WKLS made a dramatic change in 1974, as it flipped to an album rock format, using the moniker "96 Rock", the branding it retained until November 2006. Key artists on WKLS in the 1970s included The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Carole King, The Who and Chicago. For a time in 1977, DJ "Skinny" Bobby Harper, who was the inspiration for Dr. Johnny Fever of the television sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati", was a WKLS disc jockey. In the 1980s, the station was acquired by The Great American Radio & TV Company, with Jacor Communications taking over in the 1990s.