103.7 KSON San Diego will soon close a significant chapter in its on-air history as longtime afternoon host Kimo Jensen prepares to step away from the microphone after more than three decades at the station.
Jensen, widely known to listeners as “the Smilin’ Hawaiian,” announced he will retire in mid-June and relocate to Italy with his wife, Shannon.
The decision brings an end to one of the longest-running and most recognizable tenures in the San Diego radio market, particularly within the country format.
The station confirmed the news on KSON’s morning show, where he reflected on a career that spanned multiple eras of radio and several ownership changes. While Jensen’s exit marks the end of his daily afternoon presence, KSON plans to celebrate his legacy in a big way.
On March 19, the station will host “Kimo’s Kegger,” a farewell concert event at The Sound in Del Mar. Country artist Rodney Atkins will headline the show, which is expected to draw longtime listeners and industry colleagues who have followed Jensen’s career over the years.
The event serves as both a sendoff and a thank-you to a host who helped shape KSON’s sound and community presence for decades.
Jensen’s relationship with KSON began in 1989, when he first joined the station and worked there through 1991. After leaving San Diego for a brief period, he returned to the market in the mid-1990s following a stint in mornings at Z90. That return would prove to be permanent, as Jensen went on to become a fixture in KSON’s afternoon daypart.
As Jensen prepares for his next chapter overseas, KSON listeners will have several more months to hear a familiar voice that has accompanied countless commutes, life milestones, and country hits along the way.
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