Santa Rosa FM station 106.3 switches from Top 40 to Christian format

After two years of broadcasting Top 40 hits, Santa Rosa radio station 106.3 FM, The Beat, has switched to Christian programming and has been renamed Air1.

“We’re basically leasing the frequency to the Educational Media Foundation, based in Rocklin, near Sacramento,” said Gordon Zlot, president and general manager of Redwood Empire Stereocasters, which owns 106.3 FM.

“Technically, the city of license for 106.3 is Cazadero but it serves Santa Rosa. The studios are in Santa Rosa,” he said.

According to its website, Educational Media Foundation (EMF) operates the nation’s two largest Christian music radio networks, K-LOVE and Air1, with over 1,000 broadcast signals across all 50 states and audio streaming worldwide.

“The 1,000 signals include several formats, including full-power stations, HD (High Definition) stations and FM translators,” said Joe Miller, vice-president of signal development for EMF. “K-LOVE is on approximately 250 full power stations with FM translators on top of that.””

The K-LOVE network, established in 1982, includes flagship station KLVR-FM 91.9, currently licensed out of Middletown in Lake County.

“KLVR started at Luther Burbank Center ín Santa Rosa in 1982, and stayed the first few years, but we’re no longer at the center,” Miller said. “Our main headquarters are in Franklin, Tenn., and we have a studio in Rocklin.”

The Christian network aims to reach a new segment of the audience with Air1 in Santa Rosa, Miller explained.

“The Air1 modern worship format has a little bit younger target audience than K-LOVE,” he explained. “The K-LOVE audience has aged. We’re looking forward to establishing Air1 in Santa Rosa.”

The changeover took place three weeks ago, and so far there has not been a strong reaction from local listeners, Zlot said.

“It’s too early right now,” he explained. “The change isn’t hitting people yet.”

“It’s essentially Christian rock ‘n’ roll. They’re the largest in the country,” Zlot said of EMF. “It’s syndicated material coming in via satellite. They’e had great success in other markets.”

The Beat faced strong competition from pop hits station Hot 101.7 FM, owned by the Santa Rosa-based Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, Zlot said.

“We couldn’t get any traction on that front,” he said. “It was going nowhere for us.”

Redwood Empire Stereocasting owns five local radio stations, including KZST, home to popular morning personality Brent Farris, who is also vice-president of programming.

“Our crown jewel is KZST, which we started 51 years ago,” Zlot said. “It’s the top station in the market.”

The competing Amaturo Sonoma Media Group also owns five stations, including the news and talk station KSRO.

“They’ve done a great job with KSRO,” Zlot said.

For more information on Air1, visit air1.com or emfbroadcasting.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On Twitter @danarts.