SPECIAL REPORT: KION celebrates 50 years

This month marks 50 years KION has been serving the Central Coast community with the latest and most accurate local news.

To celebrate our anniversary, we want to take you back to the day we first went on air.

A lot has changed in 50 years….from the cost of living, to the population of the Central Coast.

And through it all, you’ve trusted us to bring every landmark event into your home—to celebrate our golden anniversary, here’s a look at how far we’ve come.

On January 25th 1969 we signed on the air. Only back then, the former Governor, then President Ronald Reagan introduced us by our old call letters.

Here’s what some of the Central Coast was like 50 years ago…

The census documented 255,000 people living in Monterey County back then—our population has nearly doubled since.

Gas was 35 cents a gallon–sounds like a dream right? Today, it’s over $3.00 in most California cities.

President and CEO of Cannery Row Company Ted Balestreri moved to Monterey in 1957 and founded the well known Sardine Factory.

He’s seen the ups and downs, but perhaps one of the biggest changes…

“Our rent was only $200 a month! And that was a lot of money. It was a condemned building on the wrong side of the tracks, the Sardine Factory. The rent was $200 a month,” says Balestreri.

And imagine paying under $25,000 for a home in California. That was the median price 50 years ago. The median price in Monterey County now–$554,000. And it’s $883,000 in Santa Cruz county.

Ag is still the number one money maker on the Central Coast, followed by tourism.

“This certainly is an economic engine for Monterey. Enormous economic engine, which pays for the communities, for the public services, for the neighborhoods. This generates enormous amounts of money,” says Balestreri.

In 1993 when the station was sold, we became KCCN.

And in 1997, our call letters were changed to what you now know as KION.

But throughout all the letter changes, one thing remained the same…our passion and dedication to bringing you the most accurate local news first. And that will not be changing anytime soon.

Stick with us for our special reports every Thursday all this month…we’ll highlight the notable events and people who have made the Central Coast a truly memorable place these past 50 years.