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Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Since CJEZ and even CHAY all disappeared from their original formats, I've seen more than a few posters here wonder whatever happened to mellow rock stations and lament how much they wish they were still around.
If that's the case, this station may be for you. It's an online site called The Mellow Spot and it comes from California, re-creating an old format pioneered by KNX-FM many years ago. I've been monitoring it for a while and what strikes me most about it is they play well known artists - like Linda Ronstadt, Hall & Oates, James Taylor and Steve Winwood - but they seem to deliberately avoid the hits that made them famous.
Instead, they claim to be on a "mission."
"Singer-Songwriters like James Taylor, Judy Collins, Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, Janis Ian, Al Stewart, Jennifer Warnes, and Carly Simon were there, and are HERE, actually on board this journey with us and can be heard personally introducing their many songs we play with a nod to our mission."
For some, that's a deal breaker. For others, it's a chance to put on some background tunes they may never have heard before. Either way, if you're pining for the CJEZ (Now CHBM aka Boom) days, this online entity may be for you.
The Mellow Spot
- boom boy
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Wild. I worked at 2 of the stations mentioned and currently working at the last one mentioned.
- Scarboroughbluffsradiof99
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
I'm glad you made this post.
I might sound uncool for saying this, but I miss the ultra soft AC format of CHFI and the jewel.
The breez does'nt cut it for me.
Its more like a mainstream ac, to upbeat, not a lot of melody, and missing core artists such as amy sky and others I cant name off the top of my head.
I found a solusion somewhat, 3.
Smooth radio australia, Sunny radio on iheart, and smooth relax in the u.k.
And 3mp in melbourne but they've gotten more upbeat and none play the more unpopular canadian soft ac artists that the jewel played.
Iheart neads to launch a canadian ultra soft ac station maybe call it sunny radio canada or move lite or even ez radio.
- tvguy
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Southern Calif DJ Dale Berg, runs several internet radio stations from his trailer home in the Palm Springs area.
One of the stations is KNX 93 The Mellow Sound. It can be found on the my tuner app, as well as radiobox.
Berg also runs 96.9 The Oasis (smooth jazz). I believe that KNX 93 can be summoned on an amazon device as well.
Berg is an interesting guy in terms of his career in LA, San Diego and Palm Springhs. His “on air” name is “Woody” on 96.9 The Oasis where he does a 2-hour monring show 10 am to noon Eastern Time. I wonder whether people on this board, think that Berg’s station is a good re-creation. There are a number of interviews with Berg on Youtube if you're interested.
Last edited by tvguy (August 19, 2026 7:47 pm)
- Radiowiz
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
RadioActive wrote:
Since CJEZ and even CHAY all disappeared from their original formats, I've seen more than a few posters here wonder whatever happened to mellow rock stations and lament how much they wish they were still around.
Mellow rock when it was EZ Rock, maybe, but I really miss CKQT, CHAY and the original CJEZ, with nice lite instrumentals and relaxing music.
The original CJEZ, where "the listening is easy" (easier than mellow rock)
The mellow spot is not mellow enough.
Last edited by Radiowiz (August 19, 2026 8:18 pm)
- Chrisphen
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Semuta Radio. Narcotic sounds to numb the mind. No-one did it better than CKQT in the 1980s.
- Ale Ont
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
I sometimes listen to The Lounge, 99.9 from British Columbia, on my internet radio.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Semuta Radio. Narcotic sounds to numb the mind. No-one did it better than CKQT in the 1980s.
"Always quiet and beautiful...we're 94 point 9 FM CKQT..."
- RadioAaron
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
I sometimes listen to The Lounge, 99.9 from British Columbia, on my internet radio.
I didn't know that was still in-format! What a fantastic playlist.
- mace
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Perhaps you should try the AccuRadio app. Of the 63 different musical choices, one of them is dedicated to the "Beautiful" format.
- Fitz
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
The original format of KNX FM can't be compared to EZ Rock Toronto or any version of AC or Easy Listening. They played the lighter side of what was heard on prog rock stations at the time. Folk Rock, Singer Songwriters, acoustic music. Hip music as enjoyed by pipe smoking hippies. CSNY, Van Morrison, America, Cat Stevens, Laura Nyro, Carole King etc
.
There was a automated station in Buffalo on 94.5 ( ?) that tried the format very briefly around 1973/74. I remember the infamous Bob Allan doing a talk show on WBUF just before the actual launch of the prog format on the station and he was talking about Buffalo radio and he referred to the the soft rock station as "chicken rock" a name that perhaps the detractors were using.The one group I remember hearing regularly on that station was Aztec Two Step.
I listened to the new station online and they do seem to be somewhat following that philosophy. I have some air check fragments from WEZE Boston from the early 70's and I think they may have had a similar format. I also heard a current station from Rochester at 100.1 that has a somewhat related but wider vision.
The EZ rock comparison does not really hold, Have a listen to a KNX FM jinges comp below or air check from 1982. Even at that late date, they were playing Jethro Tull, Van Morrison, Steely Dan and Loggins and Messina.
Last edited by Fitz (Yesterday 7:50 pm)
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- Evuguy
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
You can still get your daily dose of musical wallpaper on KJBM:
Reminiscent of those 1970's EZ listening FM's CKPC, CHAY, CKQT, CKDS, WBNY, WHLD, CKOT, CKNX, CFCA, CHSC, CKLA..
Then in 1980, following the footsteps of TV series WKRP, WHLD-FM decided to rebel against "the man". The rest is history and the beautiful music format has since been relegated to the history books. But, much like the mid-century-modern furniture that we grew up with, it probably will make a comeback.
Last edited by Evuguy (Yesterday 9:28 pm)
- Fitz
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
You can still get your daily dose of musical wallpaper on KJBM:
Reminiscent of those 1970's EZ listening FM's CKPC, CHAY, CKQT, CKDS, WBNY, WHLD, CKOT, CKNX, CFCA, CHSC, CKLA..
Then in 1980, following the footsteps of TV series WKRP, WHLD-FM decided to rebel against "the man". The rest is history and the beautiful music format has since been relegated to the history books. But, much like the mid-century-modern furniture that we grew up with, it probably will make a comeback.
As I stated in the post just above yours. KNX FM was not not based on easy listening. Was an entirely different wallpaper. Not easy listening but one could perhaps take it easy as they pondered a Tequila Sunrise. Have a listen to the Mellow Rock Stream.
Last edited by Fitz (Yesterday 10:33 pm)
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- Radiowiz
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Re: Do You Miss The Mellow Soft Rock Format? This Station May Be For You
Since CJEZ and even CHAY all disappeared
The Mellow Spot makes too much noise! PERIOD!!
Bring back the instrumentals. Jazz FM doesn't cut it. It's a garbage station.
Bring back CKQT!! (in it's always quiet and beautiful days)
It was a lot of fun tuning in and saying "Oh! I know that song!" Sometimes in my head, sometimes not.
An instrumental version of Laura Branigan's Gloria seemed to be a bit heavy for CKQT, but airing it during the day seems to be fine, I guess. Still, what a great easy listening station it was.