nice lady receptionist when i went to headquarters, where i won some faire tickets! thank you 98.1!! and the hosts on the radio show in the morning are wonderful nice persons..however the person who answered my call yesterday, an associate of 98.1 named david (not sure what his title is) he needs to be taught some "manners" as he was short with this old man, as i called twice..i could not hear an answer just loud music in the background..so i called back again..and i heard the music again..and i did not hear a voice until i said hello anybody there? and he said "your supposed to speak when you call!! huh? so i said sorry could not hear your voice..and i was at the time volunteering at an old retirement home playing piano for these lonley old persons..i told him i could not hear the name of the winner of the "trip of the day" because i was playing piano 5-10 minutes after the annoucement..and asked him if the 1st name of the winner was david (my 1st name) and he said oh we cant tell you...ok i get it..you have rules..i can live with that but his 'manner in which he spoke to me was rude! no compassion for this old man.....he must be a millennium spoiled type of kid....so please advise him on speaking with some proper manners..as the "rest of 98.1 always has showed those nice manners" ..as i have listened to 98.1 since the 1980's... thank you very much for reading this! im david , after 38 years of teaching and coaching tomorrow''s america retired in north oceanside ca. read more

I know that radio stations play the same popular songs every day in an attempt to grab & hold the attention of the "short term listener commuting home" .... but..... come on..... if there is any way on the planet that SOME new songs can be added to the completely overplayed list of the same 20 songs...... it would be wildly appreciated by those of us who are stuck in a communal office space where the radio is excessively relyed upon.... herego, it would be slightly more bearable with a few additional songs added to the ultra repetitive mix. On behalf of us who are forced to listen to the radio allllllllll day, we thank you for considering this desperate request. read more

Because they play the same crap over and over again same music over and over and over again there's a bazillion songs out there and they keep playing the same ones read more

Good music! nice soft rock selection! But sometimes The signal fades out where I'm at.

We used to listen to this great station but ever since they decided to air ICE commercials with the grating voice of Kristi Noem we stopped months ago. Hard for me to believe a station like this would support and be complicit in the terrorizing of people of color. We are beyond disgusted and share this horrible information with everyone we know. A week ago, we were at a friend's big BBQ pool party, informed the host and switched to one of their competitors. How many times in 10 seconds can you say Sunny 98.1 supports terrorizing people of color for money? Adios! read more

It is a great radio station. Unfortunately, they now regularly air commercials from Kristi Noem who spews Trump propaganda. Not interested and no longer listening. Their political stance is a deal breaker. read more

The radio station love playing the music and all the announcer but the only thing commercial was so odd to listen about the conversation of bf/gf hearing I wish you're hear in San Diego , read more

Once upon a time, My radio in my car was FROZEN on 98.1.Then, one fateful night, (I work 2nd shift) I was on my way home from work, cruising down 94 East and turned on the radio..... Michael Effing JACKSON???? Whaaaaaat? I hastily assured myself the radio was, indeed, tuned to 98.1 And so began KIFM's descent into utter, irredeemable SUCKAGE! WHY , in the name of all that is Unholy, would one of Southern California's premiere Smooth Jazz Stations transform itself into just another, cookie-cuter pop station.? Clearly, the persons responsible are but Erupting Boils in the Butt-Crack of the Human Race!! read more

i'm sorry to have to post a one star review. I try to make a point to tune into the Station, but unfortunately I can't stand that so many songs keep repeating. The most annoying one is Kenny Loggins with highway to the danger zone. Serious guys? Is that all you can come up from the 80s? there were way more songs produced in that decade. Need to step it up guys.!!! read more

The station used to be good and now forget it..I enjoy the music and traffic reports on my long ride to and work.The AJ and Sarah nonstop chatter kinda gets annoying because most people are not drama people just enjoy a good station.Also,Aj constantly is repeating /sharing very stale stories from around the country that has been played 100 times on every tv station. Please AJ do a little work and get even a few things that have not been in the news weeks. Also,on there trip give aways the station needs to disclose unfront to the listeners what actually the trip is.Days of the trip,etc..not just vague information.If your going brags about the trip spell out exactly what the winner will get in advance. The music is very good and the station could be good again if they cut back on the chatter and drama. Listen yourself and be the judge.I only listen when they are not on the air. read more

This used to be my favorite station, but every time I tune in on my radio now, I hear "Girls Just Wanna have Fun." So until that no longer happens, I'm tuning in elsewhere. Sorry. read more

The radio personalities are nice but don't expect prank calls, entertainment news, or parody songs. It's just not that kind of radio station but come to think of it, if you're into smooth jazz you want to hear the music not listen to a talk show. Smooth jazz is just relaxing and the upbeat music is a refreshing change (no lyrics about gang banging, cheatin' lovers, gettin' down with the sickness, etc.) Just classy, easygoing music and classic jazz tunes. I havent even gotten to the EZ Money part yet and I almost dont want to. Every hour on the hour they host an EZ Money prize - be the 10th caller and win $100 plus be entered into a drawing to win a JAG! Nice! read more

I can see you now, turning your nose up at the screen as if I'm some kind of mutant for giving a "smooth" jazz station a four-star review. I can hear you now, hassling me with sighs of disbelief, calling into question the motives behind this hare-brained crackpottery. I assure you, sirs and madames: I am no beguiler and what I have bestowed upon you is genuine truth. I am outing myself on Yelp because acknowledgment is the first step to overcoming addiction. Apparently. Without further ado, I, Dominique, am an occasional listener of Smooth Jazz 98.1. That's right. I said it. Who wants to make something of it? I posted this to prove that even twenty-somethings can appreciate and recognize good music when it hits them and no one need confine his or herself to a scene. Sure, you'll encounter the occasional baby-making groove, elevator soundtrack and prolonged Kenny G solo, but this station consistently pays homage to legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. You cannot go wrong with that type of leverage. With knowledgeable DJs [whose voices are as smooth as butter and/or the abs of my bereft-of-personality ex-boyfriend] to wade you through the festering sore that is San Diego's airwaves, your morning or afternoon commute will be transformed into a magic carpet ride of tranquility. Turn on the cruise control and relax, sweet babies, but not too much unless you fancy vehicular manslaughter. Sidebar: This station also serves an unintended purpose: it is an infallible reminder of the necessity of purging certain sexual demons from my system before mid-life crisis mode attacks. Remember: in your twenties, you'll think this is wine-and-cheese crap. In your forties, the songs of yesteryear will no long appeal to you. Trust me. You'll totally eat this shit for breakfast. Why not get a leg up? Such is life. read more

Suck it. I want Jazz. If I want 80's 90's music there are plenty others doing it. It's so frustrating to find a good station that can play music that can drown out my co-workers mumble jumble. Jazz took the edge off. Ick. Now you are like everybody else. Shocked you haven't recruited Jeff n Jer and subject us to listening talking about how much they love themselves. you are now a sheep. read more

Yep. It's gone. Except maybe Sunday mornings and the late night hosts. I go away on a LONG business trip, and the playlist continues to shrink and deteriorate. Van Morrison?!? I would rather listen to white noise than his nasty vocal cords. And now Michael Jackson invaded the playlist?!?! Michael MF Jackson?!?!?! WTF?!? Never again during work hours. The live concerts they sponsor are SO different from the on-air style. Have to conclude they're going to quit supporting the "real" smooth jazz artists. If the divergence continues, they might as well go country. read more

They've gone downhill real fast this year and have lost me as a listener (10+ years). It's sad because smooth jazz continues to lose the support it needs. San Francisco lost their station recently and has nothing to replace it with. If this is KIFM's way to "fit" in with the other stations, it is working. And as a result, they'll continue to lose listeners. Bring back the jazz! Wayman Tisdale, Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson and sooo many others. Stop the Bruno Mars, Norah Jones, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Seal! read more

Noticing that everyone here agrees with me, (except David H). Those that loved it when KIFM was a smooth jazz station with great music and artists are upset that KIFM turned it's back on loyal listeners. You can see that before the station morphed into, (no idea what they are now but confused) people liked them including non smooth jazz people. I've reset my radio in my car and try to get LA stations too, or just play a lot more CD's. It would be fantastic if San Diego got another smooth jazz station, I'd love it! I'm also looking for stations online that play jazz.. read more

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good is that they've changed formats yet again. Now it's "80s, 90s, and now." The bad news is they still have no idea how to put together a good flow and mix of music. You'll hear an 80s ballad, a 90s easy listening tune, then they'll throw in Bruno Fucking Mars and you remember why you stopped listening to this joke of a station. *For the record, no, I do not tune into this station but it's on in the background quite a bit so I take notice of these things.* I will say this - the songs they're picking from the 80s and 90s are actually pretty good and they don't play them 10,000 times every day like they would with a Bruno Sars or James-third-letter-of-the-alphabet-that-rhymes-with-Blunt song. If they can do away with all this wussy music from the last couple of years then this station may actually be nice to listen to again. It's not jazz, but the combo of 80s and 90s easy listening isn't bad. By the way, if you're still looking for jazz, switch over to 88.3. It's all different kinds of jazz and it's commercial free. Great station. Keep trying, 98.1 You may get it right soon. read more

So I revisit and find that there are 30.. count them 30 "filtered" reviews all 1 star because of the backlash of 98.1 selling out jazz for god knows what. All the filtered reviews have established profiles with multiple other reviews, so this is not filtering shills.. but legit bad reviews because the station sucks after the format changes. This should be a HUGE black eye to yelp for censoring legit reviews. Even the unfiltered reviews are bad. Bring back smooth jazz to san diego so XM radio doesn't get all the business. Any sponsor worth their salt would avoid 98.1 like the plague unless and until the station gets their stuff together. Give us Earl Klugh and kick aguilerra to the curb! 98.1 owners would do well to learn the adage.. the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.. read more

I'd give them only one star, but i give them 2 for finally being honest and taking the word "jazz" out of the name. This station never played jazz. If you want to hear jazz in SD, listen to 88.3. If you want to hear elevator music and an occasional top 40 pop song to go with your Charles Shaw chardonnay, have at it. read more

I think even the Orange Man would agreee........'Make 98.1 Smooth Jazz Great Again'. Bring back the Jazz! Everybody l-o-v-e-d it and it was a h-u-g-e success. The upside is that I have dug out own smooth jazz CDs, blew off the dust and I'm gliding down the highway.....but I still miss 98.1 SMOOTH JAZZ. read more

David M. said it best, but my mom loves this station. Of course, I despise it and all that it stands for, but this is the perfect station to put on if you need to be lulled to sleep. read more

Everyone seems bummed that 98.1 switched formats. My quesiton to them is why didn't the ever listen to this? http://www.jazz88.org/ This is a real jazz station and it's been around way longer that 98.1 as a SJ ever was. Something I'll never understand. read more

There are three things good about KIFM: -Sade -Mrs. Elvis Costello herself...Diana Krall -Steely Dan The rest is just wine-and-cheese crap. read more

I wish that you would play more variety. For instance, I can almost set my clock on Saturday by the songs you play...Tracy Chapman (old, tacky song)....Seal....etc.....also, I love the song "Killing Me Softly"....I don't know where you got the re-mix of it with hip hop or what ever the heck it is.....it ruined it more me. Can you please, occasionally play the original version? I love Bonnie Raitt but come on...your putting on stale stuff.....I know this won't change things...but I think you are probably losing listeners for this reason Nprovance read more

What the heck happened to AJ and Sara ? The reason I was listening to the station was AJ and Sara in the morning . Sorry Sunny is out

Love the new Sunny 98.1 and Mason in the morning is great. Does some fun stuff

Love love love this station. Especially when I am driving home and to work. I love the fact that they have contests and we can participate online. I listen all day however unable to call in and be the tenth caller. Thank you for taking care of your loyal listeners. read more

WAKE UP I was probably San Diego's most dedicated listener when it was Smooth Jazz 98.1. When they dropped that format I had numerous friends calling me & asking why they quit playing Smooth Jazz. ( @#*&%$**&#!@!!%$ ) Then later they dropped Lenny B - Kelly C & Jay W. Later Mike V. was gone & I couldn't believe what was going on. Things continued to get worse when they did the disappointing after 6 P.M. show with Delilah. Thought things were starting to get better though, when I heard an old friend "Gene Knight" from the KCBQ days, was now on the air. Even better when I heard they were dropping Delilah. SHORT LIVED THOUGH. I'm not alone when I say SUNNY 98.1 TOTALLY SUCKS read more

I've been a faithful listener to 98.1 since I moved here in 1992 but lately I am very disappointed in the format after 6 P.M. with Delilah. First, what is her background in dealing with personal problems? I find her advice for the love lorn boring and nauseating. I'm of the opinion that 98.1 should stick to playing just wonderful music without the commentary by Delilah. Should it continue I will be switching stations! Marshall C. read more

I can't remember when I started listening to 98.1. It was way back, when the soft jazz was playing I believe. It WAS my favorite station for years and years. Then it dropped soft jazz and was playing the 80's, 90's and todays music, which was okay. Then one day I popped it on in my car and thought I had the wrong station. No Mike, no Kenny, and the music-loud, loud, and just not what it use to be. I can't believe after all these years it has come to this. Don't know who these people are that took it over, change the style, music, etc., but I no longer listen. Sad, sad. read more

very disapointed that they drop the smooth jazz. So no more jazz at catalina then either. this is a sad day in San Diego.

When they were smooth jazz it was a little frustrating because with so many of the songs I would have to say...' wait a minute, thats not jazz, I thought this was a jazz station. Soft Rock, Folk Rock, country is not jazz music. Sinead Oconnor is not a jazz musician. R&B is closer to jazz so I overlooked that. But even with jazz, I always thought they could add a little more flavor by dropping the some of the "smooth" and get just a little funky with something like George Duke, Ive never heard them play Stanley Clark. Never heard them play Roy Ayers (which is smooth). The playlist was always very basic but there were some good songs and they had some great jazz shows. BUT NOW....I turn it on one day and the jazz is COMPLETELY gone. and they dropped the name of JAZZ. Why???? At my job that was one of the very few I could get a signal on but now I refuse to listen to it. Ill play with the intenna all day to keep tunned into the OLd School 92.5. does anyone know why they changed? read more

This used to be a great radio station, comparable to LA's "The Wave". I was a loyal listener for at least 15 years. The blend of smooth jazz, and new artists was refreshing, and always enjoyable. I loved their playlist so much that I bought their annual CD compilations virtually every year they offered them. I have no idea what led up to their format change, but they have completely lost this loyal listener. The station is now a take off on KyXy and I can't be bothered with them, though I DID try to give them a chance. Honestly, with the new format, I don't know how they are managing to stay on the air, and my guess is their time is VERY limited. So very sad. Now San Diego has no station that is worth listening to. read more

This station now sounds like every boring station in San Diego.There is nothing that would make you want to listen to this station over other stations.Why bother! read more

98.1 contest sucks, they tell you to call in and be the 10th caller, will low and be hold I did that many of time and they never answered my phone call to even tell me I was not a winner, it just rang and rang, unless I hung up they would never answer, REALLY Guys you can at least have the courtesy to at least answer and tell me I am not a winner, I really think their contest are done by favoritism. read more

I'm a courier this station gets rid of my road rage and calms me down. Thanks !!! Helps lower my blood pressure.... & STRESS

They are not a jazz station anymore and it terrible. San Diegan do not have a good jazz station to listen to anymore. Too bad!!

Funny, the only good review KIFM has is from before they changed formats. Like some others I am a loyal listener from the early days when "Winelight" at 10:00pm meant the evening jazz fix was on its way. And what a joy when they switched to jazz full time. Correction: Make that ex-loyal listener. Today's KIFM is just plain aggravating. It's horrible music - and nothing "smooth" about it. Sure good for getting me out of bed in the morning though. Can't move fast enough to turn it off. Thank goodness for my IPod and smoothjazz.com! read more

This station feels like home! When we moved here last Fall this was a great comfort because it reminded me so much of the smooth jazz station we had back in Michigan. The format is almost identical, and even the theme song bears a strong resemblance. Overall I must say that smooth jazz is one of the more tolerable formats on the radio, as it's relaxing and consistent in vibe. I rarely feel the need to change the station, unlike most top 40 stations that are extremely hit and miss. Sometimes you just want to kick back and enjoy the moment and 98.1 is the station to do that with! read more