105.5 KNAC, Los Angeles (1990)

Unused bumper sticker from 1990, sheet measures approximately 23.5 cm by 8.3 cm.
Front side: background: black; KNAC logo.
Back side: white.


KNAC is a Los Angeles, USA heavy metal FM radio station originally owned by Fred Sands that broadcast from January 8, 1986 at 105.5 MHz until February 15, 1995. However, KNAC was revived in 1998 as an internet based radio station.

The original KNAC was based in Long Beach, California and served Los Angeles and Orange counties on the FM band at a center frequency of 105.5 MHz. KNAC-FM had a variety of different formats. With a relatively weak radio signal and a small geographical area, KNAC never appeared in the Arbitron radio ratings. Outside the Los Angeles area, the station gained a huge following from heavy metal fans across the United States (via marketing and selling of t-shirts, stickers, compact discs, etc., with ads in heavy metal fan magazines). Before KNAC became popular under the heavy metal format, KNAC was branded as "The Knack."

In the late 1960s through the late 1970s, the Rock format KNAC ran was referred to as "freeform." A "freeform" radio format gives the on-air talent almost total control over what music to play, regardless of commercial concerns.
During the first half of the 1980s, KNAC ran an alternative music format. KNAC was known in the early 1980s as "Rock N Rhythm 105.5 KNAC," developed by program director and afternoon drive DJ Jimmy "The Saint" Christopher. KNAC had a reputation as a cutting-edge station that played music that would later be added to stations like KROQ-FM.

In 1984, Fred Sands purchased the radio station at a bankruptcy auction. Sands advertised in trade publications indicating his desire to hire a general manager with major market experience. Gary Price, an industry veteran, took the job and worked with Sands, who was intimately involved for the first year. With all the new improvements, Sands and Price recognized that KNAC needed a new sound as well. They selected a heavy metal format, targeting younger demographics. For the first time KNAC appeared in the Arbitron ratings and, once established, the station took in revenues of at least a million dollars per year. During the nine-year "Hard Rock" era, the KNAC program directors were Jimmy Christopher, Tom Marshall, Pam Edwards, Gregg Steele and Bryan Schock.

By early 1992, heavy metal was losing ground to the growing popularity of various "Alternative Subcultures." In trying to keep up with the times, KNAC began adding more music acts popular in the alternative music genre to its playlist rotation. While fans of the more adventurous and alternative earlier KNAC incarnation heralded a possible return to the previous format, many metal fans disliked KNAC's new sound, and the station, already in ratings trouble, saw further declines in audience shares.

In 1994, management announced that KNAC was being sold and was switching to a Spanish-language music format. Heavy metal fans began tuning in again to find that KNAC had returned to its metal format for the few last months. Once again, headbangers could hear the classic metal they had not heard in a while, like Megadeth or Saxon.

Finally, the last day, February 15, 1995, arrived. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich of Metallica appeared as guests to show their support. The last song to be played on KNAC was Metallica's "Fade to Black". At 1:59 p.m., KNAC went off the air with a short farewell message from general manager Gary Price.

In 1998, under the guidance of record company promoter Rob Jones, Jr., a group of former KNAC staffers revived the station via Internet at KNAC.com, utilizing the relatively new technology of streaming audio. The music resembles that of the "halcyon days" of the 1980s, complete with the white-on-black KNAC logo and other on-air features.
*source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KNAC.