Radio Waves Podcast #283

 Radio:  January 29, 2021

In case you’ve been away from pretty much every news source, longtime radio and television personality Larry King passed away on January 23rd. And while most probably remember him for his work on the Cable News Network (CNN), it is radio where he got his real start. A start that most happened primarily because station owners were cheap. More on that in a second.

Born Lawrence Harvey Ziegler in November of 1933, his first radio job was at a small station in Miami Beach, Florida, WAHR (now WMBM) He was hired for off-air work; his work as a DJ, news and sportscaster began on May 1, 1957. The name Ziegler was too hard for people to remember, he was told, so he took on the name Larry King after seeing a newspaper ad for King’s Wholesale Liquor, and eventually changed his name legally.

In 1978, The Larry King Show made its debut on the Mutual Broadcasting Network, giving him a national audience from 12 midnight to 5:30 a.m. Eastern time, eventually moving to an 11 p.m. start. Because of the timing, his show was not always carried for the full time, nor necessarily live. Some stations would carry portions live and then play previous hours after the live segments. This allowed stations to run it overnight even if they were not in the Eastern time zone.

King’s show was ultimately extremely popular and eventually had over 500 affiliates, but it did not get carried on so many stations because of its content, at least not at first. The show’s appeal at inception was that it was free, offered on a barter basis in which stations could trade advertising time for the ability to carry the show. This gave stations across the country the ability to have big-name talent and respectability overnight without a huge commitment.

As time went on the show became more popular. King started to have more power and influence as well, including influencing what stations carried his show. In 1991, KFI (640 AM) abruptly dropped the program when King announced on the air that he’d be moving to KMPC (now KSPN, 710 AM). King wanted the move because, while KFI had a superior signal, KMPC offered to carry him live beginning at 8 p.m. rather than on tape delay beginning at 1 a.m.

King made the move to CNN in 1985, though he kept with radio until 1994. But it is an interesting story to me that without station owners essentially being cheap and looking for basically free programming, King may never have been the successful national radio host he was, nor would he have necessarily been the CNN star he later became. And it once again points to the fact the good, compelling programming doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive … just creative. 

New Radio

It’s been a while since I last shopped for a car stereo. Last time it was a replacement for my wife’s car because she wanted built-in bluetooth in order to use a cell phone in the car. This time it was for the same reason, but it was my son who needed one. And I was frankly amazed how much I got for the price.

I was not looking for a touch-screen model, just a simple unit that included what I consider essential features: bluetooth, CD, iPhone compatibility, HD Radio built-in, and the ability to add a SiriusXM tuner. Basically everything I can think of that can be used in a car short of video. The model I found? A Kenwood, costing less than $150. $139.99 plus tax to be exact.

Now I did have to get a few extras … an interface to use the car’s built-in amplifier, an interface allowing steering-wheel controls to work, and a dash piece that allows the radio to look better than OEM factory. But the fact that the basic unit great specs and built-in HD at less than $150 was surprising. If I didn’t want CD, I could have saved another $20. And it even works with the phone (including both iPhone and Android) to play and control Spotify and Pandora, as well as play Apple Music and any apps you might use to tune into internet radio.

For that price, if you have a reason to upgrade your car stereo, you really should consider HD Radio along with the other features, You never know what you’ll find for listening.

Speaking of Radios

There was an old joke that basically revolved around the inability of finding an actual radio at the former Radio Shack chain of stores.

It was never actually that bad — even as it closed down, there were radio for sale in their stores. Apparently just not enough people wanting to buy one … hence the closure. But it turns out that the Radio Shack name lives on, at RadioShack.com, and there you can still buy radios, including what we once called “transistor radios” as cheap as $17. Just like you remember.

Radio Waves Podcast #282

 For years, political talk radio has been on the decline, both in ratings and influence. This is due to various reasons including an aging listenership in an era when advertisers want younger. This places formerly popular hosts on lower-quality signals such as when Rush Limbaugh was moved from Clear Channel blowtorch KFI (640 AM) to candle-powered KEIB (1150 AM) more than a few years back.

With rare exception, conservative talk radio was never the overall ratings juggernaut that people thought it was. Limbaugh helped put KFI on the map, but KABC, KRLA and KGIL all tried going conservative and it killed them. Same for just about every station in the country with few exceptions. So Limbaugh made it seem easy, but others couldn’t follow his success.  

But there is no denying that political talk has declined in importance, and nothing says that more clearly to me than a recent decree to tone it down. Cumulus — the owner of KABC (790 AM) locally  — recently sent a memo to all personalities and hosts stating that they would no longer allow suggestions that the election hadn't been decided.

It came from the company’s Brian Phillips, who wrote that the company was adopting a “zero tolerance” policy when it came to various topics, including any mention of a “stolen election.” This was sent to all on-air talent at all 416 Cumulus-owned stations. Any violation would lead to immediate termination. To my knowledge, I know of no Cumulus hosts, local or national, who were calling on anything close to a protest, and Jerry Del Colliano at Inside Music Media has speculated that this might be a way to reduce costs by cutting people or closing stations since they lose money on so many. 

So are the days of talk radio numbered? And if so, why?

The why part is easy. In addition to the above, there are numerous alternatives that did not exist when Limbaugh was king. Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Fox News. Online news sources. And more. With so many alternatives, talk on radio became less compelling and more loaded with commercials, and thus just like with music, talk fans found alternatives.

But a force is at work that may change that, and I definitely stress the word “may.” In addition to the above, with all that is going on with perceived and real censorship of political voices on social media, there is the potential for issues-oriented talk radio to return to the airwaves, bringing with it the kind of open discourse and listeners who are willing to work together to make things better. This may affect conservative voices more than liberal, at least at first, but I can foresee that - if done right - something very positive may come out of it. 

It’s not going to be easy or fast, but I can see it happening. What it will take is a good host to make it happen. Just one, as Limbaugh did in the 1990s. While Limbaugh, who has been doing it nationally since 1988 (and was local in Sacramento prior to that), probably isn't the guy for the future at this point, someone like him could be.

The trick is to recall what made Limbaugh so popular in the first place. And I am going to argue that it wasn’t (or wasn’t only) his political views. Limbaugh’s start was in top-40 radio. He knew how to entertain. Fast. Fun. Satire … bits. When he moved into talk, he kept those elements while he spoke — sort of a top-40 of talk, and similar to what KFI is still today. Indeed, if you hear airchecks of his work playing music, you can basically hear the same show he does today.

Who could do it now? It’s certainly not an easy job, and frankly, I am not sure a lot of people would want it. It’s much easier to be Limbaugh-lite. You need someone much stronger. Maybe Ben Shapiro if he could manage to speak slower and take a few calls.

But if social media continues its current course, it is certainly possible that the importance of radio will increase once more. Podcasts — Shapiro’s current focus outside of the Daily Wire (indeed his podcast is what is run on KABC weekday afternoons) — are the current alternative, but they pale in comparison to the potential listenership of a powerful radio signal.

Smart stations should be preparing for this, and they should be encouraging viewpoints from all sides. I still like balance. If a talk station can have conservatives and liberals on the same station — indeed, on the same show a la Ken Minyard and Bob Arthur in the old days of KABC or the “Meeting of the Mouths” as heard on KFI years ago — perhaps we as a nation can better see that the “other side” is not the evil side so many assume it is.

Classical AM

I happened to be close enough to the transmitter site for my car stereo to decode the digital HD stream of K-Mozart (1260 AM). And it sounded wonderful.

Well, at least on the local programming. I happened to hear a syndicated pre-recorded program that sounded a bit shrill due, I assume, to the multi-layered digital processing it went through. But the content from the K-Mozart studios sounded superb.

The problem is, you have to be near the Valley to hear it in HD; otherwise, it is analog. Still decent, but certainly not the same. I can’t wait until owner Saul Levine at least experiments with the newly-authorized all-digital mode to see if the signal would reach my home.

Radio Waves Podcast #281

 Radio: January 15, 2021

Have you ever binge-watched one of those home shows such as “Love It or Leave It,” and noticed that every episode has some major problem show up at the same time in every episode? That’s because, like all “reality” shows, they are all scripted. There are no surprises, just scripts that the producers feel will be good television.

 

And while it may make for some interesting home improvement ideas, once you know that the shows are far from reality, you are left feeling a little bit cheated; a little hollow.

 

That’s the feeling I get when listening to The Morning Mess on Amp Radio (97.1 FM). Scripted. Cheated. Hollow.

 

The Mess has been heard on Amp since August of last year, though it has been heard on Phoenix, Arizona’s Live 105 FM since 2013. The show features Joey Boy (aka Nachoo), Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard and Karla Hernandez talking, calling, and playing a lot of music. 

 

It’s a show I really wanted to like. The team exudes friendliness and fun, something that I think the world could use more of. But it also exudes an artificial feeling that is just too hard to shake. Everything just seems to be too contrived, too convenient.

 

One of the staples of the show is a variation of the old Candid Phones done by Rick Dees years ago on KIIS-FM (102.7) and that guy who replaced Dees — Ryan Seacrest — who does a segment called Ryan’s Roses. The Mess does Nachoo’s Revenge… The idea is that someone sets up a story, the station calls an unsuspecting person to be pranked, and hilarity ensues.

 

The problem is - like all such calls, they are fake. They have to be: it is absolutely illegal to do them. According to Section 73.1206 of the FCC’s rules, it is prohibited to broadcast, or record for purposes of broadcast, telephone calls without first getting the consent of the person on the other end of the phone. That means that anyone “pranked” is in on the prank. If they are not, the station risks a huge fine for airing the call. 

 

There are actually actors and writers who can provide the content needed for a morning show to air such calls, and that is exactly how they are done. Consider it reality television on the radio.

But that’s not the only problem with the Mess. Regular listening indicates other calls and segments seem to be rehearsed as well. Last week there was a supposed live caller talking about something when a vulgar word was uttered. To my ears the caller seemed just a little too “polished” to be a typical listener, and I don’t mean that as an insult. Audio quality was just too pristine and the inflections and reactions seemed rehearsed. But when the word was used, instead of the call being “dumped,” in which the station’s delay system causes a noticeable jump in the audio, the word was simply “beeped.” This can’t happen in a live call system and was therefore either rehearsed or was previously recorded and edited.

 

The same day, references to “downtown” were not clear to listeners since the show is based in Phoenix, that the downtown was not Los Angeles. And it continues: it also seems that the hosts are just too conveniently stereotyped for their reactions to issues and events. 

 

Now, it’s certainly not a bad show. But it would be so much better if it were more “real.” If I were station management, I’d be working to let these kids fly. But then, I wouldn’t be relying on a show from out of town.

 

Problems at Entercom

 

It seems that KROQ (106.7 FM) is not the only alternative station having ratings issues in the Entercom-owned chain of stations. Jerry Del Colliano reported this week on his InsideMusicMedia.com  that outside of San Francisco, Seattle and Boston, Entercom’s alternative stations are underperforming both in ratings and revenue.

 

What’s causing the problem? Lack of events and concerts due to the COVID shutdown is certainly an issue, says Del Colliano, but a major problem is self-inflicted: The alternative format was among the first to go with regional and national DJs in an effort to cut costs, and listeners have responded by moving on to other stations.

 

KROQ fares better than most when it comes to local talent, but there are problems. Stryker and Klein (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.) are local, but syndicated to four other stations so they lose the local flavor. Same with Nicole Alvarez (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.)  and Megan Holiday (3 p.m. to 7 p.m.); Kevan Kenney (7 p.m. to 12 a.m.) is syndicated from New York, as is overnighter Bryce Segall. So in total, none of KROQ’s broadcast day is dedicated to truly local programming.

Imagine the stations in which the talent isn’t even in the same city … ever. 

 

Radio thrives when it’s live, local and a true part of the community. You can’t do that when you rely on syndication and cost-cutting. But you already know that.

Radio Waves Podcast #280

 Radio: January 8, 2021

Oh, my … I don’t think I’ve ever received so many emails so quickly after a column ran than last week’s call for Radio Hall of Fame nominations! I will try to respond to all of them so that you know I received your suggestions, but if I miss you, be assured that I am compiling the suggestions and reasons in a list that will be presented to the Hollywood Media Professionals/Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters’ nominating committee. That is the group that is working on setting up the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame.

Speaking of that, it is “West Coast,” not just Los Angeles or even Southern California. Nor just the major cities. And it is an idea whose time is long overdue.

Here are a few more of your nominations:

“Since you asked … the mid to late ‘60s DJs at KHJ (along with Dave Hull at KRLA) should be inducted as a group. Humble Harv, the Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna et al., were part of a remarkable cultural moment in Southern California pop music that may not be duplicated and still resonates over a half- century later.” — Mark Kemp

“Cannot imagine that Dick Whittinghill was not at the head of the list. Just the mention of his name recalls his Story Records, Costume of the Day and of course, the Romance of Helen Trump ( "Down the hill and up your street”). Thinking of him makes me smile; he did some pretty racy things in his time, and was severely reprimanded by ‘Mahogany Hall' per his reports.” — Sue Olholler

“Jim Hawthorne — an early example of the drive time crazy DJ.  (What TIME is it?) (I once knew a man with a wooden leg named Sam.  Oh, yeah?, what was his other leg’s name?).  He was really funny and the one I’ve always used to measure drive time DJ’s.  I think those that followed did too.

“Hunter Hancock and the Harlem Matinee.  Ol’  HH played black music in the early 50’s and it was the first time us white kids had ever heard anything like that! (What the heck is THAT? Wow, I guess some of this is pretty good!)

  “And, of course, the eternal Art Laboe.  What can one say about Art Laboe?  Going to Scrivner’s was a long way for a burger and a malt but I’m sure glad I got to go a few times.” — Duffy Walton

Others also mentioned Art Laboe, along with such stars as Roger Carroll, sportscasters Chick Hearn and Vin Scully, Paul Compton, “Sweet” Dick Whittington, Bob Hudson, Bob Crane, and some suggestions from stations as far away as Fresno.

“We cannot overlook Lohman and Barkley, of KFI morning drive time fame, says Steve Cate. “You mentioned you can still hear Bruce Wayne in your head. Likewise, I can hear Lohman and Barkley's banter in my head, including impressions of Dominic Longo of Giant Longo Toyota in El Monte. You mentioned Rick Dees … Well, we can't forget his friend, Liz "rug burns" Fulton.”

“In my mind no hall would be complete without Brother John, Brian Beirne, Tom Murphy, and Shadoe Stevens, writes Joe Daniels (from KIIS, KHTZ, KRTH, and KLAC fame) “In fact there should be an award named after Brother John (similar to the Walter Payton award in the NFL. He was a great talent, but maybe the best person I ever was around in radio …  or life … period.”

Legendary talk hosts Ken Minyard, Bob Arthur, and Michael Jackson were mentioned by a few, as was B. Mitchel Reed, who was instrumental in launching free-form rock radio on the FM band both in Southern California and in the Bay Area.

As I said before, this is not an easy selection process. There are SO many deserving people both in front of the microphones and behind that it is a daunting task just putting together a list. Perhaps the initial inductees will be a “class” rather than a few, and that we will learn even more about their histories than just names and stations. I am certain that we will.

In that vein, I will be presenting biographies right here, when I can, of the nominees so that they aren’t just names passing in the ether… And keep those suggestions coming!

Radio Disney Returns

The country programming on KRDC (1110 AM) has stopped, and the former pop music of Radio Disney has returned to the station. It’s a limited time appearance, however, only until the station is sold to a new owner. The change happened December 31st.

LA Oldies has returned to the digital airwaves, as long as you have an HD radio (and you may in your car without knowing it). If you do, tune into KKGO (105.1 FM) HD2. Or listen on line, via a smartphone app, or through what I consider the future of radio in the home, a smart speaker.

Speaking of Smart

My brother-in-law Chris just dumped his clock radio in favor of a Google “smart display.” With it, he gets a clock, a more than decent speaker, and the ability to tune in to any online playlist or internet station he wants just by saying “Hey, Google, play …” 

Pretty slick, if you asked me. And another way that you can listen at home. Stations, especially AM stations, should embrace this evolution and make sure that they stay relevant to listeners and keep their online streams up, running, and clean … and the programming compelling. Local radio, especially, can have an exceptionally promising future if owners want it.

Radio: January 1, 2021

Happy new year!

We just concluded a tough year for the radio industry, but I want to start the new year on a positive note. As such, let’s take a look at some of the suggestions you made for the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame.

In case you’re late to the party, no worries … this is an ongoing project and your suggestions are always welcome. This all started when I received a letter from a friend asking who I would suggest for the Hall of Fame, and while I have some ideas, I wanted to hear from you. Here’s are some of the early returns:

“I look forward to your column in the OC Register every week. As a teenager growing up in the 60s, radio was a huge part of our lives and your column brings back a lot of good memories.

Two nominees for the WC Radio Hall of Fame come to mind immediately. Number one you mentioned last Friday would be Chuck Niles, who I believe even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was a walking encyclopedia of jazz history. Number two would have to be the Hullaballooer, Dave Hull. I was sorry to read about his passing as he was one of my favorites.” — Pete Whelan

“I have three nominations for the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame:

1. Jimmy Rabbitt, KMET, 70’s pioneer who mixed Southern Rock, (Allman Bros., Marshall Tucker, etc.) with outlaw country, (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, etc.) on a hard rock channel, and convinced a lot of us hard rock fans to give country music a listen.

2. Tom Leykis, KFI, early 2000s, his drive-time talk show made AM radio cool again and launched KFI into prominence.

3. Phil Hendrie, KFI, his show followed Tom Leykis, and Hendrie was the funniest guy ever on radio. He too helped launch KFI.” — Steve Keller

“I have 3 nominees.

“First..Jim Ladd. He was a staple on KLOS before he was blindsided and let go. Tom Petty wrote ‘The Last DJ’ for him. Played what we wanted to hear and had great insight.

“Second is Mimi Chen. I got hooked when she played Peace Love and Sunday Mornings on The Sound from 8 to 11 on Sunday mornings. Now she’s on 88.5…great show on Sunday from 1 to 3 with Peace Love and Sundays..never miss it.

“Lastly, Nic Harcourt on 88.5 weekday mornings.  His taste is impeccable and I look forward to his eclectic show” — KT Simone..Long Beach

“Thank you for the opportunity to tell you who deserves to be in the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame. Growing up in the ’60s, I’m lucky to have had so many radio legends throughout my life, from Charlie Tuna on KHJ, KKDJ, etc., to Emperor Bob Hudson on KGBS to Machine Gun Kelly (the DJ!), Tom Clay, Dave Hull, Bruce Chandler and Tony St. (Hollywood) James. So many voices have been the soundtrack of our lives and I can’t imagine the history of broadcasting without them.” — Julie T Byers

“Having seen your most recent article, I have a nominee for the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame who is outside SoCal and one many might not think about…Bob Keller.  Bob was the long-time mid-day DJ at the original KZAP in Sacramento who has now been at KSEG up there for ages as well. Aside from his always friendly style, he should get in just for inventing the waitress for his noontime Cafe Rock segment, Betty Vericose! Thanks!” — Kevin Sammons

All great suggestions and I will send them as well as any others you suggest to the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters/Hollywood Media Professionals who are the sponsors and creators of the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame.

Here are a few of my thoughts:

There are so many personalities that I could mention … and for multitudes of reasons. The Real Don Steele has to be there, as does Robert W. Morgan, Rick Dees, Ron O’Brian, Bobby Ocean, Sie Holiday (for being perhaps being the first female DJ in Los Angeles popular radio). Charlie Tuna!

Saul Levine definitely, for all he has done for radio since putting what is now Go Country on the air in the 1950s.The people who launched KNX-FM. Ron Jacobs, Bill Drake, Gene Chenault and Betty Breneman, all of whom were instrumental in launching Boss Radio on KHJ. Casey Kasem, who made American Top-40 weekly staple of listening.

If memory serves right, I believe Danny Martinez was one of the first Hispanic DJs on KHJ. And Beau Weaver should be among the first as well. And what about the women? In addition to Holiday and Breneman, Sam Bellamy has to be there for taking KMET to the top. What about Shana, who was one of the first female top-40 DJs on AM legends KFRC/San Francisco and KHJ right here, before sliding over to that “other” band? Rita Wilde! Can’t forget Rita, who has been a DJ and programmer at stations as varied as KEZY/Anaheim, KMET, KLOS and The Sound.

He’d never accept it, but Dave Beasing from The Sound, who programmed and consulted at stations across the country, would be a great choice. Chuck Martin, former KHJ DJ, music director and programmer who could dominate the competition today, still, if given a station. Some of the DJs and even station owners on the late-great KGFJ and various incarnations of 1580/KDAY, also come to mind … especially JJ Johnson.

Speaking of JJs … JJ Jackson is an immediate name as well.

And this just skims the surface. News reporters. Traffic reporters who were as much a part of the show as the DJ (I can still hear KFI’s Bruce Wayne in my head). I know I have left out quite a few … this topic will have to be continued multiple times. Now that you’ve seen a few names — what are you thinking?

Radio: December 25, 2020

Radio isn’t necessarily the most trendsetting entertainment medium around, though in many ways it should be. Certainly the online streaming services and satellite radio have their place, but compared with good, local radio, they can’t compete. The problem is, at times at least, local radio is unavailable … and the major companies that control the majority of stations in town and across the country are moving away from a local focus in an ill-fated attempt to cut costs and survive.

But that doesn’t mean radio is dead. Far from it. It is still the easiest entertainment source around, definitely the least expensive (free), and when done right, offers extremely compelling content. 

And radio doesn’t have to mean radio sent over the airwaves, either. In fact, using smart speakers, online streaming, or smartphone apps, you can listen not only to your local stations, but distant stations and off-air stations available on the net such as the wonderful recreation of KNX-FM available at knxfm93.com.

I’ve spoken about smart speakers in the past - they are an excellent way to get radio into your home and — due to the superb sound quality — may indeed be the true savior of AM radio. Today, though, I want to go into detail on how to get your smart phone connected to your car, and how to tune stations using an app.

Hopefully I can do so without being too technical …

The main thing you need to do first is ascertain that you can indeed connect your phone to your car audio system. Most new cars are easy: they include at a minimum an auxiliary input; many offer a connection that allows Apple Car Play and Android Auto which seamlessly bridges the phone with the car system. Still others offer something in between - control without full integration.

So if your car offers any of those, you’re set. If not, you might consider upgrading the system, or adding an interface that allows such a connection. I’ve done both and prefer the full upgrade, but there are good interfaces available that can convert most systems as far back as the late 1990s. If worse comes to worse, you can always use one of those cassette adapters. 

Now - if you thought that sounded complicated, the apps will be even more so. There are many available, some required to hear certain stations (iHeart and Entercom in particular want you to use their apps, so they often restrict availability of stations on competing apps). One I find particularly easy to use is called myTunerRadio, which you can get via the app stores and at mytuner-radio.com

What makes it so good? It’s easy. Very easy. One you get it set up, it acts exactly like the preset stations on a radio, and it tunes into the stations fast. The app can tune into stations from all over the world, you can find stations by searching by country, state, city, or genre, and it has support for Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Google Home.

For stations that are not listed in the search function of the app, if you pay for the “pro” version — about $10 — you can do a web search. Basically, if the stations has an easily accessible station link on their web page, you can find it via the search and the app will set it as a favorite.

Once set up, it’s like turning your phone into a super-tuner. Large, easy to see and press buttons are on the screen, and a special car mode simplifies use even more. It doesn’t work just for radio stations either, you can also hear your favorite podcast or even find out what the most popular songs currently being played on the radio.

The limitation is, of course, iHeart and Entercom. Many of their stations aren’t in the search, though if you can find the web stream directly you can add them. I handle it by not adding them … if the companies are short-sighted enough to limit access and force me to use their absolutely awful apps — iHeartRadio and Radio.Com — I don’t need them.

This is not the only good app, but it is one I really like. Another I will discuss in the near future is StreamS HiFi Radio, designed by amazing radio engineer Greg Ogonowski. It’s perhaps not as easy to use but has other nice features and is the best sounding app you can find — capable of playing surround-sound audio. Do you have a favorite? Let me know and I will check it out. In the meantime, happy streaming!

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