Long Beach. In late 1967, the station began programming progressive rock from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The programming proved successful enough to make the rock format full time by 1969 when Harden Broadcasting bought KNAC. Air talent at KNAC during this era included Jim Ladd (later of KLOS), Jerry Longden (later of KROQ), and Program Director Ron McCoy. Ladd left KNAC to work for KLOS in 1971 while McCoy stayed on through much of the 1970s. The station stayed with progressive rock until 1980 when it made a significant adjustment in its rock format. In 1980, the station adopted one of the first full-time commercial alternative rock formats in the country. Up to that point, Pasadena-based KROQ-FM and stations in Phoenix, Seattle, and New York City had attempted such formats. KROQ notwithstanding, most commercial attempts at alternative rock were short-lived. KNAC began using the slogan "Rock and Rhythm" and programmed a mix of "new wave", techno, punk, and some classic rock from the 1950s and 1960s. The station gathered media attention, but it was dwarfed by KROQ-FM's stellar ratings and Rick Carroll-consulted "Rock of the 80s" Alternative format. In late 1985, KNAC was acquired by Fred Sands, a Los Angeles-based realtor. On January 8, 1986, the station flipped to a "Hard Rock/Heavy Metal music" format, the first of its kind on a commercial station in the United States. Several air staff members of the heavy metal station eventually went on to the original satellite-distributed, nationally syndicated "Z Rock" format in September 1986. KNAC played a wide variety of heavy metal and rock-based music from the late-1960s to 1995, the radio station's last year on the air, including classic rock, hard rock, traditional heavy metal, progressive rock/metal, power metal, glam metal, thrash metal, crossover thrash, death metal, groove metal, alternative metal, and grunge. KNAC was also responsible for helping launch the careers of previously low-key metal and hard rock bands, and is often credited for being the first radio station to promote new bands before their large-scale success, including Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Megadeth, Skid Row, Metal Church, Pantera, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, White Zombie, Poison, Testament, Stryper, Lizzy Borden, and Armored Saint. However, revenues were not what management had hoped for. While much of KNAC's core-base of artists were considered mainstream, the station played enough "cutting edge" artists of the day and acquired a