iHeartMedia is bringing its digital “iHeart 80s Radio” to San Francisco.
Classic Hits “Big 103.7” KOSF will relaunch as “iHeart 80s 103.7” at 12pm today. Former MTV VJ Martha Quinn will host mornings on the station starting on Tuesday, June 14 following eight days of commercial-free music. iHeart recently launched an All 80s format in Albuquerque, but KOSF will be the first full powered station to include the “iHeart” name in its branding as the company continue to blur the lines betweBeen its streaming properties and radio stations.
The move will leave the San Francisco market without a traditional Classic Hits station although recently launched sister “98.1 The Breeze” KISQ shared some musical overlap with KOSF. The “Big 103.7” format ranked 14th in the market with a 2.4 share in the April Nielsen Audio PPM monthlies.
Listen to the launch of iHeart80s on FormatChange.com.
The first hour of “iHeart80s 103.7” featured:
Starship – We Built This City
Duran Duran – Rio
Madonna – Holiday
Billy Idol – White Wedding
Wang Chung – Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science
Michael Jackson – Beat It
Joan Jett – I Love Rock-n-Roll
Glenn Frey – The Heat Is One
Katrina & The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
The Cars – Shake It Up
Paula Abdul – Straight Up
Bananarama – Cruel Summer
Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach than any other radio or television outlet, today announced the launch of iHeart80s in San Francisco. The all new ‘80s dedicated station will feature music from the most beloved icons of the decade including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran and more.
iHeart80s is a broadcast extension of the popular iHeart80s Radio station on iHeartRadio, the all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service. iHeart80s will kick off June 6 at noon on 103.7 KOSF FM in San Francisco with eight days of commercial-free programming. Martha Quinn, the iconic MTV personality, will host weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. PT.
“I love everything about music from the ‘80s, and I’m psyched to relive the excitement of my favorite decade every morning with San Francisco’s ‘80s fans of all ages,” said Quinn. “This influential decade obviously holds a very special place in my heart, and every day I hear from people who remind me that I’m not the only one. Hosting the first iHeart80s Party earlier this year was a total blast, I knew I had to be involved with the launch of this trailblazing new station. Every day will be a boombox of awesome.”
iHeart80s began as an iHeartRadio original digital-only station that gained instant popularity as one of the most listened-to stations on the platform. The ’80s ranks as one of the most important American decades in terms of influencing today’s pop culture, and Millennials, 44 million of whom were born in the ’80s, are increasingly rediscovering the decade. In February, iHeartMedia held its first-ever iHeart80s Party, hosted by Quinn, which celebrated the unforgettable decade with performances by ‘80s superstars Tears For Fears, Culture Club, Billy Idol, Missing Persons, Rick Springfield, Loverboy and more.
“Following the major success of our iHeart80s Party, which sold out in minutes, we can certainly confirm that the ‘80s are having a moment, and iHeartRadio is celebrating the success of its resurgence,” said Don Parker, SVP/Programming, San Francisco Region for iHeartMedia. “iHeartRadio has an unparalleled ability to connect with its audience through a variety of great music and top-billed live events like the iHeart80s Party. When we were discussing creating the first iHeart80s-branded FM station, we knew that San Francisco would be the perfect place for it to launch, and that Martha Quinn was the only person we wanted to launch it with.”
“We’re thrilled to be the first station in the U.S. to give listeners a 24/7 celebration of such an iconic decade as the ‘80s,” said Katie Wilcox, Market President for iHeartMedia San Francisco. “As the popularity of the music of the ’80s increases, the introduction of iHeart80s here in San Francisco shows our commitment to our listeners as well as to music variety. iHeart80s is undoubtedly going to be a popular addition to our line-up of exceptional stations.”
iHeartMedia is a leading media outlet in the San Francisco market. Its radio brands and content are available across multiple platforms, including its broadcast stations; online via its branded digital sites; mobile; and social, with nationwide listening through iHeartRadio, the all-in-one streaming music and live radio service – with its more than a billion downloads, 85 million registered users and more than 85 million social media followers across the Network.
Interesting blatant use of Gay Pride symbols and colors in the logo.
I’m thinking they did that intentionally because of the market.
Ah, but the 80s were full of pastel and cheesy neon…(I assume that’s why the logo is the way it is)