Radio isn't dead. People have been saying that for twenty years, but if you drive through the Bay Area and scan the lower end of the dial, you’ll find that AM 560 San Francisco is very much alive. It’s KSFO. It’s a beast of a signal.
Honestly, the "560" spot on the dial carries a weight that most FM stations can’t touch. We’re talking about a 5,000-watt blowtorch that covers the entire Bay Area, reaching from the Silicon Valley tech hubs all the way up to the North Bay. It’s a legacy. But it’s also a lightning rod. Depending on who you ask in a coffee shop in Berkeley or a diner in Walnut Creek, KSFO is either the voice of reason or the source of a headache.
The Power of the 560 Frequency
Why does this specific frequency matter? It’s basically physics. AM 560 sits at a sweet spot on the medium-wave band. Lower frequencies travel further. That’s why you can often hear AM 560 San Francisco crisp and clear even when you’re stuck in the middle of the Caldecott Tunnel or winding through the hills of Marin County where cell signals tend to die a lonely death.
The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media. They operate out of the same building as other giants like KNBR and KGO, but KSFO has its own distinct, gritty identity. It’s the "Hot Talk" station. While KGO famously pivoted away from talk and then back toward it in various experimental forms, KSFO stayed the course. It found a lane—conservative talk—and it stayed in it for decades.
You’ve got to respect the consistency, even if you don't agree with the politics. They know their audience. The listeners are loyal. They aren't just passing through; they’re the type of people who call in, buy the sponsors' products, and keep the radio on for six hours a day.
From Music to the "Hot Talk" Revolution
It wasn't always political. Back in the day—we’re talking the mid-20th century—KSFO was "The World's Greatest Radio Station." It was breezy. It was San Francisco. Don Sherwood, the "World's Greatest Disc Jockey," was the king of the morning airwaves here. He had this incredible, eccentric personality that defined the city’s vibe in the 50s and 60s.
Then the world changed. FM took over music. AM stations realized that if they wanted to survive, they had to talk.
By the 1990s, KSFO made a pivot that changed Bay Area media forever. They went all-in on conservative talk. This was the era of Rush Limbaugh and the rise of local firebrands. For a city as famously liberal as San Francisco, having a massive conservative megaphone right in the middle of the dial was... controversial. But it was also smart business. They captured a massive, underserved demographic of people in the suburbs and the Central Valley who felt left out of the local political conversation.
The Personalities That Defined the Dial
You can't talk about AM 560 without talking about the names. Brian Sussman was the face (or voice) of the station for years. A former TV meteorologist, he brought a specific kind of energy to the morning slot. Then you have the national heavyweights. Mark Levin, Sean Hannity—the station serves as the Bay Area home for the "greatest hits" of the conservative media world.
But local flavor still matters. Whether it's the morning show or the weekend specialty programming, the station tries to keep a foot in the local soil. It’s a weird mix. You’ll hear a national segment on federal tax policy followed by a local commercial for a guy who fixes foundations in San Jose.
The Tech Behind the Tower
The transmitter site is out by the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. If you’ve ever driven across that bridge and seen the towers sticking out of the marshes, you’re looking at the heart of AM 560 San Francisco. Because it’s right on the salt water, the signal conductivity is insane. Salt water acts like a giant mirror for radio waves. It bounces that 560 kHz signal all over the region with very little resistance.
That’s why you can pick it up so far away. At night, through a process called "skywave" propagation, AM signals can travel hundreds of miles. It’s not uncommon for people in Nevada or even parts of the Pacific Northwest to catch a faint whisper of Bay Area talk when the sun goes down.
Why People Still Tune In (Even in the App Age)
You’d think Spotify and podcasts would have killed a station like KSFO by now. They haven't.
There is something about the "liveness" of AM 560 that a podcast can't replicate. When a big news story breaks in the Bay Area—a bridge closure, an election result, a wildfire—people go to the dial. They want to hear a voice that is happening right now.
- Community: For many, the station is a companion. It’s the voice in the truck during a two-hour commute on I-80.
- Accessibility: You don't need a data plan or a subscription. You just need a battery and a piece of wire.
- Local Focus: Despite the national shows, the station covers local traffic, weather, and California-specific issues that national podcasts ignore.
There is also the "habit" factor. A huge portion of the AM 560 San Francisco audience has been tuning in since the 90s. It’s part of their daily ritual. You can’t disrupt that with an algorithm easily.
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The Controversies and the "San Francisco" Paradox
It is a bit of a joke that one of the most conservative radio stations in the country is located in one of the most liberal cities. But that’s the San Francisco Bay Area in a nutshell. It’s a place of extremes.
KSFO has faced its share of advertiser boycotts and protests over the years. This isn't unique to them; it’s the nature of the "Hot Talk" format. But the station has proven remarkably resilient. While other stations have flipped formats—switching to sports or all-news—AM 560 has doubled down on its identity. They know that in a fractured media landscape, being "everything to everyone" is a death sentence. Being "something specific to someone" is how you survive.
The Future of the 560 Signal
What happens next? The FCC is always tinkering with AM radio rules. There’s a lot of talk about "AM Revitalization." Some stations are adding FM translators (those low-power FM signals you find at the top of the dial) to help people hear the station without the static.
But the real future is digital. If you go to the KSFO website or use the Cumulus streaming app, you can hear AM 560 San Francisco in high-definition. It sounds like a CD. It’s weird to hear a talk show without the crackle of the AM band, but that’s where things are going.
The question is: does the station lose its soul when it loses its static? There’s a nostalgia for the "AM sound." It feels urgent. It feels like it's coming from a distance.
Actionable Steps for the Modern Listener
If you’re curious about what’s happening on the AM dial, or if you’re a long-time listener looking to get more out of the station, here is how to navigate it in 2026.
Check the Signal Strength: If you’re getting a lot of interference, it’s probably your LED lights or your computer charger. AM radio is sensitive to electronic noise. Try moving your radio away from your laptop, or better yet, listen in your car—it’s the best "antenna" most people own.
Use the Podcast Backlog: Most of the local shows on AM 560 are clipped and uploaded as podcasts immediately after they air. If you missed a specific segment on California politics, you don't have to wait for a replay. Check their website under the "On Demand" section.
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Stream for Clarity: If you’re outside the Bay Area but want the local news and traffic updates, use a streaming app like TuneIn or the station's proprietary app. This bypasses the atmospheric interference and gives you a clean stereo feed.
Engage with Caution: If you’re going to call in, have your point ready. Talk radio moves fast. The "screener" will ask what you want to say—be brief and be bold. That’s how you get on air.
Monitor the Schedule: The weekend lineup is often very different from the weekday political grind. You’ll find shows on home repair, health, and finance. It’s a good resource if you need practical advice that isn't just "the news of the day."
AM 560 San Francisco remains a cornerstone of the regional media landscape. It’s a survivor. Whether it’s through the old-school towers in the salt marshes or a digital stream on a smartphone, the voice of KSFO continues to be a part of the Bay Area’s complex, noisy, and never-boring conversation.