California Music Channel


California Music Channel is an American music video broadcast television network based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the longest running local music video television stations in the world. CMC has been broadcasting the hottest music videos over the air in the Bay Area since 1982. Over the past 38 years, CMC has grown from an hour-long program to two 24/7 stations with digital simulcast capabilities. CMC has constantly been adapting with the technologies of the world to figure out new ways to enrich the lives of their loyal audience. The live broadcasts feature on-camera disc jockeys, audience participation, and contemporary music videos. It is owned by CMC Broadcasting Company, Inc. CMC is carried as a Digital Broadcast Network on thirteen Northern California television stations originating from KKPM.

History

1981-1982

CMC was founded on August 31, 1981, by Rick Kurkjian, debuting on March 1, 1982, as a half-hour show telecast twelve times per week on Teleprompter Cable Oakland Channel 12. The notion of a Bay Area Interconnect was developed early on as CMC expanded by doing local original cable channels on Concord TV Cable Ch. 11, Viacom Cable of San Francisco Ch 6, Viacom of Marin and Castro Valley Cable TV. After a little more than a year on the local cable channels CMC started running a Saturday night version of the program on KCSM-TV Ch 60 in San Mateo. The CMC broadcast was simulcast in stereo on KCSM-TV's sister station, KCSM-FM 91.1.

1983

In 1983, KCSM-TV was one of a handful of educational-access television stations to experiment with running expanded underwriting announcements and full 30-second commercial TV spots from non-profit organizations. In addition to the U.S. Army, many of its other advertisers were coincidentally set up as non-profit organizations under dealer associations and franchise organizations such as the California Milk Advisory Board and the McDonald's "Golden Arches Advertising Fund". As such, CMC was able to include commercials for these organizations on the otherwise non-commercial, educational, KCSM. This revenue allowed the show to remain profitable, when other local music video shows were struggling to remain on the air or even on non commercial Public-access television.

1984

In 1984, the demand from CMC advertisers grew beyond the scope of underwriting announcements and non profit 30s. On October 1, 1984, the California Music Channel debuted its Monday to Friday broadcast on full power independent KTSF-TV where CMC remained through February 23, 2018.

2016

In 2016 and 2018 Nielsen Media Research encodes, samples, and reports the San Francisco DMA transmissions of CMC as local broadcast TV station CMC-TV and CMC-USA as station CMCU-TV.

2018

In 2018, CMC Broadcasting purchased KTVJ-LD channel 6 licensed to Nampa/Boise, Idaho from OMI.

2019

In 2019, Gracenote and other TV listing services classified CMC and CMC-USA as Digital Broadcast Networks.
"Cruisin' with Chuy" launched on October 6. Hosted by Chuy Gomez, the program is CMC's take on the long-standing Bay Area tradition of "Sunday Night Oldies." The live broadcast features fan requests and shout outs via social media platforms, giveaways, and all the best Oldies hits from 6 pm - 10 pm every Sunday night.

Format

The California Music Channel music video format is Hot AC and CHR/Rhythmic. The concept is "radio with pictures" - music video shows are broadcast live, and announcers interact directly with viewers by telephone and e-mail, including requests, contests, and birthday greetings.
CMC operates KKPM-CD 28.3 Chico/Sacramento and its twelve satellite stations twenty-four hours a day. CMC Broadcasting also owns CMC-USA Country Music Channel which is broadcast on.2 on the KKPM-CD stations. Both CMC California Music Channel and CMC-USA Country Music Channel are simulcast live on CMC websites, mobile app, and Over-the-top media services via Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. Prior to this, CMC operated three full-time video music channels for MobiTV, including "CMC California Music Channel", "CMC Beat Lounge", and "CMC-USA Country Music Channel".

Shows and Time Slots

Weekdays
Saturday
Sunday

CMC DJs

1985: Big Tom Parker from KFRC simulcasting in AM-Stereo 610 KFRC.
1986: Modern Rock Five at Five with Steve Masters from KITS Live 105.
1987: Power Thursday with Renel from KMEL.
1988-1992: Gil Ashley.
1992: Mimi Chen from KRQR.
1992: Chuy Gomez from KYLD formerly Wild 107.7 and then from KMEL. Chuy is still the main personality on CMC today.
1994: Steve Jordan from KSAN at 94.9 FM and KYCY-FM hosting CMC's Country Music Channel.
1994: Trace & Franzen from KMEL.
1997: Sway Calloway from KMEL.

Additional CMC personalities

Alex Caronfly - 1991
Susan Butler - 1991
Andy Kawanami - 1992
Lipoi Niualiku - 1994
Cynthia Roberts - 1998
Jessica Correos - 2004
Brian Moore "B-Mo" - 2004
Heather Kant - 2007
Cheryl Zurbano - 2007
Lori Rosales - 2009
Mary Diaz - 2010
"Thehomie" Miguel - 2010
Nessa - 2010
Mia Amor - 2013
Leslie Stoval - 2013
Arianne - 2014
Rachel Andrade - 2015
Miss Kimmie - 2015
Gabby Diaz - 2016