Radio Waves Podcast #130

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Airwaves: June 3, 2016

    It’s funny how whenever I mention commercials I get tons of letters from people who actually don’t mind most of them, they just hate a few in particular.

    A while back I had written regarding the absolute fake-ness -- at least in sound and presentation -- of the “Helpful Honda” ads, along with my usual put down of Kars-4-Kids. Reader Anthony Chan of Monterey Park wrote in to give his perspective. Like me, he happens to like the Sit ‘n Sleep commercials ... perhaps something of a guilty pleasure waiting to see what accountant Irwin brings to the table. Anthony’s addition to the discussion:

    “Nick Alexander BMW. The ads always tell listeners ‘we are centrally located in the wholesale district’ ... pray tell me, how does one get to this ‘wholesale district?””

    Good point. I sometimes wonder if anyone reads their own copy of the commercials, or runs them past a non-ad person to see if it is clear or makes sense. I myself had issues with Ric Edelman ads on KFI (640 AM) because I didn’t realize their use of “Rice-Stelman.Com” was actually just a poorly enunciated “Rice-Delman.Com, or more accurately another way to remember (or correctly spell) RicEdelman.Com.

    Quick Takes:

    SPERDVAC, the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio Drama, Variety And Comedy, has chosen Las Vegas for its annual Old Time Radio convention to be held in January, 2017. More details as they become available.

    J. J. Johnson, magical voice of the original late great KDAY (now) told me recently that his can’t-put-down Kindle book “Aircheck: Life in Music Radio” will soon be available in paperback. However you read it, just read it. It is great.

    KRRF/Oxnard-Ventura (106.3 FM) spent Memorial Day Weekend with a new format, ditching country for “Classic Hip Hop.” Core artists include Snoop Dogg, 2 Pac, Dr. Dre, Notorias B. I. G. and Ice Cube; the station now uses the name 106.3 Spin-FM.

    KFI’s afternoon John and Ken Show lost another news anchor with the departure of Libby Denkmann; Denkmann had been doing news since Shannon Farren moved to the mid-day shift as co-cost with Gary Hoffman. This has created a rare opening for a news anchor at KFI ... time to get my aircheck ready ...

    Listening to recordings of the format that could have been had it been supported and given more time -- top-40 on K-WEST (now KPWR, 105.9 FM) -- I can’t help but notice that Bobby Ocean really is one of top-40 radio’s greatest jocks. Quick wit, amazing pipes, absolutely perfect delivery ... damn you, (former) General Manager Timmy Sullivan, for firing programer Chuck Martin before the format could take off in the early 1980s.

    Station History

    Richard Rofman or Van Nuys asks, “At one time, KABC-TV was called KECA-TV. Did that stand for Earle C. Anthony, who at one time owned KFI?”

    Yes. And the tie-in reached KABC (790 AM) and KLOS (95.5 FM) which once were KECA and KECA-FM as well, though -- and here is where you can fill me in if I am wrong -- Anthony never actually owned the FM or the television station. My understanding is that the AM station call letters survived the transition from Anthony to NBC Blue and eventually the American Broadcasting Company, and it was ABC that launched the FM and television stations, keeping the KECA calls for all for easy identification purposes.

    KABC, KABC-FM and KABC-TV became the call letters of the three stations when the call sign combo became available in 1954. KLOS was used on the FM starting in 1971 to avoid confusion with the once-popular AM station.