Harvey Stone Former GM Of KBLX Has Passed

Urbaninsie.com has learned that Harvey Stone, the longtime President and General Manager of KBLX/San Francisco who helped develop the station’s signature “Soft and Warm” sound, died August 4. Stone spent 31 years leading KBLX and became an influential figure in Bay Area and Urban radio.

Stone guided KBLX from Inner City Broadcasting’s acquisition of KRE through the station’s sale to Entercom in 2012. During his tenure, he helped transform the station into one of the country’s most successful independently operated, minority-owned radio properties, competing against much larger broadcast groups. Consultant, Harry Lyles, Lyles Media and KOIT, PD Andy Holt relaunched KBLX after the Entercom takeover in 2012.

A Cleveland native, Stone was recruited by the Sutton family, owners of Inner City Broadcasting, to take charge of KBLX. When asked whether he could turn the station around, Stone reportedly replied, “Only if you let me.” Stone helped develop the Quiet Storm approach that became synonymous with KBLX, blending contemporary R&B, smooth jazz and mellow instrumentals under the station’s memorable “Soft and Warm” identity. His programming philosophy was that “music has no color,” helping KBLX attract a broad Bay Area audience while maintaining strong ties to the African American community.

Throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s, KBLX regularly ranked among the Bay Area’s leading stations despite operating as a standalone property while larger companies assembled multi-station clusters. Stone also worked to expand advertiser support for Urban radio, challenging assumptions about the format by emphasizing the buying power and loyalty of KBLX listeners. His efforts helped improve the standing of minority-owned radio among national advertisers.

Beyond the station, Stone created the Stone Soul Picnic, which became a major Northern California live music event and community celebration. Stone was inducted into the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame in 2015. He was also known as “the godfather” of the California Historical Radio Society for his role in helping the organization secure Berkeley’s historic KRE building as its first permanent home.

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