Legendary California radio station KCAL 96.7 abruptly fires all on-air staff

A legendary Southern California classic rock station is pulling the plug on its DJs, laying off its entire on-air staff as it flips to a fully automated, music-only format.

KCAL, a longtime staple of the Inland Empire radio dial, announced the sweeping changes will take effect August 1, with parent company Anaheim Broadcasting Corporation promising listeners “nothing but music all day across the Inland Empire.”

Chief Operating Officer Kelly Sanders said the DJ-free format will mean fewer interruptions and more nonstop classic rock, according to a social media announcement.

“KCAL has a longstanding history in the Inland Empire, and this next chapter builds on the station’s strong rock heritage,” Sanders said in a news release, per the Orange County Register.

“We rebuilt KCAL around the music our listeners grew up on, the songs and the artists that made classic rock, and we built it right here at home.”

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“KCAL will deliver a focused, consistent listening experience with broader appeal for both our audience and advertising partners,” Sanders added.

The move leaves more than a dozen on-air talent out of work like John DeSantis, Nikki Preston, and Patrick Tish.

DJ DeSantis took to social media to post about the bloodbath calling the layoffs shocking.

“Well, it’s finally our turn. This morning the ownership of KCAL released the entire air staff,” DeSantis wrote.

“Yes, all of us.”

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