KABL 960 🇺🇸

KABL 960 AM served Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area with its distinctive 'beautiful music' format. This easy listening, soft instrumental sound, sometimes called 'elevator music,' provided a calming listening experience. The station's programming centered on instrumental versions of popular songs and light classical pieces, designed to be relaxing and unobtrusive. Throughout its history, KABL 960 AM had several owners, including CBS and various broadcasting groups. KABL's on-air personalities delivered brief announcements, weather updates, and station identification, ensuring a low-key presentation. The station also provided brief news updates from a network news service and community information. The format's reliance on reel-to-reel tapes and cartridges for music playback ensured consistent sound quality through automation. As tastes evolved, KABL eventually shifted away from beautiful music, experimenting with formats such as talk radio and sports radio. The KABL call letters remain iconic in the Bay Area, forever linked with the relaxing 'beautiful music' era.