The KNOB call letters were first heard on a Bay Area station in 2004, replacing the original KTOL at 96.7 on the dial.
The station has been under the ownership of JYH Broadcasting since its 2002 launch. JYH was founded by Judy Yep Hughes. After her 2018 death, Hughes’ children Shelby, Michael and Tracy Hughes assumed control of the company, with Shelby serving as CEO.
For most of its existence, KNOB has been operated by other entities, including Bob Sinclair’s Sinclair Communications and later, Wine Country Radio. Wine Country Radio is owned by B.C. Radio LLC. It is family-owned and run by Ravi Potharlanka and his family. The ownership/management structure makes KNOB a rare example of a station that has always been under family control.
For a number of years, KNOB aired the “Bob FM” syndicated format. In the summer of 2013, it flipped to an alternative rock format and was known as “96X”. After going off the air in the spring of 2017, KNOB resumed broadcasting in October 2018, once again airing Bob FM and calling itself “96.7 Bob FM”.
