KOME

KOME was a commercial FM radio station in San Jose, California, broadcasting at 98.5 MHz. KOME was on the air from 1971 through 1998. Currently, the 98.5 FM frequency is home to KUFX "K-Fox", a classic rock station.
An unrelated FM station in Tolar, Texas, airing a classic hits radio format in the western section of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, currently uses the KOME call sign. It broadcasts on 95.5 MHz, and is owned by Chisholm Trail Communications.

History

KRPM

On July 1, 1959, the station first signed on the air. It was owned by Edward W. Meece, one of the founders of Pacifica Radio. Meece formed The Audio House, Inc., and got the Federal Communications Commission to issue a construction permit for the radio station to be built.
KRPM's original format was classical music. It was only powered at 3,300 watts, so its signal was only available in and around San Jose.

Free-form KOME

Meece sold The Audio House, Inc, with KRPM, for roughly $300,000 in February 1971 to Mel Gollub of Pennsylvania and Ron Cutler. The station's call letters were changed to KOME, and the format became free-form rock.
The station allowed its disc jockeys to choose their music from a vast and diverse library of rock, jazz, blues and R&B vinyl albums. It would not be uncommon to hear The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and The Allman Brothers Band in the same show where listeners would hear Issac Hayes, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, The Crusaders, Grover Washington, Jr., Laura Nyro and Joni Mitchell. Music sets were often themed as "Who'll Stop the Rain," "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Riders on the Storm." Or listeners could hear a themed set of only Motown songs. But the emphasis at KOME from 1971 to 1974 was on each DJ having a show with its own music personality. And segues was always part of the presentation.
KOME first originated from studios in the Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell in the Towers building on the 13th floor. Later, KOME moved to an old house on The Alameda in San Jose. Radio veteran, Bob Simmons became their Program Director in 1972 and remained for a year, taking charge of the jocks and designing the iconic black and yellow diamond KOME sticker. DJs from 1971 to 1975 included Cese McGowan, Uncle Jack Tossman, Gary T., Phil Charles, Michael "Mother" Deal, Wolf, Wapaho Joe, Joe Kelly, Dick Baribou, Captain Reif/Jim Reifschneider, Mark Sherry, Victor Boc, J. William Weed and The Lobster. The DJs each had their own personalities while on the air. Cese was laid back and was quite eclectic with an emphasis on folk music. Uncle Jack was a Beatles, Moody Blues and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young fan with an engaging personality. Mother Deal was a prankster on the air, a straight-ahead rocker who loved novelty songs like "My Ding-a-Ling." And Wolf was serious about constructing engaging sets and segues. He would regularly come up with songs the listeners never heard before, styles they hadn't heard before, and types of music one may have never considered before. Lobster, Joe Kelly, and Wapaho Joe were progressive rock guys who enjoyed playing Nektar, Genesis (band) and Robin Trower but all could easily stretch out to fusion of any kind, especially jazz-rock fusion artists such as Jeff Beck.

Moving toward playlists

In 1973, Cliff Feldman was put in charge of the jocks and format as KOME's Program Director. In 1974, KOME management appointed a new program director, Ed Romig from ABC owned rock station WDAI-FM in Chicago. As other progressive stations were moving toward more researched rock playlists, Romig ended the free-form format, mandating the use of index cards with specific songs to be played. This became a time of transition from progressive radio disc-jockeys whose shows had music personalities to be replaced by air personalities and strict music formats.
Romig brought in Peter B. Collins from Chicago, and hired Jona Denz, Dana Jang, and Gene Mitchell. In August 1977, Mikel Herrington was made Program Director and discarded the card catalog playlist in favor of allowing jocks to select "playable" tracks from an eclectic library of art rock, punk, new wave, country rock, heavy metal, oldies, and comedy. Local bands such as Hush and Cornell Hurd often got airplay. Herrington hosted the morning show and hired Barry Corkery, Dennis Erectus, Laurie Roberts, Mark Goldberg, Kelly Cox, Larry Jacobs, Greg McClure and Joe Regelski.
KOME attracted a loyal South Bay rock audience throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, against original San Jose FM rock rival 92.3 KSJO. Both stations managed to also serve listeners in the larger neighboring San Francisco radio market, against well-known progressive rock leader 94.9 KSAN, programmed by Tom Donohue.

Slogans and logos

KOME's stickers were a common sight on vehicles and high school lockers around the area. Several on-air slogans suggested the sexual connotations of its call letters, probably the most memorable being "Don't touch that dial, it's got "KOME" on it!" as well as others saying things like "K-O-M-E all over your radio dial," "You've got KOME... oozing out of your speakers," "Wake up with KOME in your ear," and "The KOME spot on your radio dial." Playboy magazine found this newsworthy enough to mention the station.
KOME black-on-yellow diamond stickers were designed in 1972 and became an instant hit. For a short time in 1974, a round zig-zaggy design was tried, but was retired quickly. As an alternative, the diamond was brought back with reverse colors. The famous KOME diamond stickers have been spotted all around the world. Listeners soon became highly creative, cutting up the decals to spell new phrases. The "Our Decal" slogan on the stickers lent itself to other "KOME Paraphernalia", such as pinbacks, patches, nightlights, glasses, T-shirts, and even the payroll checks said "Our Checks" on them. The later "Rock Radio" era eliminated the "Our Decal" and replaced it with "FM", as well as producing some with a digital typeface. Both eras produced limited edition decals promoting bands of the day, such as The Rolling Stones, The Who and Bruce Springsteen.

Changing ownership

In 1973 a group of New Yorkers led by former Metromedia executives Michael A. Wiener and Gerald Carrus, who later named their company Infinity Broadcasting, acquired KOME as the first of numerous FM rock acquisitions, which soon would include WIVY in Jacksonville, Florida in 1977 and WBCN in Boston in 1979. They moved the studios to a location on Winchester Boulevard near Payne Avenue in San Jose in early 1974.

Newscasts

News on KOME was taken seriously, but room was allowed to expand to clever parodies of news events of the day. Early reporters included Lynn Ryder and Victor Boc, who also hosted The Expressway talk show on Sunday mornings. Victor became well known for his interviews with over-the-top guests like "Squeaky" Fromme, Sylvia Browne, Mae Brussel, and "The Two".
In the early 1980s, news often turned hilarious as current events were transformed into skits that rivaled those of popular comedy troupe, The Credibility Gap The Credibility Gap through the efforts of Production Director Jack Perry and News staffers Rob Singleton, Joe Regelski, and Mark Goldberg.
In the latter years, the morning team of Blazy and Bob integrated news into mornings, since Bob Lilley was both reporter and side-kick.

1980s–1990s

KOME's reputation for irreverence, raunchy fun, and a broad music format continued into the 1980s. Mikel Hunter and his crew became known for oddball station promotions like the Chicken-Fly and the KOME Party Crashers. KOME enjoyed good ratings in both San Jose and San Francisco during this era.
According to an article in Metro, KOME's freeform ethic ended around 1982, when Infinity Broadcasting cut back the station's playlist and enlisted radio programming consultant Jeff Pollack. Mikel Hunter, who earlier had great success programming KMET in Los Angeles, left the station in protest. He spent the next few years working in radio in Las Vegas, Philadelphia and finally back in Northern California at KVYN in Napa Valley, California.
In 1983, PD Les Tracy hardened the format to a mostly heavy metal playlist. Tracy and the hard rock sound lasted less than a year. Due to poor ratings, KOME management released Tracy, and new PD Pat Evans reverted KOME to its previous approach.
The era between 1984 and 1994 were also ratings winners with personalities such as Blazy & Bob, Stephen Page, "Weird Old Uncle Frank" Bennett, Scott Lewis and the return of Dennis Erectus. KOME won the Rolling Stone Readers' Poll as "Station of the Year" in both 1988 and 1990, landing the station on the cover of the music magazine. Local, national and international live broadcasts and innovative promotions kept the station in the forefront of rock radio.
KOME's sound became a blend of alternative rock and new wave music in May 1994. Syndicated programming such as The Howard Stern Show and Loveline were featured on the station.

Final days

In 1997, Infinity Broadcasting, which had recently merged with CBS, purchased KITS "Live 105," San Francisco from Entercom. Both stations were run with identical formats for a short time. In May 1998 the company acquired American Radio Systems and was legally required to sell one of its existing stations. Infinity opted to sell the 98.5 frequency to Jacor, owners of longtime rival KSJO. Jacor transferred the classic rock station format heard on KUFX and its call sign to the newly acquired frequency. This meant the end of the KOME call letters on June 19, 1998.
CBS/Infinity transferred three members of KOME's air staff, mid day personality Ally Storm, night personality No Name, and Janine Siegel, plus the syndicated Howard Stern and Loveline shows to KITS as "The New Live 105". Afternoon personality Shark was bought out as the company felt KITS afternoon personality Big Rick Stuart had a long and established following. Shark moved on to Chicago at WZZN, WTMX, WCHI and others. The KOME call letters were retired from the Bay Area, resurfacing briefly on a small co-owned AM station outside the market.
KOME was inducted into the Rock Radio Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ratings history

The following tables compare KOME's Arbitron average share with those of KSJO and KSAN, over five two-month periods. The data is valid for listeners 12 years and older, from 6 a.m. until midnight, for seven days. In both tables, it appears that KOME began to overtake KSJO significantly in January and February 1979. In the San Francisco nine-county area, KOME actually overtook KSAN slightly in April and May 1979.

	Apr/May 78	Jul/Aug 78	Oct/Nov 78	Jan/Feb 79	Apr/May 79
KOME	2.7	–	2.8	4.4	5.2
KSJO	2.6	–	2.4	3.2	4
KSAN	1.3	–	0.7	0.7	0.7

	Apr/May 78	Jul/Aug 78	Oct/Nov 78	Jan/Feb 79	Apr/May 79
KOME	0.8	0.9	0.8	1.6	1.9
KSJO	0.8	1.8	1.0	1.1	1.2
KSAN	1.9	2.1	1.8	1.9	1.8

KOME personalities

Ally Storm, 1990s
Bear also Oregon radio
Billy Vega, circa 1988–1992 also KSJO KUFX
Bob Lilley, 1986–1994: news
Bob Simmons, early 1970s also KSJO
Brad Lee, 1990s
Brian Kay, 1986–1987 also KMBY Monterey
Candi Chamberlain, 1984–1987 Music Director also KSJO KFRC KYA KRQR KTIM KRSH
Captain Reif, 1970s also KOME, KEZR
Carson Daly, 1990s
Cese McGowan, early 1970s
Peter B. Collins, 1970s. He switched to talk show host; covered the Watergate Scandal at the age of 19; was a host on San Francisco's KGO radio and also had a syndicated talk show. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2021.
Cooper, late 1980s also KLRB
Craig "The Killer" Kilpatrick, 1990s
Dana Jang, 1974–1985 also KKUP KSJO Group Operations NextMedia Chicago, PD of KBAY and KEZR. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in
Dan Stich, 1990s
Dave Wohlman, 1982–1998: Production Director, Promotion/Marketing Director, Assistant Program Director, Personality. Host of "The Sunday Morning Time-Machine" and currently hosting "Radio Free Wohlman"
Dennis Erectus, 1977–1992, 1994–1997. He was removed from his airshift for decency violations in 1992 then brought back in 1994, after working at KSJO 1993–1994. Also on air in San Antonio, Texas, and as a production assistant for PD Dana Jang at KBAY/KEZR from 2005 until his heart attack in November 2006. He suffered brain damage and was institutionalized. Because of his lack of health insurance, Netto's friends held fundraisers to help with his medical costs. He died from a second heart attack on June 13, 2012. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2013.
Denise Erectus, 1980s, played Dennis Erectus' sister on the air
Dick Baribou, circa 1971 with topless young ladies singing station ID, "We're up to our ears in KOME, KOME, KOME"
Don Potoczak, early 1970s
Don West, 1979; 1981–1983; 1984–1998 Production; Night DJ, and Engineering also KSFM KMEL KROY-FM
Ed Romig, 1975–1977 Program Director also WDAI responsible for ending the "free-form" era at KOME
Geno Michelini, 1979–1982 also KLOS
Gary Lyte, 1971–1973 astrology report
Gary T., 1971–1972 and 1975–1983, also KSJO KLOK
Greg Stone, 1978–1983 and 1986–1998: Stone Trek Import Show, also KUFX
Holly Atoms, 1990s
Jay William Weed, 1972–1973: DJ and PD; also KSJO, KGO-FM KSFX
Jack Perry, 1979–83 Production Director also CBS SF Radio Group Creative Services Director
Janine Siegel,
Jay Cruz, 1990s
Jeff Blazy, 1987–1994 also PD of The Fox Santa Rosa, California
Jim Pratt, 1990s
Jim Seagull, circa 1975–1976 also KSJO KKSF KWAV KMBY KBPI
Joe Regelski, circa 1976–1977 also KSJO KQAK
Joe "OK" Kelley, 1973–1978
Johann Schmidt, 1980–1992, nemesis to Dennis Erectus, and the self-proclaimed President of the San Jose Reagan Youth.
John Higdon, 1971–1998, Longtime Chief Engineer, "The Classical KOME" host early 1970s
Jona, 1974–1982 also PD of KLRB, PD of KROY-FM KLOK KEEN KFJC.
Karin Nakamura, 1976–83 also KUFX
Kelly Cox, 1979–1983 also KLOS
King Raffi, 1992–1995, also KEZR KITS
Larry Jacobs, 1977 also KLOS, NBC The Source, ABC News Radio
Larry Miles, 1990s
Laurie Roberts, 1975–1985 Longtime PD and DJ KUFX Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2011. Died May, 2021.
Leah Raim, 1986 The Expressway Talk Show
Les Tracy Program Director, 1983–84 also KROY-FM
Lobster, 1974–1976 also KSJO KQKE KLIV. Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2021
Lorraine Meier, late 1980s also KLRB KCTY
Lynn Ryder, 1975–1977 News
Mark Goldberg, 1979–1986
Mark Sherry, early 1970s: DJ and PD; also KFIG, KSJO
Marla Davies, 1990s
Marshall Phillips, late 1980s
Matthew Arnett, 1987–1992 also KLRB, KMBY. Became Matthew in the Morning at KTYD, KXFX and WZXL.
Mikel Hunter operations manager/Morning DJ, 1977–82 also KMET WYSP KLIV KVYN national voice of Sears Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2008.
Mistress Monique, 1980s, a dominatrix who appeared regularly on Dennis Erectus' show, was portrayed by writer/comedienne Stephanie Landers.
Monnica Sepulveda, 1990s frequent guest psychic on morning show
Mother Deal, early 1970s
Nicci Tyler, 1990s
No Name, 1990s also KLLC "Alice"
Pat Evans program director, mid-1980s also KFOG, KQED, KFOG, KYA
Peter B. Collins, 1976–1977 also owner of KRXA Inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2021.
Phil Charles, early 1970s also KSJO KSAN general manager MSU's KGLT
Radley, 1990s
Ric Curtice, 1981–1984
Rob Singleton, 1979–1983, also news director KJZY
Roger Watson Superfly, Sky Hang-Gliding Report
Ron Nenni, 1985–1998 program director and operations manager
Scary Gary, 1990s
Scott Lewis, circa 1985–1990
Sean Donahue, 1970s also KSAN
Shark 1997-1998
Stephen Page, 1973–1975 and 1985–1995 music director also KSJO KRQR KYOURadio CBS Interactive Music Group
Ted Kopulos, 1976–1983 movie guy/song parody guy also KSJO's Morning Music Magazine host and KUFX
Tex Wong, late 1980s
Tom Ballantyne, 1970s
Uncle Frank, PM Drive and Production 1985–1993. Then PM Drive at KUFX 1995–2002
Uncle Jack Tossman, 1971–1974, also KSJO KIFM KOTR
Victor Boc, 1972–1980 The Expressway Talk Show Host, News Director, jock
Wapaho Joe, 1971–1975, the "Italian Indian" named by Uncle Jack also future Publisher of BAM Magazine/Assoc Exec Producer BAMMIES 1976–1991
Wendy Hoag, circa 1972–1973
Whipping Boy, 1990s
Wolf, 1971–1974