April 13, 1958
KNOB-FM (103.1) went on the air in August 1957 as the world's first all-jazz station under the ownership of Sleepy Stein, The Times said. According to an Aug. 18, 1957, story by Don Page, the station had received permission to raise its power to 70,000 watts and would be moving 97.9-FM. However a 1958 story says the station wanted to raise its power to 7,000 watts.
By 1966, the station had moved to Anaheim and was sold to Jack and Jeannette Banoczi and by October of that year KNOB-FM had a pop music format. Several 1984 stories say the station was in Anaheim and had an easy listening format. Think MOR: Barry Manilow, Kenny Rogers and Olivia Newton-John. In 1986, the station went to "love rock" and in 1988, it became KSKQ-FM, all-Spanish contemporary.
Alex "Sleepy" Stein died July 27, 2000, at the age of 81. The Los Angeles Jazz Institute has a collection of his material.
