Radio Waves Podcast #229

Radio: July 13, 2018

Alt 98.7 FM (KYSR) will have a new midday personality as Tamo Sein replaces Marty Whitney in the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. slot at the popular alternative music station effective July 16.

Sein moves to Los Angeles from her former home of Charlotte, North Carolina where she had the same shift at co-owned alternative WEND. She is described as “relatable, down to earth” a fan of alternative music and “a food and wine enthusiast ... she will fit right in!” according to Alt programmer Lisa Worden.

While the move means Whitney will not be heard in Los Angeles, he will continue at KIOZ/San Diego (105.3 FM), where he hosts weeknight 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Hopefully, unlike Whitney, Sein will indeed be local.

iHeart Interest

While Liberty Media, a majority owner of SiriusXM Satellite Radio has long expressed an interest in buying at least a portion of bankrupt iHeart Media, word out this week is Silver Lake Partners, a private equity firm, is rumored to be interested as well. 

Any sale would not happen until iHeart emerges from its current bankruptcy in October or so, after which the company will “only” owe $10 billion compared with today’s debt just North of $20 billion. Yes, billion, with a b. The company is valued by some at about $12 billion.

My position, of course, is that neither company should take control. iHeart and the others are THE reason radio is undervalued. The company should go bankrupt and forced to sell stations off under rules that should be adopted by the FCC preventing a company from owning more than 50 stations nationwide ... a compromise, admittedly, as the limit should be closer to 10 or 15.

Bigger Neighborhood

Real 92.3 FM’s (KRRL) syndicated morning show Big Boy’s Neighborhood will be broadcast on cable television’s Fuse Network starting on Monday, July 30th. Broadcast on radio stations across the country through Premiere Radio Networks, the show is based in Los Angeles.

Big Boy -- also known as Kurt Alexander -- has been in Los Angeles since 1997: first at Power 106 and then beginning in 2015 at Real. 

“I can’t believe it’s been three years since I embarked on this incredible journey to bring Big Boy’s Neighborhood to my listeners on iHeart Radio’s Real 92.3 and stations nationwide, Alexander said in a press release. “Words can’t express how excited I am to bring the Neighborhood to millions of viewers through this television partnership with Fuse.”

Fireworks

American Top-40 celebrated its 48th birthday on July 4th.

The program was created by original host Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and legendary programmer Ron Jacobs, who at the time had recently left the programming position at KHJ (930 AM)

It launched on July 4, 1970 with just seven affiliates, but quickly grew to be one of the most popular syndicated programs on radio. You can hear classic 1970s recordings of the program hosted by Kasem on SiriusXM’s Channel 7 Saturdays at 9 a.m., Sundays at 6 a.m. and Sundays at 9 p.m.

KIIS-FM (102.7) morning man Ryan Seacrest hosts the current edition. But apparently no one really cares, not even Seacrest’s own station, as KIIS-FM doesn’t carry it ... the closest local affiliate is KFYV in Ventura. You can hear it on the iHeart Radio app though, which is pretty cool: Both Seacrest’s and Kasem’s ‘70s and ‘80s countdowns can be found there. All day, every day. You can even ask Amazon’s Alexa to “play American Top 40.”