The Bay Area’s 106.1 FM signal traces its beginnings to 1947, when KGO-FM shifted from 96.9 to 106.1. There would be more call letter and ownership changes, most notably in 1961 when KFRC-AM owner RKO General turned on the transmitter for KFRC-FM on that 106.1 frequency.
By 1973, after a few years bearing the call letters KFMS and KKEE, the station switched back to KFRC-FM and was airing oldies and “soft rock” while calling itself K106.
1977 saw a major change: Century Broadcasting purchased the station, installed an album-oriented 
rock format, and changed the call letters to KMEL. “The Camel” would build an immediate following during a period of intense ratings competition among FM stations in the Bay Area.
The AOR era at KMEL would end at noon on August 25, 1984. With Marvelous Mark McKay on the air, the station re-branded itself as “All Hit 106”, shifting to a mix of contemporary hit music. Within a few years, that musical menu would morph into a more urban mix of dance, hip-hop, house, and reggae music.
There would be more ownership changes ahead: Evergreen Media acquired KMEL in 1992, Chancellor Media acquired Evergreen and then was swallowed up itself by Clear Channel Communications in 1999. Clear Channel renamed itself iHeart Media in 2014.
KMEL was named the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame’s Legendary Station in 2022.
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