98.5 KOME – Fan Blog

Green Day, Sneaker Pimps, Others Chatting Online Today

Posted Dec 04, 1997 12:00 AM

Members of Green Day, Sneaker Pimps, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Everclear and Our Lady Peace will all gather today for an online chat.

The bands are set to hit Yahoo! Chat at 3:30 p.m. (PST)/6:30 p.m. (EST) prior to taking the stage for the KOME "Almost Acoustic Christmas." The first of two concerts being hosted by the radio station takes place tonight at the San Jose State Event Center . A second show, set for Dec. 8, features this season’s big concert attraction — the Cure . (Ari Bendersky)

KOME Reunion: Rock Radio’s Glory Days

Posted by Brad Kava on January 23rd, 2006 at 9:39 am

It’s almost hard to believe, given the way rock has disappeared from the San Jose  dial these days, but for decades this city was the heart of rock radio.

But Saturday night as the staff of KOME-FM (98.5) held its "almost 33 1/3 years" reunion at Campbell’s Sonoma Chicken Coop, the memories came back.

Three decades of staff hung out, trading stories.
You can read a lot of them here.

(Photo: Morning hosts: Blazy and Bob today: photo, your humble narrator)

KOME, which started in 1971 by Ron Cutler as a free form station, was voted Top Station in the
Country in the 1980s twice by readers of Rolling Stone Magazine, overshadowing bigger guns in New York and Los Angeles.

It was the first station acquired by Infinity Broadcasting (now CBS/Infinity) in 1973, which devoted it to rock, and pitted it against KSJO-FM in bitter and often funny competition.

It was known for its bumper stickers, and its suggestive logo: "The Kome spot on your dial."

To read the rest of the article…. click here.

Ever see a certain KOME 98.5 yellow and black decal floating around the states back in the late 70s and 80s? Yeah, that decal , the one with the letters on it that ya had to hide from your mom?

Look down…………..

I so miss seeing this decal everywhere, I mean everywhere! To have lived in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Santa Cruz during the 1980′s and 1990′s was as close to heaven as I think I will get without actually going on the last grand trip.

Music was such a huge part of my life, I should have gone into the industry. My Uncle by marriage, Dick Summer is a DJ with a great history. I really should have followed my heart.

Anywho, so where did the infamous decal come from? Whose bright idea was it?

This is the story of the famous KOME Diamond Sticker, as told by its designer, Bob Simmons. Bob was Dan Tapson’s first Program Director circa 1972 & 1973…

You may want to know the history of the straight up or straight ahead roadsign that became the hot bumpersticker for the southbay. Ahem. It was mine.

The station was looking for a bumper-sticker design. Dan Tapson and Gary Rodrigues brought in some "other" designs and we had a meeting about them. I had a mock up of mine too. At the time Gary wanted to go with his design, and I had a tantrum. I literally pounded on the desk and said…."I know I am right about this! People are going to like this!" I think I threatend to quit and made other rash promises and veiled menacing gestures…Dan finally relented, saying something like, "Well if it is so imporant to you." Gary sulked….just as I would have I had not won this round.

For the rest of the story, click below:

The Diamond Decal Story