KPRI Authentic Rock(sm) 102.1 FM Repleaces Sets (May 25, 2002)

At approximately 3:02pm, we said goodbye to Sets 102.

Then the announcer said, "The Evolution Weekend Begins...It is now time for this radio station and this music to evolve..." Some taped phone-ins from callers followed, suggesting a new name KYUR (Your Radio Station) Names like Mix is too chinsy. Back to announcer: "To evolve, to grow, to change, to develop, all evolutions start with the past..." more clips from the past Sets special events followed for a few minutes. Then back to announcer: "The radio station known as Sets 102 now passes into history. The name is gone, but the spirit lives on, because the spirit of this radio station lives in you...Years ago, here in San Diego, there was once such a station; a station with a reputation for being adventurous, fiercely independent, and dedicated to a wide variety of styles; not just the classic music, but the new stuff too."

K....P....R....I....FM 102.

"The past is for inspiration, not imitation. For continuation, not repetetion."

Airchecks from Bree Walker from the old KPRI 106.5 (circa 1980 or close to the year) was played.

"Throughout the 70's, San Diego listens to an independent radio station playing varieties of rock, mixing styles and genres. The music captures the imagination of a young writer named Cameron Crowe. Years later, in the movie "Almost Famous", he tells the story on how he became a teenage writer of The Rolling Stone. At the studios of KPRI, the boy meets a famous rock critic named Lester Bays (sp?). KPRI served San Diego from 1968 to 1983."

A long aircheck of an audio journey was played featuring the evolution of the past incarnation of KPRI. The songs started from 1983, the last year of KPRI's existance on 106.5, and went on year by year.

In 1984, there was no more KPRI, as 106.5 became adult conemporary's KLZZ (Class 106.5). 102.1 played rock and roll songs that were still evolving, the songs that KGB and 91X were playing as they took over as the two dominant rock stations in San Diego through the 80's. Some stations such as Z90 (1985-90), B100, and KS103 (1983-87) also played some of the rock songs back then. Many of the 80's and 90's rock and roll songs that were played were also heard on Sets over the years.

In 1995, there was KUPR 95.7 that played some of the adult rock and roll songs, then Sets 105.3 signed on two months after that, eventually moving over to 102.1 in 1996, while KUPR disappearred shortly after. Meantime, KGB stopped evolving with the rock and roll scene and just went back to repetetion of the same old 60's and 70's rock songs sometime in 1991. But tradtional rock and roll was still evolving, with or without KGB. In Los Angeles, you could get the evolving rock and roll songs on KLOS 95.5 and the short-lived KSCA 101.9 (1994-97). Some pop modern rock songs Sets played are also heard on Star 100.7 (1994-).

The Sets playlists were a updated version of the old adventurous KKOS 95.9 (1990-95) Carlsbad, but with more popular songs and not so many unrecognizable songs, but they both prominently featured blues music.

"Real People. Real Artists. Real Music. Real Songs. For Real Listeners."

"Welcome to the new KPRI, Authentic Rock (sm)."

Bree Walker says afterward. "I've been a longtime fan of Sets 102, so I couldn't be more proud to introduce you to the new FM102. KPRI. Authentic Rock (sm)."

The new identity, KPRI, creates an identity consistent with its programming. KPRI-FM is in the process of applying for a trademark for the phrase Authentic Rock.

At 3:20pm, 102.1 began playing David Bowie's "Changes," followed by Sheryl Crow's "Change Will Do You Good," then "Things Have Changed" from an artist I can't recall.

Radio Station owners Jonathan Schwartz and Bob Hughes announced Friday in an e-mail that KXST/SETS 102 has adopted the call letters KPRI. The station's Adult Album Alternative format, play list, and artist mix will remain unchanged.

Says Bob Hughes, "In an evolutionary process, the very best elements of SETS 102 are being transferred to KPRI and will live on."

"Listeners have told us they are missing an emotional connection with their radio stations. All of us who work here feel it, too. Authentic Rock (sm) is a challenge to ourselves to keep it real."

The original KPRI was the first "AOR" (Album Oriented Rock) station in the United States. From the late '60s to 1983, KPRI had a reputation of being free-thinking and progressive. It led the way in introducing San Diego to a wide variety of styles of rock music. San Diegan's were reminded of the old KPRI when award winning film director Cameron Crowe depicted the radio station in a brief scene in his Oscar nominated movie "Almost Famous."

Program Director Dona Shaieb adds, "The original KPRI is a source of inspiration for us. We've imagined how it might have evolved over the last two decades and we're starting there." Today, KPRI features Authentic Rock (sm) "real songs, by real artists, for real listeners," music that can be rediscovered and enjoyed by generation after generation.

"A couple of weeks ago, we took calls from listeners who raised a variety of issues about the station," said Hughes. "At 3 p.m., we are going to publicly respond with a weekend we're calling 'The Evolution Weekend.' We're going to evolve the radio station from what it has been to what listeners had in mind."

Sets 102 FM is owned and operated by the San Diego-based Compass Media Group.

The Triple A format is a hybrid of traditional album rock music mixed in with adult-leaning alternative rock, hence the AAA stands for Adult Album Alternative. The AAA format got some bump in the ratings in the mid 90's while the other modern rock stations went too grunge for the average adult rock listener. Some AAA stations evolved from their AOR incarnations, others like KSCA (which is now Spanish) replaced other non-rock formats. Some AOR formats evolved into harder leaning rock with some crossover alternative rock mixed in (KIOZ).

On the sdradio dot net site, Program Director Dona Shaieb says, "The original KPRI is a source of inspiration for us. We've imagined how it might have evolved over the last two decades and we're starting there." Today, KPRI is a newly created Triple A station ~ featuring Authentic Rock "real songs, by real artists, for real listeners," music that can be re-discovered and enjoyed by generation after generation.

The station staff and management are proud of the history and accomplishments of SETS 102. "KPRI will still play some "sets" and it will continue to embrace a diverse and broad music concept", says Bob Hughes. KPRI V.P./General Sales Manager, Patrick Osburn, is confident that this is a win-win situation for listeners and advertisers alike, "During the initial launch period, there is no better time to advertise on 102.1 FM. Because our Triple A format is not changing, KPRI should attract the same affluent, adult audience as always. We're excited that during this time of evolution, we will be doing the most extensive advertising campaign in our history."

New website for the station formerly known as sets102.com will be announced soon. I'm not going to make any suggestions here. Hope they snatched up their name before they announced the new handle.