Lincoln Financial Media. On December 8, 2014, Entercom announced it was purchasing Lincoln Financial Group's entire 15-station lineup (including KBZT) in a $106.5 million deal, and would operate the outlets under an LMA deal until the sale was approved by the FCC. The sale to Entercom was consummated on July 17, 2015. On February 1, 2018, KBZT rebranded as "Alt 94-9", aligning itself with Entercom's similarly branded stations across the country. The rebranding also solidified its continued operation as a music station; Entercom's hiring of former XEPRS jock Dan Sileo led to speculation that either KBZT or KEGY would be flipped to a sports talk format to accompany Sileo, as well as Entercom's rights to the San Diego Padres (a deal which began on KBZT for the 2017 season). The team announced later that month that Padres broadcasts would move to KEGY, which flipped from Top 40/CHR to the hot talk-driven The Machine on March 2, 2018 (but subsequently flipped again to the conventional sports talk format The Fan in April, in response to controversies surrounding the station's planned morning host Kevin Klein, who was coming from KBZT's San Francisco sister station KITS). Past programming In 2007, FM 94/9 was one of at least five stations in the San Diego market playing modern rock music. However, on its website, FM 94/9 strived to be different from other radio stations by playing diverse music, broadcasting locally produced music and using a live and local airstaff. During the October 2007 wildfires in the San Diego area, KBZT became the temporary home of local public radio station KPBS-FM 89.5 after power to the KPBS-FM/TV transmitter on Mount San Miguel was interrupted on the morning of October 23. Within three hours KBZT had agreed to air KPBS' wildfire coverage until a backup transmitter could be established from the station's studio tower on the San Diego State University campus, which occurred the next day. In January 2010, "The Mikey Show" moved from KIOZ to KBZT. This program had been controversial while in syndication and was taken off air in March 2012 as a result. In June 2012, "Brunch with Bob and Friends" ended an eight-year run at the station, moving to KOPA. On October 19, 2015, Chris Cantore became co-host of the morning show with Steve Woods. Cantore had previously hosted mornings at KPRI but lost his job in September 2015 when that station became