Radio Waves Podcast #53

Picking on KFI

 

I detest music beds. On any station. You know what I mean ... when a station thinks it needs to add “excitement” to its programming and management thinks the best way to do it is to add some annoying music loop to play while the DJ is talking. What it does instead is act like fingernails on a chalkboard. Note to programmers: Your listeners hate this.

 

 

KFI (640 AM) has taken it to new heights. Whenever their traffic reports come on, music -- so bad it sounds like a reject from a European “house” concert — begins. On a regular radio where AM fidelity and perhaps some welcome static covers it, you may not notice it as much. But on HD Radio or on-line, it is repulsive. No matter what, it is also a tune-out. I can no longer listen to traffic reports on KFI … they are so annoying, I have to tune to a competitor. These new traffic reports are actually worse than Kars for Kids ads and “You’re killing me Larry.”

 

 

Note to KFI: Just drop the music on both traffic and weather. It is NOT helping. Unless you are trying to send listeners to KNX (1070 AM) or KABC (790 AM). KABC has a bed too, which they should drop as well, but at least it is not nearly as grating.

 

 

What’s in a Name?

 

 

Sure you’ve heard the ads for financial planning guru and syndicated KFI show host Rick Eddleman. And the tag line ... “visit us at RickEddleman.Com. That’s RiceStellman.Com”

 

 

Well, actually, no. ... If it were RiceStellman.Com, it wouldn’t be RickEddleman.Com. So using the word “that’s” is fully inappropriate.

But here’s the rub: NONE of the above websites are correct. Yet you’d never know it since Eddleman never spells his name on the air. 

 

 

His name is actually Ric Edelman. And it seems he does understand the spelling confusion, as you actually can type “RickEdleman.Com” (not two “d” letters as I have above) and most browsers will redirect to RicEdelman.Com. But RickEddleman.Com does not work, nor does RiceStellman.Com, as the website is actually RiceDelman.Com. And I still don’t understand that connection.

 

 

Quick Takes

 

 

Go Country 105 (KKGO, 105.1 FM) will have a new morning show. Beginning Monday, Graham Bunn and Deborah Mark will wake you up. Current host Larry Morgan moves to evenings to co-host with Ginny Harman, and Klaudia Aresti -- former Morgan morning partner -- leaves the station.

 

 

I forgot to tell you the results of the Tom Leykis program auction. The winner, wanting to remain secret for now, will have the show originate for one day from his house, and comes from Powell Butte, Oregon. Winning bid: $4200. 

 

 

SPERDVAC -- the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety and Comedy will play host to special guest Stanley Dyrector at its meeting Saturday October 11 from 12-2 at the West Valley Library, 19036 Vanowen Street, in Reseda. Dyrector started his career as a radio actor and writer, writing many of the episodes of the Sears Radio Theater. Hear the meeting on YesterdayUSA.Com Friday, October 17 at 10:30 pm.