Radio Waves Podcast #145

Radio: September 30, 2016

I’ve been listening more and more to Alt 98.7’s morning The Woody Show. And I have to say I find it very entertaining.

Perhaps the best kept secret in Los Angeles radio, the morning program has been on the air at Alt 98.7 since April of 2014. Only relatively recently has the station actually promoted it, though the ratings of the program have been instrumental in raising the fortunes of the station overall. In August, Alt earned its highest rating in recent memory, tied with Real 92.3 at 8th place and a 3.4 share of the audience and solidly beating longtime alternative leader KROQ (106.7 FM), which was 19th with a 2.3 share.

The program is good enough to have attracted the attention of industry insiders; it was actually someone at a competing station who told me to check it out.

Jeff “Woody” Fife leads a cast that includes Ranae Ravey, Greg Gory and Jason “Menace” McMurry who are kind of like your cool friends you see at work, at school, or at parties. What impresses me personally is the intelligence level of the program ... these are not a bunch of ignorant fools. In fact, some of the bits they do poke fun at stupidity or modern society’s obsession with self-absorption.

As but one example called “First World Problems,” listeners call in to talk of the problems they have; once they describe their problem, Woody reads a news story of someone else suffering a tragic or depressing event, then ask the caller which problem they would rather have. While the idea is primarily entertainment, it does get one thinking of how trivial so many problems of modern living can be.

The show’s genesis dates back to 2006 at a station in San Francisco, known as Live 105. In an event that shows how radio has changed over the years, Woody and Ravey were fired in 2009 allegedly for airing an unreleased Green Day song. In years past stations would reward a jock for obtaining and airing a song before its release. It was all part of the competition ... but I digress.

All in all its a fun show with harmless fun humor as presented by personalities who are quite good in their craft. If you have not checked it out yet -- and judging by the ratings you already have -- you owe it to yourself to do so. Hear it weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on Alt 98.7 FM.

Congratulations ...

... to KRTH for winning the Marconi Award in the category of Classic Hits Station Of The Year.

The Marconi Awards were handed out by the National Association of Broadcasters on September 22nd in Nashville; the awards recognize excellence in broadcasting by personalities and stations. KRTH was the only local station to receive a Marconi.

New Name for New Format

The American Songbook on 1260 AM (simulcast on 105.1 HD3) has a new name: KBOQ. Formerly KMZT for the classical format, the name “K-Mozart” is still being used for the classical format that can be picked up on digital HD radios on 105.1 HD2.

Knocked Off

KLAA (830 AM) was off the air for an extended period earlier this month when a cars apparently hit power poles feeding the area that includes the station’s transmitter. 

The station went off the air due to the event during the early evening hours of September 14th. Power was not restored until the following day and the station resumed normal operations at about 2 p.m. September 15th.