities including Los Angeles. This content began airing in mid-October 2008, and by mid-2009 moved to HD2, replacing Power Dos. KPWR airs tests of the Emergency Alert System . KPWR, along with KBRT are the only 2 radio stations in the Los Angeles area to support HD Radio notifications for the Emergency Alert system. When KPWR airs tests of the Emergency Alert System,

2754-520: The Step By Step disco dance TV show was launched with the sponsorship support of the Coca-Cola company. Produced in the same studio that Don Cornelius used for the nationally syndicated dance/music television show, Soul Train , Step by Step' s audience grew and the show became a success. The dynamic dance duo of Robin and Reggie led the show. The pair spent the week teaching disco dancing to dancers in

2856-539: The hippies informed proto-disco music like MFSB 's album Love Is the Message . Partly through the success of Jimi Hendrix , psychedelic elements that were popular in rock music of the late 1960s found their way into soul and early funk music and formed the subgenre psychedelic soul . Examples can be found in the music of the Chambers Brothers , George Clinton with his Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Sly and

2958-508: The iHeartRadio and TuneIn streaming platforms. During an on-air interview on KPWR on November 3, 2015, singer/actress Ariana Grande criticized DJs Eric D-lux and Justin Credible over questions that she claimed were sexist, telling them, "You need a little brushing up on equality." After 32 years of ownership, Emmis announced on May 9, 2017 that it sold KPWR to The Meruelo Group for $ 82.75 million. The announcement comes after Emmis, who exits

3060-490: The recording studio . Larry Levan, for example, was a prolific record producer as well as a DJ. Because record sales were often dependent on dance floor play by DJs in the nightclubs, DJs were also influential in the development and popularization of certain types of disco music being produced for record labels. In the early years, dancers in discos danced in a "hang loose" or "freestyle" approach. At first, many dancers improvised their own dance styles and dance steps. Later in

3162-468: The "disco sound" by creating a distinctive-sounding, sophisticated disco mix . Early records were the "standard" three-minute version until Tom Moulton came up with a way to make songs longer so that he could take a crowd of dancers at a club to another level and keep them dancing longer. He found that it was impossible to make the 45-RPM vinyl singles of the time longer, as they could usually hold no more than five minutes of good-quality music. With

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3264-521: The 1960s, the Motown record label developed its own approach, described as having "1) simply structured songs with sophisticated melodies and chord changes, 2) a relentless four-beat drum pattern, 3) a gospel use of background voices, vaguely derived from the style of the Impressions , 4) a regular and sophisticated use of both horns and strings, 5) lead singers who were half way between pop and gospel music, 6)

3366-573: The Gang , and Village People . While performers garnered public attention, record producers working behind the scenes played an important role in developing the genre. By the late 1970s, most major U.S. cities had thriving disco club scenes, and DJs would mix dance records at clubs such as Studio 54 in Manhattan , a venue popular among celebrities . Nightclub-goers often wore expensive, extravagant outfits, consisting predominantly of loose, flowing pants or dresses for ease of movement while dancing. There

3468-508: The Guinness Book of World Records. He danced for 205 hours, the equivalent of 8½ days. Other dance marathons took place afterward and Roberts held the world record for disco dancing for a short period of time. Some notable professional dance troupes of the 1970s included Pan's People and Hot Gossip . For many dancers, a key source of inspiration for 1970s disco dancing was the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). Further influence came from

3570-542: The Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications . Not too long after Emmis bought KMGG, it immediately saw a niche to counter top 40 stations KIIS and KKHR and urban outlet KDAY , KJLH , and KACE (the latter three all signal challenged). On January 11, 1986 at 6 p.m., KMGG dropped its adult contemporary format and became the first-ever rhythmic contemporary -formatted radio station with new call sign KPWR and branding "Power 106". The first song on

3672-462: The Stonewall riots. As New York state had laws against homosexual behavior in public, including dancing with a member of the same sex, the eroticism of disco served as resistance and an expression of sexual freedom. He uses Donna Summer's singles " Love to Love You Baby " (1975) and " I Feel Love " (1977) as examples of the ever-present relationship between the synthesized bass lines and backgrounds to

3774-446: The United States, several music genres with danceable rhythms rose to popularity and evolved into different sub-genres: rhythm and blues (originated in the 1940s), soul (late 1950s and 1960s), funk (mid-1960s) and go-go (mid-1960s and 1970s; more than "disco", the word "go-go" originally indicated a music club). Musical genres that were primarily performed by African-American musicians would influence much of early disco. Also during

3876-402: The alerts sound extremely distorted, due to a broken Sage Digital. KPWR airs Required weekly tests on Thursdays at 3:30 AM, and the station also airs Required Monthly Tests for Los Angeles County, when they happen on the last Tuesday of each month at 4:25 AM (even-numbered months), and 10:25 AM (odd-numbered months). All alerts on KPWR sound distorted, no matter what. In September 2011, Power 106

3978-416: The background "pad" sound defining the harmony progression . Typically, all of the doubling of parts and use of additional instruments creates a rich " wall of sound ". There are, however, more minimalist flavors of disco with reduced, transparent instrumentation. Harmonically, disco music typically contains major and minor seven chords, which are found more often in jazz than pop music. The "disco sound"

4080-649: The beginning of another song using the DJ mixer's crossfader. Notable U.S. disco DJs include Francis Grasso of The Sanctuary, David Mancuso of The Loft , Frankie Knuckles of the Chicago Warehouse , Larry Levan of the Paradise Garage , Nicky Siano of The Gallery , Walter Gibbons , Karen Mixon Cook , Jim Burgess , John "Jellybean" Benitez , Richie Kulala of Studio 54 , and Rick Salsalini. Some DJs were also record producers who created and produced disco songs in

4182-484: The broadcasts by KFI. A December 1949 listing in the Los Angeles Times for KFI-FM's 3 to 9 p.m. schedule included titles such as Afternoon Melodies, Classics, Music For You, Symphony Moods and World of Music. By 1950, KFI-FM was simulcasting KFI (AM). The Los Angeles Times reported that KFI-FM and five other local FM stations that simulcast AM station programs generally broadcast from 6 a.m. to midnight,

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4284-535: The capital area's gay and straight college students in the late '70s. By 1979 there were 15,000-20,000 disco nightclubs in the US, many of them opening in suburban shopping centers, hotels, and restaurants. The 2001 Club franchises were the most prolific chain of disco clubs in the country. Although many other attempts were made to franchise disco clubs, 2001 was the only one to successfully do so in this time frame. Powerful, bass-heavy, hi-fi sound systems were viewed as

4386-560: The cha cha ". The pioneer of disco dance instruction was Karen Lustgarten in San Francisco in 1973. Her book The Complete Guide to Disco Dancing (Warner Books 1978) was the first to name, break down and codify popular disco dances as dance forms and distinguish between disco freestyle, partner, and line dances. The book topped the New York Times bestseller list for 13 weeks and was translated into Chinese, German, and French. In Chicago,

4488-557: The chest. Men often wore Pierre Cardin suits, three piece suits with a vest, and double-knit polyester shirt jackets with matching trousers known as the leisure suit . Men's leisure suits were typically form-fitted to some parts of the body, such as the waist and bottom while the lower part of the pants were flared in a bell bottom style, to permit freedom of movement. During the disco era, men engaged in elaborate grooming rituals and spent time choosing fashion clothing, activities that would have been considered "feminine" according to

4590-418: The concert. In its first seven years, KPWR's music selection focused on a mix of dance , house , freestyle , hip hop , and urban pop , while avoiding hard rock . This mix of music became known as crossover (later called rhythmic top 40 ), due to the way in which dance and urban music were presented to an audience that liked pop, and vice versa. This would become a major issue in the music trades after

4692-418: The dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving club drug subculture , particularly for drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud, bass-heavy music and the flashing colored lights, such as cocaine (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite (" poppers "), and the "... other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude , which suspended motor coordination and gave

4794-413: The dancers wanted, transitioning from one song to another with a DJ mixer and using a microphone to introduce songs and speak to the audiences. Other equipment was added to the basic DJ setup, providing unique sound manipulations, such as reverb , equalization, and echo effects unit . Using this equipment, a DJ could do effects such as cutting out all but the bassline of a song and then slowly mixing in

4896-482: The dancing, sex, and other embodied movements that contributed to the corporeal vibrations within the Sanctuary. It supports the argument that disco music took a role in facilitating this sexual liberation that was experienced in the discotheques. The recent legalization of abortion and the introduction of antibiotics and the pill facilitated a culture shift around sex from one of procreation to pleasure and enjoyment. Thus

4998-415: The disco became a kind of 'main course' in a hedonist's menu for a night out." At The Saint nightclub, a high percentage of the gay male dancers and patrons would have sex in the club; they typically had unprotected sex , because in 1980, HIV-AIDS had not yet been identified. At The Saint, "dancers would elope to an unpoliced upstairs balcony to engage in sex." The promiscuity and public sex at discos

5100-571: The disco clubs. The instructional show aired on Saturday mornings and had a strong following. Its viewers would stay up all night on Fridays so they could be on the set the next morning, ready to return to the disco on Saturday night knowing with the latest personalized steps. The producers of the show, John Reid and Greg Roselli, routinely made appearances at disco functions with Robin and Reggie to scout out new dancing talent and promote upcoming events such as "Disco Night at White Sox Park". In Sacramento, California, Disco King Paul Dale Roberts danced for

5202-675: The disco era, popular dance styles were developed, including the "Bump", "Penguin", "Boogaloo", "Watergate", and "Robot". By October 1975 the Hustle reigned. It was highly stylized, sophisticated, and overtly sexual. Variations included the Brooklyn Hustle, New York Hustle , and Latin Hustle . During the disco era, many nightclubs would commonly host disco dance competitions or offer free dance lessons. Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools, which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", "the hustle", and "

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5304-515: The effects of these innovations in venues such as the Garage." Typical lighting designs for disco dance floors include multi-colored lights that swirl around or flash to the beat, strobe lights , an illuminated dance floor , and a mirror ball . Disco-era disc jockeys (DJs) would often remix existing songs using reel-to-reel tape machines , and add in percussion breaks, new sections, and new sounds. DJs would select songs and grooves according to what

5406-450: The end of the 1960s, musicians, and audiences from the Black, Italian, and Latino communities adopted several traits from the hippie and psychedelia subcultures. They included using music venues with a loud, overwhelming sound, free-form dancing, trippy lighting, colorful costumes, and the use of hallucinogenic drugs. In addition, the perceived positivity, lack of irony, and earnestness of

5508-441: The entire body rather than the obvious erotic parts of the body. The New York nightclub The Sanctuary under resident DJ Francis Grasso is a prime example of this sexual liberty. In their history of the disc jockey and club culture, Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton describe the Sanctuary as "poured full of newly liberated gay men, then shaken (and stirred) by a weighty concoction of dance music and pharmacoia of pills and potions,

5610-571: The first discotheque and to have been the first club DJ in 1953 in the "Whisky à Go-Go" in Paris. She installed a dance floor with colored lights and two turntables so she could play records without having a gap in the music. In October 1959, the owner of the Scotch Club in Aachen, West Germany chose to install a record player for the opening night instead of hiring a live band. The patrons were unimpressed until

5712-588: The first time since iHeartMedia's predecessor Clear Channel sold "The Beat" R&B/hip hop format and intellectual property to Radio One , who then moved it to the 100.3 FM signal in 2000. (The Beat would later flip to urban AC in 2006.) Afternoon host J. Cruz would be moved to mornings after Big Boy's departure until his move to the station in April 2019. On April 15, 2019, J. Cruz, co-host DJ Lechero and Jeff "The Sports Dude" Garcia exited KPWR, with J. Cruz joining KRRL as their new afternoon host. Cece Valencia took over

5814-662: The gender stereotypes of the era. Women dancers wore glitter makeup, sequins , or gold lamé clothing that would shimmer under the lights. Bold colors were popular for both genders. Platform shoes and boots for both genders and high heels for women were popular footwear. Necklaces and medallions were a common fashion accessory . Less commonly, some disco dancers wore outlandish costumes, dressed in drag , covered their bodies with gold or silver paint, or wore very skimpy outfits leaving them nearly nude; these uncommon get-ups were more likely to be seen at invitation-only New York City loft parties and disco clubs. In addition to

5916-414: The help of José Rodriguez, his remaster/mastering engineer, he pressed a single on a 10" disc instead of 7". They cut the next single on a 12" disc, the same format as a standard album. Moulton and Rodriguez discovered that these larger records could have much longer songs and remixes. 12" single records , also known as " Maxi singles ", quickly became the standard format for all DJs of the disco genre. By

6018-471: The interim "LA's Hip Hop Morning Show" until a permanent host was found. June 17 saw the launch of the station's new permanent morning show, previously led by actor Nick Cannon as "Nick Cannon Mornings", with Melissa Rios, Teddy Mora, and DJ Carisma joining him as contributors and co-hosts. On July 16, 2020, Cannon took an indefinite leave from radio over fallout from antisemitic statements he made on his podcast, ending his one-year tenure at KPWR. He returned to

6120-600: The late 1960s to the mid-to-late 1970s. Disco can be seen as a reaction by the 1960s counterculture to both the dominance of rock music and the stigmatization of dance music at the time. Several dance styles were developed during the period of 70s disco's popularity in the United States, including "the Bump ", "the Hustle ", "the Watergate", and "the Busstop". During the 1970s, disco music

6222-466: The late 1970s, Studio 54 in Midtown Manhattan was arguably the best-known nightclub in the world. This club played a major formative role in the growth of disco music and nightclub culture in general. It was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager and was notorious for the hedonism that went on within: the balconies were known for sexual encounters and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor

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6324-806: The late 1970s, most major US cities had thriving disco club scenes. The largest scenes were most notably in New York City but also in Philadelphia , San Francisco , Miami , and Washington, D.C. The scene was centered on discotheques , nightclubs and private loft parties. In the 1970s, notable discos included " Crisco Disco ", "The Sanctuary", "Leviticus", " Studio 54 ", and " Paradise Garage " in New York, "Artemis" in Philadelphia, "Studio One" in Los Angeles, "Dugan's Bistro" in Chicago, and "The Library" in Atlanta. In

6426-555: The majority of their non-Latino DJs with personalities of Latino descent who often pepper their broadcasts with Spanish words, in an effort to regain some of the audience lost to Latino 96.3. The staff at the time represented the multi-cultural population of Los Angeles: Krystal Bee (Latino), DJ E Man (Filipino), and Todd the Hater (Armenian) of #TheCruzShow . On August 17, 2006, KPWR's country music sister station KZLA flipped directions to rhythmic adult contemporary as "Movin' 93.9". Most of

6528-412: The market's hip-hop radio war from the 1990s when the station was in competition with 92.3 The Beat. Up until 2017, KPWR had also slightly increased the number of throwbacks/recurrents in its playlist, but has since refocused towards current product to reduce overlap with classic hip hop outlet KDAY. Also, as of July 2019, KPWR is the official sister station to KLLI ("Cali 93.9"), with both stations airing

6630-555: The mid to late 1970s.", with use from 1975 onwards, describing the origin of the word as a shortened form of discotheque . In the summer of 1964, a short sleeveless dress called the "discotheque dress" was briefly very popular in the United States. The earliest known use for the abbreviated form "disco" described this dress and has been found in The Salt Lake Tribune on July 12, 1964; Playboy magazine used it in September of

6732-532: The mix, resulting in a return to rhythmic Top 40 . KPWR was on the Billboard R&;B/Hip Hop airplay panel from 1997-2005 but reported to mediabase as Rhythmic. As of 2012, approximately 60% of KPWR's listenership is Hispanic. and contributes to both Mediabase and BDS Rhythmic reporting panels. In addition to playing hip hop and rhythmic pop, KPWR continued to embrace dance music tracks and even incorporated them into their daily and weekend mix shows, including

6834-522: The movie studio) at 98.7, KMPC-FM at 100.3, KNOB in Long Beach at 103.1 (moved to 97.9 by 1958), KFAC-FM at 104.3 (moved to 92.3 by 1955), and KCLI, owned by the founders of KIEV 870 in Glendale, at 105.1. While FM audio quality was significantly better than AM stations, AM-FM combination radios were expensive and FM stereo wasn't introduced until 1961. By 1950, KCLI and KMPC-FM had been deleted. KFI-FM

6936-799: The music and dance style of such films as Fame (1980), Disco Dancer (1982), Flashdance (1983), and The Last Days of Disco (1998). Interest in disco dancing also helped spawn dance competition TV shows such as Dance Fever (1979). Disco fashions were very trendy in the late 1970s. Discothèque-goers often wore glamorous, expensive, and extravagant fashions for nights out at their local disco club. Some women would wear sheer, flowing dresses, such as Halston dresses, or loose, flared pants. Other women wore tight, revealing, sexy clothes, such as backless halter tops , disco pants , "hot pants", or body-hugging spandex bodywear or "catsuits". Men would wear shiny polyester Qiana shirts with colorful patterns and pointy, extra wide collars, preferably open at

7038-571: The nation's second-largest radio market, made a deal in April with its lenders to seek $ 80 million worth of divestments by January 2018 to amend its credit agreement. On August 1, 2017, Meruelo took ownership of KPWR, bringing it under common ownership with classic hip hop station KDAY and Riverside/San Bernardino-targeted urban contemporary KDEY-FM , both of which would relocate to KPWR's Burbank studios; KPWR would retain its rhythmic format, air staff, and management. The station continues to report to Mediabase and BDS as rhythmic contemporary, though

7140-601: The newly christened "Power 106" was " Say I'm Your Number One " by Princess . Jay Thomas was hired as the host of "The Power 106 Morning Zoo". Power 106's first slogans in 1986 were "Turn on the Fresh New Music Mix", and "I've Made the Power Switch". These were then followed in 1987 with "Pure Energy...Dance Now", in 1991 with "L.A.'s Hottest Music", in 1997 as "L.A.'s Party Station", in 2005 with "Where Hip-Hop Lives", and most recently, "L.A.'s #1 for Hip-Hop" in 2017. At

7242-468: The off-beat, and a heavy, syncopated bass line. A recording error in the 1975 song " Bad Luck " by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes where Earl Young 's hi-hat was too loud in the recording is said to have established loud hi-hats in disco. Other Latin rhythms such as the rhumba, the samba, and the cha-cha-cha are also found in disco recordings, and Latin polyrhythms , such as a rhumba beat layered over

7344-415: The program Power Tools , produced by Gerry Meraz and hosted by Richard Vission . Power Tools is the station's longest-running program, debuting in 1992. However, by early 2016, KPWR has drastically reduced the amount of rhythmic pop and EDM tracks in its playlist to focus primarily on hip hop and R&B again. This was due to competition received from urban contemporary rival "Real 92.3", which reignited

7446-524: The result is a festivaly of carnality." The Sanctuary was the "first totally uninhibited gay discotheque in America" and while sex was not allowed on the dancefloor, the dark corners, bathrooms. and hallways of the adjacent buildings were all utilized for orgy-like sexual engagements. By describing the music, drugs, and liberated mentality as a trifecta coming together to create the festival of carnality, Brewster and Broughton are inciting all three as stimuli for

7548-962: The same as their originating AM stations, with at least three other FM stations carrying their own programs. A majority of the FM stations only broadcast from mid-afternoon to about 9 p.m. In addition to the region's first FM station, KHJ-FM, which signed on in 1941, additional pioneer Los Angeles region FM stations debuting in 1946 included non-commercial stations KUSC at 91.5 and KCRW at 89.9. KFI-FM and KMPC-FM began operations by 1947. 1948 and 1949 debuts included KNX-FM at 93.1, KWIK-FM in Burbank at 94.3, KFMV in Hollywood at 94.7, KECA-FM at 95.5, KRKD-FM at 96.3, KVOE-FM in Santa Ana at 96.7, KKLA (owned by KFSG 1150) at 97.1, KAGH-FM in Pasadena at 98.3, KMGM (owned by

7650-596: The same meaning in English in the 1950s. "Discothèque" became used in French for a type of nightclub in Paris, after they had resorted to playing records during the Nazi occupation in the early 1940s. Some clubs used it as their proper name. In 1960, it was also used to describe a Parisian nightclub in an English magazine. The Oxford English Dictionary defines Discotheque as "A dance hall, nightclub, or similar venue where recorded music

7752-618: The same year to describe Los Angeles nightclubs. Vince Aletti was one of the first to describe disco as a sound or a music genre. He wrote the 13 September 1973 feature article Discotheque Rock '72: Paaaaarty! that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. The music typically layered soaring, often- reverberated vocals, often doubled by horns, over a background "pad" of electric pianos and "chicken-scratch" rhythm guitars played on an electric guitar . Lead guitar features less frequently in disco than in rock . "The "rooster scratch" sound

7854-457: The second duopoly in California with this arrangement, the other being Clear Channel Communications siblings KMEL and KYLD in San Francisco. That arrangement ended on April 15, 2009, when KMVN flipped to a Spanish format under a LMA with Grupo Radio Centro of Mexico City. In May 2019, Meruelo bought KXOS from GRC, reuniting the station with KPWR after 10 years. In June 2012, KPWR was added to

7956-401: The sensation that one's arms and legs had turned to ' Jell-O . ' " Quaaludes were so popular at disco clubs that the drug was nicknamed "disco biscuits". Paul Gootenberg states that "[t]he relationship of cocaine to 1970s disco culture cannot be stressed enough..." During the 1970s, the use of cocaine by well-to-do celebrities led to its "glamorization" and to the widely held view that it

8058-466: The show, giving the program its highest-rated numbers during his tenure. Thomas left in 1992 when The Baka Boyz took over the morning slot. During fall 1997, KPWR hired a former security guard named Big Boy to replace the duo. "Big Boy's Neighborhood" featured Big Boy with Rikki Martinez, Krystal Bee, and Louie G. serving as co-hosts/sidekicks, serving up an eclectic mix of music, pop culture, celebrity interviews, and comedy segments. The program served as

8160-452: The simulated sounds of orgasms. Summer's voice echoes in the tracks, and likens them to the drug-fervent, sexually liberated fans of disco who sought to free themselves through disco's "aesthetic of machine sex." Shapiro sees this as an influence that creates sub-genres like hi-NRG and dub -disco, which allowed for eroticism and technology to be further explored through intense synth bass lines and alternative rhythmic techniques that tap into

8262-412: The songs played on Movin' 93.9 consisted of rhythmic pop and dance hits from the 1980s and 1990s to the present day, along with classic disco and freestyle music tracks thrown in for balance. However, after almost a year in the format, KMVN shifted directions to Rhythmic Oldies . With the unique combination of both KPWR and KZLA, the move gave Emmis and Los Angeles its first rhythmic duopoly, as well as

8364-468: The sound was enriched with solo lines and harmony parts played by a variety of orchestral instruments, such as violin , viola , cello , trumpet , saxophone , trombone , flugelhorn , French horn , English horn , oboe , flute , timpani and synth strings , string section or a full string orchestra . Most disco songs have a steady four-on-the-floor beat set by a bass drum, a quaver or semi-quaver hi-hat pattern with an open hissing hi-hat on

8466-526: The station ascended to the top spot in the Los Angeles Arbitron ratings, where both Billboard and Radio & Records had debated as to what reporting panel it would place KPWR (as well as other stations that were using the same formula), which in turn resulted in Billboard launching a Crossover chart and Radio & Records creating a CHR P1A subcategory in 1987. By 1992-93, KPWR began to focus on

8568-580: The station has begun to lean more urban to take on KRRL . Since the sale, it has recovered in terms of ratings and audiences. On October 28, 2022, KPWR shifted its playlist to a much more gold-based rhythmic playlist, positioned as "Today's Hits and Throwbacks", by adding more music from the 1990s and the early 2000s. Leading up to June 19th 2024, in celebration of Juneteenth and The Pop Out: Ken & Friends , Power 106 temporarily rebranded itself as "Kendrick 106", and exclusively played Kendrick Lamar's discography from 6 a.m. to midnight in commemoration of

8670-577: The station on February 25, 2021. KPWR broadcasts in HD Radio with two subchannels: KPWR launched a Spanish-language HD2 sub-channel called "Power Dos" in August 2006. A press release from Emmis describes the new channel as a "bilingual and musically extended version" of KPWR. Power Dos left the air in 2008 due to a lack of interest. On August 29, 2008, Emmis announced a programming partnership with WorldBand Media, using KPWR's HD3 signal to produce programming for

8772-522: The technology used to create the unique mechanical sound of disco to eroticism, set the genre in a new dimension of reality living outside of naturalism and heterosexuality. Randy Jones and Mark Jacobsen echo this sentiment in BBC Radio's "The Politics of Dancing: How Disco Changed the World," describing the loose, hip-focused dance style as "a new kind of communion" that celebrates the sparks of liberation brought on

8874-611: The time of KPWR's launch, it broadcast what it announced as "72,000 Watts of Music Power...Less Talk" (mentioned in on-air station identifications by Chuck Riley and Deborah Rath), a reference to its then-actual effective radiated power (ERP) of 72  kW , allowing its signal to be heard in San Diego , Kern , and Santa Barbara counties). KPWR's ERP was reduced to 25 kW in 1993. KPWR picked up additional competition in May 2005 when KXOL-FM dropped its Spanish adult contemporary format for

8976-488: The two parties broke down, leading KPWR owner Emmis Communications to file a lawsuit (and injunction) to keep him off the air and from taking a $ 3.5 million offer from iHeartMedia , who three days earlier registered a domain and social media accounts for rhythmic AC rival KHHT , who immediately flipped back to R&B/hip hop as "Real 92.3" on February 6, 2015. This move brought the R&;B/hip hop format back to that frequency for

9078-448: Was a "soft drug". LSD , marijuana , and "speed" (amphetamines) were also popular in disco clubs, and the use of these drugs "...contributed to the hedonistic quality of the dance floor experience." Since disco dances were typically held in liquor licensed - nightclubs and dance clubs , alcoholic drinks were also consumed by dancers; some users intentionally combined alcohol with the consumption of other drugs, such as Quaaludes, for

9180-571: Was also a thriving drug subculture in the disco scene, particularly for drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine and quaaludes , the latter being so common in disco subculture that they were nicknamed "disco biscuits". Disco clubs were also associated with promiscuity as a reflection of the sexual revolution of this era in popular history. Films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Thank God It's Friday (1978) contributed to disco's mainstream popularity. Disco declined as

9282-522: Was decorated with an image of the " Man in the Moon " that included an animated cocaine spoon . The " Copacabana ", another New York nightclub dating to the 1940s, had a revival in the late 1970s when it embraced disco; it would become the setting of a Barry Manilow song of the same name . In Washington, D.C. , large disco clubs such as "The Pier" ("Pier 9") and "The Other Side", originally regarded exclusively as " gay bars ", became particularly popular among

9384-412: Was described as having a " pansexual attitude [that] was revolutionary in a country where up until recently it had been illegal for two men to dance together unless there was a woman present; where women were legally obliged to wear at least one recognizable item of female clothing in public; and where men visiting gay bars usually carried bail money with them." Disco was mostly developed from music that

9486-579: Was developed further, mainly by artists from the United States as well as from Europe . Well-known artists included the Bee Gees , ABBA , Donna Summer , Gloria Gaynor , Giorgio Moroder , Baccara , The Jacksons , Michael Jackson , Boney M , Earth Wind & Fire , Rick James , ELO , Average White Band , Chaka Khan , Chic , KC and the Sunshine Band , Thelma Houston , Sister Sledge , Sylvester , The Trammps , Barry White , Diana Ross , Kool &

9588-420: Was formerly called "Big Boy's Hip Hop Spot". In the fall of 2008, the show began to air on KPWR's sister station WQHT but would drop the show in July 2009 due to low ratings. In 2010, after Citadel announced that they would no longer syndicate the program, Dial Global picked up the show. On February 3, 2015, Big Boy, whose contract was to expire on February 28 of that year, exited KPWR after negotiations between

9690-595: Was fostered a very sex-positive framework around discotheques. Further, in addition to gay sex being illegal in New York state, until 1973 the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as an illness. This law and classification coupled together can be understood to have heavily dissuaded the expression of queerness in public, as such the liberatory dynamics of discotheques can be seen as having provided space for self-realization for queer persons. David Mancuso's club/house party, The Loft ,

9792-471: Was included in the 1951 Broadcasting Yearbook , but disappeared from newspaper radio logs by mid-1951, and was not included in the 1952 Broadcasting Yearbook . KFI-FM only existed for approximately five years. The station's license was not transferred to a new owner, as Earle C. Anthony shut it down on April 5, 1951, and returned the license to the FCC for deletion. A new license for 105.9 MHz in Los Angeles

9894-539: Was issued in 1956 for KBMS (Better Music Station), with an original community of license of Glendale. This new station had no link to the deleted KFI-FM, and is currently KPWR . Disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines , string sections , brass and horns , electric piano , synthesizers , and electric rhythm guitars . Discothèques as

9996-404: Was much more costly to produce than many of the other popular music genres from the 1970s. Unlike the simpler, four-piece-band sound of funk , soul music of the late 1960s or the small jazz organ trios , disco music often included a large band, with several chordal instruments (guitar, keyboards, synthesizer), several drum or percussion instruments (drumkit, Latin percussion, electronic drums),

10098-660: Was named Large Market CHR Radio station of the year and awarded the Marconi Award at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Chicago, and was nominated in 2012 for Major Market Station of the Year by the NAB. 34°13′37″N 118°04′05″W  /  34.227°N 118.068°W  / 34.227; -118.068 KFI-FM KFI-FM was a short-lived FM broadcasting station, licensed to Los Angeles , California. It

10200-473: Was part of a broader trend towards exploring a freer sexual expression in the 1970s, an era that is also associated with " swingers clubs , hot tubs , [and] key parties ." In his paper, "In Defense of Disco" (1979), Richard Dyer claims eroticism as one of the three main characteristics of disco. As opposed to rock music which has a very phallic centered eroticism focusing on the sexual pleasure of men over other persons, Dyer describes disco as featuring

10302-468: Was popular on the dance floor in clubs that started playing records instead of having a live band. The first discotheques mostly played swing music . Later on, uptempo rhythm and blues became popular in American clubs and northern soul and glam rock records in the UK. In the early 1940s, nightclubs in Paris resorted to playing jazz records during the Nazi occupation. Régine Zylberberg claimed to have started

10404-537: Was the first station with a transmitter located on Mount Wilson . The station began test programs in 1946 and only lasted until 1951, when the owner, Earle C. Anthony , decided to shut down operations and return the license to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This was because relatively few persons had FM receivers, and owners saw a limited future for FM operations. Radio station KFI (AM) officials broke ground on November 29, 1944, at

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