During which era did KFOG become respected for its deeper playlist?

KFOG earned that reputation in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The station pivoted from a more conventional album rock approach to a broader, deeper mix of singer-songwriter, alternative, and blues tracks, which really set it apart in the Bay Area market. That era solidified its credibility with serious music fans and made it a go-to for discovering new artists.

Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, that's when KFOG really found its groove. The old programmers started pulling out tracks you wouldn't hear anywhere else on the dial, mixing in deep cuts from guys like John Hiatt and Warren Zevon with local Bay Area artists, and that's what made it stand out from the corporate rock stuff that was everywhere. It felt like listening to a real music lover's jukebox, not some suit's playlist.

You know, I gotta say it was the mid-1990s that really cemented that for me. When they brought in people like Dave Benson and started doing those legendary "Acoustic Sunrise" mornings, it was like they were saying, "Hey, we're not just playing the hits, we're digging into the soul of the music." Does that track with your memory of the station, or am I misremembering the timeline?