{{Short description|American bi-weekly music magazine}} {{italic title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Bay Area Music (BAM) | image = | type = Music magazine | format = Free biweekly | owners = Bam Media | publisher = Earl Adkins (from 1994) | chief_editor = | founded = | founders = Dennis Erokan | headquarters = | political_position = | language = | launched = {{start date and age|1976|01}} | ceased_publication = {{end date|1999|06|}} | relaunched = {{start date|2011||}} | publishing_city = | publishing_country = | circulation_date = | circulation_ref = | readership = | sister_newspapers = {{ubl | ''This Week'' | ''MicroTimes'' }} | eISSN = | oclc = | RNI = | website = {{URL|http://www.BAMmagazine.com}} | free = | circulation = 130,000 (mid-1980s) | ISSN = }} '''''BAM''''' (short for '''''Bay Area Music''''') was a free bi-weekly music magazine founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area from January 1976 until June 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/BAM-magazine-shuts-doors-3081209.php|title=BAM magazine shuts doors|last1=Ganahl|first1=Jane|last2=Staff|first2=Of the Examiner|date=June 4, 1999|website=SFGate|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

== History == ''Bay Area Music'' magazine was first published in January 1976. It was a free bi-weekly magazine that was funded by advertisers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stanforddailyarchive.com/cgi-bin/stanford?a=d&d=stanford19961024-01.2.47|title=The Stanford Daily 24 October 1996 — The Stanford Daily|website=stanforddailyarchive.com|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

In the mid-1980s the magazine reached its largest circulation of 130,000 biweekly throughout California, after opening an office in Los Angeles.<ref name="Chonin 1999">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Bam-To-Cease-Publishing-Music-magazine-was-2927347.php|title=Bam To Cease Publishing / Music magazine was losing money|last1=Chonin|first1=Neva|last2=Writer|first2=Chronicle Staff|date=June 4, 1999|website=SFGate|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> After the opening of the Los Angeles office, separate Northern and Southern editions of ''BAM'' were published.<ref name="Chonin 1999" />

In October 1994, the magazine got a new publisher, Earl Adkins.<ref name="Ganahl 1995">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/BAM-Magazine-merges-with-Seattle-Rocket-3133095.php|title=BAM Magazine merges with Seattle Rocket|last1=Ganahl|first1=Jane|last2=Staff|first2=Of the Examiner|date=September 1, 1995|website=SFGate|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> Adkins resigned in spring 1995. In 1995, Bam magazine's parent company, Bam Media, bought the copyright to the Seattle ''Rocket'' music magazine.<ref name="Ganahl 1995" />

The final edition of the print magazine was published in June 1999.<ref name="Chonin 1999" /> The paper's circulation at the time of closing was 55,000.<ref name="Chonin 1999" /> The ''BAM'' logo was used as the music section of ''This Week'', another Bam Media publication, after the paper folded.<ref name="Chonin 1999" />

=== Relaunch === In 2011, ''BAM'' returned as an online magazine at BAMmagazine.com,<ref name="Bammbies reunion">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/Bammies-reunion-hopes-to-bring-back-free-wheeling-12764346.php|title=Bammies reunion hopes to revive spirit of once-popular Bay Area award show - SFChronicle.com|date=March 19, 2018|website=www.sfchronicle.com|language=en-US|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> operated by Dennis Erokan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/09/01/bam-magazine-will-return-as-website/|title=BAM magazine will return as website.|date=September 1, 2011|website=The Mercury News|language=en-US|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref>

==Bammies <span class="anchor" id="California Music Awards"></span>== In 1977, Erokan founded the Bay Area Music Awards, better known as the Bammies, a yearly award show for musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area.<ref name="Ganahl 1995"/> Winners were voted on by ''BAM''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s readers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/512796/hole-lead-bammies-nominees/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814183558/http://www.mtv.com/news/512796/hole-lead-bammies-nominees/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 14, 2019|title=Hole Lead 'Bammies' Nominees|author=MTV News Staff|website=MTV News|language=en|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> In 1998, the Bammies name was changed to the California Music Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Bammies-become-California-Music-Awards-3094329.php|title=Bammies become California Music Awards|last=Report|first=Examiner Staff|date=October 21, 1997|website=SFGate|access-date=August 14, 2019}}</ref> In March 2018, there was a Bammies Reunion Concert in San Francisco.<ref name="Bammbies reunion" />

==''MicroTimes''== ''MicroTimes'' was a free regional computer magazine, focused on industry personalities, founded and published by Dennis Erokan in the San Francisco Bay Area starting in 1984 and sold in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=MicroTimes Newsletter |url=https://archive.org/details/microtimes |website=Internet Archive |access-date=June 10, 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Microtimes |date=September 1989 |publisher=BAM Publications, Incorporated |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jTM9AQAAIAAJ |language=en |quote=via google books}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Volume 1 Number 1 |journal=MicroTimes |date=May 1984 |volume=1 |issue=1 |url=https://archive.org/details/microtimesvolume00bamp |access-date=June 10, 2022 |publisher=BAM Publications |language=English |quote=via archive.org |oclc=18528655 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Biweekly magazines published in the United States Category:Online music magazines published in the United States Category:Defunct magazines published in the United States Category:Free magazines Category:Magazines established in 1976 Category:Magazines disestablished in 1999 Category:Magazines published in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Online magazines with defunct print editions

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