"The Beat" is Done in L.A. - Now it's only known as "K-DAY"

93.5 Drops the Beat and focuses on 93.5 KDAY FM

The Beat and KDAY have a long history in Los Angeles radio.

The original KDAY 1580 AM was an old R&B and Soul music station that began playing rap in the early 80's and helped bring into prominence the West Coast rap scene featuring N.W.A. The station was sold in 1991. KDAY was revived and returned to the L.A. airwaves on FM radio in 2004, with the slogan "Hip-Hop Today and Back in the Day."

92.3 "The Beat" (KKBT) many say was inspired by KDAY and launched an urban format in 1991 after several unsuccessful attempts at other fomats. "The Beat" reached legendary status by becoming the number one station in Los Angeles with a multi-ethnic staff playing hip-hop/rhythmic music and leading the way to confront the gang violence in L.A. The station's slogan was "No Color Lines," proudly championing the diversity of the region. After a frequency switch to 100.3 in 2001, new owners Radio One tinkered with the format for a few years with many hosts coming and going eventually dumping the name "The Beat" in favor of Urban AC "V 100" in 2007 and then sold the station in 2008.

Last year 93.5 FM rebranded themselves as an Urban AC station with an all syndicated line-up and by adding "The Beat" to the station's identity. The New 93.5 "The Beat KDAY" was an attempt to bring together the history of both stations, but now they have once again gone in another direction.

This time they're bringing back the old school hip hop format complete with the silver and black colors of N.W.A., the NHL's Kings and the NFL's Los Angeles (now Oakland) Raiders:

Here's their news release: - The landscape of Los Angeles radio has been ever changing over the last several years and the programming at 93.5 is taking an exciting turn for the better. “The Beat” will be dropped as focus is placed on the brand equity in KDAY and its deep musical roots.

"Los Angeles has been missing the west coast sound. By eliminating syndicated programming, KDAY can now focus on its strengths as a local, independent station that connects with the diverse culture that is Los Angeles. With a mix of the old school and the new music that is enjoyed today, I feel we have a unique and winning recipe." - Adrian Scott Program Director/OM.

93.5 KDAY was unveiled at the Nokia Theatre last weekend, with some of Hip-hop's most iconic figures including: Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, and Naughty by Nature, Slick Rick, Dj Quik, and Whodini. The sold out show attracted a diverse LA crowd of many races, and ages both young and old.

You can hear the new sound of 93.5 KDAY at http://www.935kday.com/