Radio Waves Podcast #355

Radio: September 30

            High on Podcasts and News

            KCRW (89.9 FM) has hired what station management considers key people in order to help develop audience podcast awareness as well as creating new podcast programs. 

            Gina Delvac comes to the station from Spotify, where she helped develop in-house podcasts. She will lead KCRW’s new Podcast Audience Lab, which hopes to connect station listeners with content of interest available on demand. “We’re going to take the best of what KCRW already does every day, and bring best-in-class audio experiences to the many neighborhoods that make Southern California great,” Delvac said in a released statement.

            “We'll curate the sounds and stories that matter most and be in direct engagement with the communities that drive our culture forward. We want to hear your stories, reflect your experience, and share it with the world,” she said.

            The second hire, Arnie Seipel, was snagged from National Public Radio and will lead the station’s news division. Seipel spent 14 years at NPR — most recently as the Deputy Washington Editor in charge of national politics coverage. 

            Prior to that Seipel was ingrained in NPR’s election coverage as a story editor.

            While I am not sure a political editor is the absolute best choice to lead the news staff, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt for now. KCRW has a well-deserved reputation for quality news reporting and I don’t think management would do anything to change that.

            Ducks Stream

            Hockey’s Anaheim Ducks is going online via a deal with TuneIn — an online and app radio station player — to stream all Ducks games without the need for traditional radio.

            Hockey has always been a tough sell for radio, so the move is not too surprising. The LA Kings made a similar move a few years ago with a deal involving iHeart’s online app.

            The new Ducks Stream, launched September 22nd, will carry all of the Ducks games plus a series of ten podcasts revolving around the Ducks and the professional hockey league.

            There is a case to be made for streaming as the future of radio, broadcast or otherwise. Power and sound quality would be parity for all stations involved, and the savings in electricity and land costs could help create a radio renaissance. Holding the idea back for now is the lack of universally-available broadband internet access; once that happens, it could be a game-changer.

            Surrender

            The owner of an AM-FM combo in Lamar, Colorado is surrendering the licenses to KLMR and KLMR-FM due to storm damage to the studios.

            RadioInsight.Com reports that the station’s engineers sent a letter to the FCC stating that the “studios are a complete loss” after a microburst back in July. “Unable to restore service for both KLMR-AM (920) and KLMR-FM (93.5) … requesting to cancel both licenses, return spectrum, and release call letters.

            Owner 25-7 Media purchased the stations and two others in early 2018 for a total of $400,000.

            Interference Problem

            While listening to my radio I often hear what sounds like Morse-Code.  Am I getting somebody messages? — John Buckingham, Long Beach

            Interference is the bane of radio, especially AM which operates on frequencies close to many natural and man-made interference sources. Computers, cable boxes, televisions, and even light dimmers can cause interference. Sometimes, the interference can travel a fairly long distance down the power lines that supply electricity to your home. Perhaps a solar system inverter nearby could even be causing this, but I honestly have no real clue.

            My hunch is that SOMEONE or something near you has to be doing something. It could be a cheap switching power supply (“wall wart”) or machinery on the same supply line. You might consider contacting one of the larger stations affected and tell the engineering department it is hurting your reception. They might have ideas or can look into it more. Good luck!

Radio Waves Podcast #354

 Audacy supports mental health with a special concert

Audacy — owner of numerous local stations including KRTH (101.1 FM) and The Wave (KTWV, 94.7 FM) recently announced its ninth annual "We Can Survive" concert at the iconic Hollywood Bowl on October 22.

This year's event, part of Audacy’s year-round “I’m Listening” mental health initiative, will feature performances from Alanis Morrisette, Halsey, Weezer, OneRepublic, Garbage and more. The event celebrates the power of music to bring people together, strengthening mental health in support of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).

The initiative is part of Audacy’s support of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention which includes this concert along with a national live broadcast held on September 21st entitled “I’m Special” that brought together athletes, artists, medical experts and others who spoke openly about important mental health issues. You can hear the special on the Audacity app.

Tickets went on sale Friday, September 16 via Ticketmaster.com and as a special treat, listeners can help decide who the next big music superstar will be during concert’s opening act. The contest, which is going on now, will help determine who will be the opening act at We Can Survive. Voting is going on as you read this at OpeningActRadio.com and the winner will take home $10,000.

Stick a fork in it

As if radio has not suffered enough under previous deregulation rules, Senator Rand Paul has introduced legislation to deregulate broadcasting even more. Ironically called the Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act of 2022, the idea is to prevent the FCC from limiting in any way the number of radio stations, television stations and newspapers one person or company could own in any market.

Senator Paul believes this will help local broadcast companies to merge without government interference and allow them to better compete against tech giants.

With all due respect, Senator Paul is totally, absolutely, 100 percent wrong. Radio doesn’t compete against the tech giants because it doesn’t try. More accurately, the large companies formed by previous deregulation don’t try. And it is these large companies that are dragging down the entire industry. Independents do their darnedest to compete, but the big boys cut out creativity, driving away listeners at the same time that they add to the commercial load, driving down ad rates. Deregulation has absolutely destroyed radio.

If Senator Paul would truly like to save broadcasting, he would push to restore station limits. Giving time for divesture, ownership should be limited to no more than two stations in any one market and perhaps 50 nationwide. Only through the destruction of the large companies will radio ever recover, and television is not that far off.

Guilty Pleasure

I happened across a special recording on Retro Radio Joe’s MixCloud.Com feed - Bill Moffett on KCBQ (1170 AM) out of San Diego. This was the station I grew up with, even though I grew upon in San Pedro, for reasons even I do not quite understand. I LOVED KCBQ. Loved it.

Anyway, I had totally forgotten about Moffett until the I heard the recording. Then it all came back to me, and the reason I loved the station. He — and almost everyone else there during their popular days of the late ‘60s through the mid 1970s —  was quick-witted. Almost every set was entertaining and funny, even if it was just a few sentences long. 

And it got me thinking … this would be so easy to do again. But it would take some training and commitment from programmers and owners to actually support and pay … one of the reasons stations like KCBQ (and KHJ, and KEZY, and 10-Q, and KFI when they were top-40) was quick wit … not long drawn-out skits such as we generally are used to with morning shows. Every show was entertaining, mostly because you wanted to hang on to every word just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

Back to the subject at hand, Moffett was a master. Check it out on the MixCliud feed or search Bill Moffett KCBQ on YouTube for samples.

Radio Waves Podcast #353

Radio Waves: September 16

Killing Corporate Radio

I’ve taken a lot of flak over the years from what I call the “corporate radio apologists” on various internet groups. I don’t understand the pressures of modern radio (I do, but most pressures are brought on by the owners themselves) and radio the way I like it is a thing of the past.

I’ve also gotten a lot of support from owners, programmers, DJs current and past, and behind the scenes employees across the country — most often off the record due to ties or potential ties with those same corporate companies such as Cumulus, iHeart and Audacy wherein they basically say I have it right. Or at least close.

My long-held contention is that radio has created most of its own problems, going back to  the 1970s and ‘80s when AM pushed listeners to FM and the late 1990s and 2000s when FM started pushing to listeners to non-radio entertainment, first satellite radio and iPods, later streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify. Yet I still hold it can be reversed, and I think a recent survey from my own students (see the column from August 26) and comments taken from a 2019 Edison Research survey available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0WC5sqPO7E. The Edison survey was recently highlighted by InsideMusicMedia.Com’s Jerry Del Colliano.

It all basically comes down to too much clutter, and far too many commercials. Song repetition is mentioned as well, but that can easily be fixed. Here are some of the comments from the survey participants listening to a Ryan Seacrest morning show on KIIS-FM (102.7):

“A lot of commercials. Still goin’!”

“I might change the station and get involved in something else … and forget to flip back.”

“Oh, here’s the car commercial I hate.”

“If all these commercials were on the station I was listening to, I’d be on Spotify now.”

“How long have the advertisements been on now?”

“This is crazy.”

“Especially if you’re in the car … you ten-minute drive is all commercials.”

“There might be something I want to listen to, but it’s not worth it.”

I present: THE REASON radio is losing favor, especially among young people.

Yet it’s not like we don’t have a how-to manual available on how to run a radio station. When KHJ launched Boss Radio top-40 in 1965, a huge part of the appeal was “more music.” And there was: the station limited not only the number of commercials per hour, they were also limited per break. Six minutes per hour; two commercials per break. This gave them a chance to charge more per commercial as advertisers got more value for their dollar, and it attracted more listeners than ever to the format. Within months, KHJ was the number one station in town.

KHJ lost its way for a while, in the mid 1970s, but showing that the idea works: Chuck Martin Brough KHJ back in a huge way in 1979 with a tremendous staff, great music selection, and … you guessed it, limited commercials. 20 minutes continuous with no more than three commercials per break, usually two.

Not enough? When KIIS-FM dominated radio in the mid 1980s, they had limited commercials as well. Same for KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) and KLOS (95.5 FM). The problem is, the debt-laden major companies as mentioned above are all so desperate for revenue, they add more commercials to the mix, driving away listeners and ultimately driving down ad rates.

The best thing for radio would be for Cumulus, iHeart and Audacy to go away. And I don’t care if Audacy CEO David Field thinks I am a hater for saying this (He does).

The Good Stuff

That doesn’t mean I am a true hater of radio. I LOVE radio, and love its potential. It is stations like Go Country 105 (KKGO), Alt 98.7 (KYSR), KROQ (106.7 FM) and even KIIS that I turn to when I turn on the radio … which I do a lot. Alt’s The Woody Show is among the best morning shows LA has ever had. Go Country is a great place to hear modern country music (yes, I know … it’s not “real country” but I still like it). There’s a lot of great new pop on KIIS. Frankly, I could go on and on. 

So here’s my challenge to you. Let’s pretend you were given a new station. You know that there are already numerous stations appealing to the older generations. Is there something you could think of that would attract young people to the AM or FM band? Or in general, how can we as pretend station owners and managers going to attract listeners back from Spotify?

///

Radio Waves Podcast #352

 Radio: September 9, 2022

            KIIS-FM’s (102.7) Ryan Seacrest is being honored by the National Association of Broadcasters this coming October. During the organization’s Marconi Radio Awards dinner at the NAB show in New York, Seacrest will receive the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his long career both in radio and television.

            He’s been the morning man on KIIS-FM since February of 2004 when previous longtime morning man Rick Dees — who held the spot for 23 years  — left the popular station. Some would say forced out, and of course they would be right, but I digress. The program On Air with Ryan Seacrest has been syndicated to other stations in addition to KIIS for most of its life.

            In addition to On Air, Seacrest hosts American Top-40; prior to landing at KIIS, he was at Star 98.7 (KYSR, now known as Alt 98.7) in the afternoon, where he did some of his best work. On television, he’s hosted various programs including American Idol, Live with Kelly and Ryan, and the tremendously popular yearly New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which he first shared with original host Dick Clark until he took over fully after Clark’s death.

            His charity work comes through his own foundation, it’s primary initiative being the building of broadcast media centers, named Seacrest Studios, within pediatric hospitals nationwide. This allows patients “to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media,” according the Ryan Seacrest Foundation website, adding that the Foundation’s aim is to “contribute positively to the healing process for children and their families during their stay by developing these centers to bring an uplifting spirit to the hospital community.”

            Battle of the Classics

            Saul Levine’s K-Mozart (1260 AM, 105.1 HD2) wants to battle competitor KUSC (91.5 FM) for the heart and soul of classical music listeners throughout Southern California. The most recent addition to his stockpile of ammunition: Dr. Laura Brodian, who as of August 29th is hosting concert programming weekdays from 12 noon to 5 p.m. According to Levine, “Dr. Brodian is one of the most talented hosts in the country.”

            That’s not the only time to hear concerts on the station, however, as Nick Tyler presents the Evening Concert at 7 p.m. every weeknight; this program is in its 100th year, according to Levine.

            While K-Mozart is not affiliated with UCLA, the studios are located not far from the campus in West Los Angeles. Being that KUSC broadcasts from the USC campus toward the East side of town, Levine is calling it the West-East Battle.

            KUSC has a tremendous advantage in the battle, broadcasting 39,000 watts from a location near Mount Wilson … one of the strongest signals in town. K-Mozart, by contrast, has a main signal on the AM dial that is strongest in the San Fernando Valley, though officially the station is licensed to Beverly Hills. Before you totally dismiss the AM signal, however, the reception as far South as San Pedro is adequate during the day, and the HD Am signal in the Valley is superb. 

            K-Mozart also simulcasts on KKGO’s frequency of 105.1 FM, using a sub-channel of the HD Radio system. You do need a special HD Radio to hear it, but the coverage is quite good. And then there are apps and internet listening with which both stations can be heard.

            The signal issues don’t bother Levine. He feels that superior programming with make a difference and he feels that he has it. 

            Rocking Monday

            It appears that Jim Ladd’s freeform rock program on SiriusXM’s Deep Tracks channel (27) has been cut to once live show per week: Mondays 5-9 p.m. Eastern time … meaning 2-6 p.m. locally.

            No reason has been given for the cutback from five shows per week … Ladd has been short on details and SiriusXM hasn’t said anything official or otherwise. My own sources have been silent, which makes me wonder if it is related t negotiations. Regardless, fans are upset and have taken to social media to condemn the changes … some threatening to stop their subscriptions.

            Ladd, a mainstay on local rock radio for decades is well known for his ability to assemble sets of music with true meaning. He’s been heard exclusively on SiriusXM since January, 2012 after he left KLOS (95.5 FM) the previous October. 

            And while it may be possible that it was SiriusXM’s decision to make the change, one thing in my mind says it could be Ladd himself: he is 74, after all. Maybe he wants to cut back for his own sake. Regardless, if I hear something I will definitely let you know.

Radio Waves Podcast #351

 Radio: September 2, 2022

            A few weeks ago I wrote about my tuner shoot-out, in which I pitted three old-school analog AM stereo - FM stereo tuners against each other to find the best-sounding of the bunch. Overall, the Carver TX-11b won out with its superb sound and reception on both AM and FM, though all three had their merits.

            Overall, I liked the Carver better than even the more modern Sangean HDT-1x — an HD Radio tuner that wasn’t officially part of the test but that I have used for quite some time due to its ability to decode digital AM and FM transmissions: arguably better sound on AM when HD broadcasts are available, and extra channels on FM. 

            The problem as of late is that HD radio on AM — the reason HD was originally invented — is pretty much gone. While there are many FM streams, the only HD station I know of locally on AM is K-Mozart (1260 AM), and they are too far away from me to decode the HD. But I continued using the Sangean due to a lack of space for the Carver.

            That all changed recently when I changed how I watch television … I no longer need a large cable-type tuner. This not only opened up space in my entertainment center, it reduced interference on the AM band as cable and satellite tuners were notorious for causing interference on the band. So I took the time to switch things around and put the Carver back into service.

            In doing so, I discovered something rather interesting. Now that KNX simulcasts on both AM (1070) and FM (97.1), I was able to make a direct comparison of the signals. Surprisingly, to my ears, at least, the sound from the AM signal is superior to that of the FM. The AM sounded bright and clean, the FM more muted on the highs.

            Neither is in stereo, by the way. KNX decided after much fanfare taking the signal to FM that stereo wasn’t needed. And to be fair, it isn’t. But on AM, at least, stereo doesn’t affect the signal at all (multiplex stereo on FM can degrade the signal in some circumstances). Wouldn’t it be great for KNX to bring back analog AM stereo to the band in Los Angeles? Few could receive it, but there are still a decent number of analog AM stereo radios in cards from the late 1980s and 1990s. Would be kind of fun if the engineers would agree to the idea.

            Speaking of KNX-FM

            I recently wrote about the “real” KNX-FM, you know, the one that played the mellow sound on 93.1 FM during the 1970s and part of the 1980s. In that column, I mentioned that the pandemic slowed down the use of personalities on the online recreation at themellowsound.net; that caught the attention of Steve Marshall, part of the group behind the tribute and the original music director of the broadcast station, who wanted to correct my statement and give a little more history.

            “I only just now got to read your recent article on the KNX/FM tribute Internet radio station,” Marshall wrote, “and I was thrilled, delighted and humbled by what you had to say about the original. I would like to correct one thing you got wrong...that none of the original ‘personalities’ were on board. First, Chris Ames, who voices The Odyssey File, was the original news director of KNX/FM throughout most of the 70s. Then there's me: I was on the air there from 1970 through 1979. I started as Music Director and moved into the Program Director job in 1973.

            “The format was cooked up by the original PD, Rodger Layng, and myself. We started as a kind of quasi, slightly hipper version of an MOR station and I refined it into what it ultimately became after I became PD. You were absolutely correct about the fact that we kept upper CBS management in New York in the dark about what we were doing. If you like, I can give you the details of that story another time.

            “Anyway, back to the tribute station. Most of the promos and sweepers that you hear are me, though I don't use my name on the station. I didn't use it very much back then either, which is why I put the word ‘personalities' in quotes. I always felt that the sound and atmosphere that we created were the real stars.”

            Thank you, Steve. I do appreciate the note! I was unclear on what I meant, though … I wasn’t referring to the people behind the station, I mean that I knew that some of the original personalities were intended to be brought back to the station but that the pandemic prevented them from making it to the studio to do their shows. 

            And you can bet that I will be getting the details of the station’s history … sooner than later.  Stay tuned!