The pop/dance mix radio program Saturday Night Hot Mix began in 1985 on Phoenix radio station KOPA as a collaboration between DJ Dave Rajput and KOPA music director Art Morales. In 1986, KOPA shut down, and Rajput partnered with mobile DJ Andrew Starr to form Hot Mix Productions and keep the show going on another Phoenix station. Later that year, other U.S. stations began airing the show in syndication, with the network growing to 35 stations by 1989. On January 1, 1990, ABC Radio Networks contracted with Hot Mix Productions to market, distribute, and sell the show as just Hot Mix. The first mix was called “Mix of the Decade 1989-90” and was distributed on vinyl disc to all radio stations signed up to play the program. In July 1990, ABC began producing programs on CD, which made Hot Mix the first and only show of its kind world-wide to distributed weekly on Compact Disc. In 1991, Hot Mix was being syndicated by ABC Radio Network and was being heard on over 175 stations weekly worldwide. That year it was also nominated and lost a second Billboard Radio Award in the Syndicated show Top 40/Crossover music category.