Radio Waves Podcast #39

Some people are just naturally good story tellers. One that comes to my mind is Ralph Story, who through his news and entertainment reporting for CBS and PBS, told a lot of stories about the history of Los Angeles. Former CBS staff announcer Bern Bennett was another who could make almost any topic interesting. And he was a master of jokes... you didn’t care if you already heard him tell one a million times, he made them so incredibly interesting.

 

Now you can add JJ Johnson to the list. The veteran broadcaster with an amazing set of pipes -- heard on the original KDAY, KACE and others locally along with legends like KFRC/San Francisco -- recently released a Kindle book that covers his career in broadcasting.

 

Unlike other similar books, it isn’t what I would call an autobiography, though in reality, that’s exactly what it is. But it’s different than most. Reading it you feel like you’re sitting down next to Johnson, relaxing with a beer (soft drink if you’re under 21, of course) and hearing him tell stories.

 

Interesting stories about something I dearly love: radio.

There is no plot. Just stories. Some of them related, some not. Some I can relate to directly, such as when he describes a “radio guy” as someone who turns up the volume to hear the special elements of a station -- DJ talk, transitions, jingles -- then turn it down again when the music plays. “To non radio people, this is odd,” he writes. Yes, my wife thinks I’m odd.

 

He describes so well a programmer’s intuition -- something good programmers have --  in that they can tell what is happening at a station just by listening to the on-air sound, even if they are nowhere near the station itself. Describing his own programming days at KDAY, Johnson writes, “I knew by listening, for instance, when one of my jocks was reading the newspaper in the studio” rather than paying attention to details. “No one ever protested when I would (call and) say, ‘put the paper down and pay attention, please.’ They knew I knew.”

 

He talks of the people he met and worked with, musicians he met and befriended, and overall gives an amazingly detailed look at the life of a radio DJ. Called, in fact, “Aircheck: Life in Music Radio,” it is a fascinating look at radio in general, not just Johnson. It’s a fun read, and its less than $5.

 

Johnny Mann

 

The creator of one of the most memorable tunes in radio, Johnny Mann, passed away June 18 at the age of 85.

Mann and his Johnny Mann Singers were famous in many circles, including radio and television. But I will always remember him for the classic a cappella “93 K-H-J” jingle that became a staple of top-40 radio stations nationwide, eventually morphing into the jingle still heard on KRTH today, “K-Earth 1-0-1!”

 

New PD

 

Chris Ebbott has been named programmer of KRTH; he will assume his new position July 16th. I’ll have more on Ebbott and his Los Angeles connections next week. In the meantime, I find it interesting -- and a potentially positive move -- that owner CBS decided to name Ebbott exclusively to KRTH, and will name another person to program sister KTWV in the near future. That should make both stations stronger; the last two PDs at KRTH also had to program KTWV and it, well, just didn’t work out, at least for The Wave.

Radio Waves Podcast #38

A generation grew up hearing Casey Kasem’s voice on the radio and in cartoons. Best known for his groundbreaking national radio countdown show “American Top 40,” Kasem died on Father’s Day, June 15. He had been in declining health for years as he suffered from the effects of a progressive form of dementia. He was 82.

Kasem began his radio career when he was drafted into the Army in 1952 and sent to Korea, where he worked as a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Network. Over the years, he worked at stations in cities around the country, including Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; Flint, Michigan; San Francisco; and Oakland. In Los Angeles, he was heard on the original KRLA (1110 AM) from 1963 to 1969.

His last year at KRLA was weekends only, as he wanted to spend more time on other projects including his voiceover work in cartoons including “Scooby-Doo,” “Batman and Robin,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Hot Wheels,” “Transformers” and others. He also did commercial spots for numerous companies.

But it was “American Top 40” that made him famous. Created by Kasem with the help of his childhood friend and movie producer Don Bustany, the idea was pitched in 1969 to Ron Jacobs, who had recently left the programming position at KHJ (930 AM) to start the radio syndication company Watermark.

“American Top 40” launched on seven radio stations on the July Fourth weekend of 1970. It was not an instant success, and the company had to change marketing agreements. Soon, however, it found its niche and was eventually heard on more than 1,000 stations around the world and on Armed Forces Radio.

A simple concept, really, but one that truly belonged to Kasem. No one else could do it as well as he did it — giving short backgrounds of the songs and artists he was counting down, eventually allowing listeners to make “long distance dedications,” and generally using his positive persona to make you feel good.

A contract dispute forced him out in 1988. Replaced by Shadoe Stevens, he launched a competing program, “Casey’s Top-40” on more than 400 stations in January 1989. That show, and variants of it, were heard on top-40 and adult contemporary stations for 10 years until he was brought back to AT-40.

He retired from all his radio programs and voiceover work at the age of 77 in 2009. Ryan Seacrest has been host of “American Top 40” since 2004.

Seacrest plans to offer a tribute to Kasem on this weekend’s show, heard locally on KIIS (102.7 FM) Saturday from 6 to 10 a.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon.

You can also hear some clips of Kasem as part of a tribute on the AT-40 website, www.AT40.com. His 1970s recordings of AT-40 can be heard on KOLA (99.9 FM) Sundays, 6to 9 a.m.; on SiriusXM satellite radio’s Channel 7 Saturdays from 9 to 11:15 a.m, Sundays from 6 to 8:15 a.m, and Sunday nights from 9 to 11:15. The 1980s versions are found on KOLA Saturdays from 5 to 9 a.m.

Just want the top-10? KOLA has you covered: Sunday nights at 7, the top-10 from that weekend’s ’70s show is featured, followed by the top-10 from that weekend’s ’80s show at 8.

KCRW (89.9 FM) has brought back its annual Summer Nights shows, outdoor events featuring live band performances and DJ sets in venues from Pasadena to the Pacific and beyond. This is an example of local radio at its best, and 2014 marks the fifth year of the Summer Nights series.
This weekend, the event will be held in the Courtyard of Pasadena’s One Colorado, a series of 17 historic buildings located at 41 Hugus Alley in Pasadena.

On Saturday, KCRW DJ Marion Hodges opens the evening at 7:30, followed by the orchestral pop band Kan Wakan, described as combining deep soul, dramatic folk, and orchestral pop and a great local band.

As always, the event is free and family oriented. For more information, go to www.kcrw.com/events/summer-nights-2014 or text “Summer” to 69866.

Speaking of KCRW, the station recently broke ground on a new state-of-the-art studio with an expected completion date of 2016, allowing the station to emerge from the basement under the Santa Monica College cafeteria where it has been for the past 30 years.

Radio Waves Podcast #37

When Radio Was Fun

 

Years ago when radios station programmers actually programmed to win, you’d see stations do all sorts of wacky stuff. One of the fun things done was customized versions of songs.

 

I’m not talking about songs specifically written for and about stations, though I suppose they could be included here as well (“The New KHJ” written by Roger Christian for the launch of Boss Radio in 1965 sung by the jocks to the tune of “Little Deuce Coupe” and a tribute to KFRC/San Francisco performed by Scotty and the 610s being prime examples).

 

I’m talking of the songs that had either added words or lyric changes that made a popular song belong to one station  only. What brought this up, by the way, was a compact disc that came in the mail from my friend Douglas Brown -- former production director of stations as varied as KHJ (930 AM), KRTH (101.1 FM) and KMGG Magic 106 (now Power 106).

 

Included on the disc was a small sample of some of the songs that included the “hack,” for lack of a better word. Such as:
“From Central Park to Pasadena’s such a long way (and there’s no KRLA). I feel so out of it walkin’ down Broadway (I sure do miss KRLA)” -- New York’s a Lonely Town by The Tradewinds.

 

“I’m drivin’ in your car. You turn on the radio (to KHJ)” -- Fire by The Pointer Sisters. Sister station KRTH had a version as well; some stations actually removed the word “radio” and added the calls. A bit smoother, perhaps; I think KFI (640 AM) had one of those.

 

Totally changing the lyrics with a very localized semi-hit (though I have to admit I don’t remember hearing it at the time, Wikipedia says it was a minor hit and everyone knows that info on Wikipedia is always correct), is the title track from the soundtrack to the 1978 movie Almost Summer by the Beach Boys. Original lyrics include:

“Susie wants to be a lady director, and Eddie wants to drive a hearse; Johnny wants to be a doctor or lawyer, and Linda wants to be a nurse” changed to “Now’s the time of year for the Dodgers and Angels to go to bat and do their thing. Lyin’ by a pool or tannin’ at the beach is where it’s at around the LA scene.”

 

Of course the lyrics culminate with the line, “all around LA and Orange County way, they’re listinin’ to K-H-J, it’s almost Summer.” And yes, KRTH had their own version as well.

 

Life is a Rock from Reunion was customized like this, and I know there are others. Do you remember any? Did you have favorites? Hate them? Love them? I personally think they are a fun part of radio’s past, when stations were often bigger than life, and the personalities even bigger.

 

No static at all?

 

Also on the CD was a special version of FM by Steely Dan, from the movie of the same name in 1978. In that year, AM radio still dominated the ratings in most cities, and many programmers were loathe to play a song recognizing their competition. At least one station took the “A” from Steely Dan’s “Aja” and spliced it in place of the “F,” creating the song, “AM.”

 

The official release, according to Brown and apparently just for KHJ, was for Steely Dan to remix the song, removing the “FM” entirely and having just music during that part of the song. The new title: “No Static at All.” Sounds a little weird when you’re used to the original, but it shows the power and influence that AM music stations once had ... and still could today if any programmers were worth a damn.

Radio Waves Podcast #36

I’ve been listening a lot more to KNX (1070 AM) lately. And I am not sure why. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I do like staying informed, but at least part of it has to do with how much I like the “sound” of the station on my car stereo that receives the digital, so-called HD Radio, signals that are sent along with the regular analog audio.

 

To my ears, KNX is the best-sounding HD radio station on the AM band. Very much FM-like, with an extra punch that puts it ahead of some of the FMs. Very clean, and very deep ... it rattles the subwoofer well.

 

Only real problem: it tends to highlight the sometimes poor editing on some of the commercials, including one short ad where the speaking vocals stomp the jingle for “five star service at one-star drive” that creates an especially annoying bit of on-air clutter.

 

The Mellow Sound

 

One of the stations I enjoyed in the past was KNX-FM (now KCBS-FM, 93.1) and the Mellow Sound format. I suppose it was the influence of my sister, Jackie, who tended to listen to a lot of the music played on the station. One of my favorite features was The Odyssey File, in which strange and unusual stories would be presented with some depth.

 

Much of the music -- though not the Odyssey File or any of the personalities who brought us the original format -- can be found on Sirius/XM satellite radio’s Channel 32, called The Bridge. Probably about the closest thing to KNX-FM that I have heard in years.

 

Strange Switch

 

Speaking of SiriusXM ... can someone explain to me why you would take a channel that has a specific appeal and replace it with one that has no appeal?

 

OK, I’me being harsh, but I know of people who subscribe to the satellite radio service specifically for “40s on 4,” the only channel of its type on the entire SiriusXM lineup. In its place is a special channel playing nothing but Billy Joel.

 

I’ve been a critic of the practice of “temporary channels” on Sirius XM since the first day they did this. Instead of using dedicated channels for special programming, they take away other channels and stick on programming of often limited interest. In fact, The Bridge was one that used to disappear for months at a time.

 

Don’t get me wrong, Billy Joel is a talented Singer-songwriter (no, I’m not counting the dreadful “Allentown”), but 24/7? Are you serious? Especially when his music is already played on numerous other channels on the Sirius dial. And even if you wanted to do that, why preempt a channel that has no real alternative? Sometimes I think management at SiriusXM is missing a few neurons.

 

Nash-Cisco

 

Cumulus Media, owner of KLOS (95.5 FM) and KABC (790 AM) has brought their country format Nash-FM to the San Francisco Bay area via KSJO/San Jose, which the company just purchased in April.

 

Which if course starts up the rumor mill ... will Cumulus bring the format here to Los Angeles, and if so, to which station? Is KLOS doomed, or will Cumulus buy another station?

 

My hunch: It won’t matter. They can put the format on any station they want, if they want, and it won’t make a huge dent in anything. Cumulus is too cheap to really promote anything, and in the rare occasion they convince a decent programmer to actually come work for them, they tie his or her hands so tight nothing can be done. Does anyone seriously think that type of management can take on Go Country 105?

Radio Waves Podcast #35

Flashback to the year 1974.

 

It was August 8th, the day that Richard Nixon announced that the following day, he would resign as President of the United States of America. A short time after the announcement, a disc jockey on KHJ (930 AM) opened up his microphone, and on the fade ending of the Hues Corporation’s “Rock the Boat,” he said,"K-H-J, and your brother Tom Dooley. That’s Hues Corporation, “Rock The Boat.” And, we've all gotta do that once in a while, you know? I believe Richard Nixon, President of the United States and his close associates should be thoroughly investigated in regard to the concept, design and execution of the political assassinations of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, the attempted assassination of George Wallace, and other unprecedented and heinous crimes of high treason and murder against the people of America. In case you don’t believe what you just heard, I’ll repeat it.”

 

He then repeated the statement, played his “Tom Dooley” jingle, segued into The Rascal’s “People Gotta Be Free,” and walked out of the studio. The version I heard of the story told of executives all being in a meeting and missing the whole thing ... wondering why he was leaving, but the end result was the same: the station made an on-air statement during the news that the views expressed by Dooley were “not those of radio station KHJ;” within minutes Tom Dooley was longer employed by KHJ or owner RKO.

 

Fast forward to last week. Kimberly and Beck, the morning team on WBZA/Rochester were fired May 22nd for making negative remarks against benefits for transgender employees working for the city of Rochester. I have not heard an official transcript, but All Access.Com reported that the main focus of the firing was related to this statement from Kimberly:

 

"The services that will be paid for under the new coverage: gender reassignment surgery, psychological counseling, because you're probably a nut job to begin with, that's my opinion, hormone therapy, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery."

 

All Access also reported that Kimberly later posted on Twitter: "Freedom of Speech includes the freedom to offend others. You aren't granted a right to not be offended in this life #getoverit.”

 

In announcing the firings, station General Manager Sue Minn said, Their hateful comments against the transgender community do not represent our station or our company. We deeply apologize to the transgender community, the community of Rochester, and anyone else who was offended by their comments.”

 

Now, you may be asking why I am comparing these two totally unrelated events. Am I equating a statement made against a political figure with a blanket indictment of an entire group? Hardly. I am comparing them because they both resulted in firings, not because of free speech violations, but violations of company policy.

 

Interestingly, Dooley actually wanted out of his contract because he hated Los Angeles, hated KHJ and wanted to leave. He knew he would get fired for his rant on Nixon. In the end Dooley was but a forgotten footnote at KHJ, hardly a memory other than for fanatics like me. I doubt that happened on WBZA. But the change in attitude is interesting. No one claimed Dooley was entitled to “free speech” in 1974. Many today are claiming that Kimberly and Beck were denied their rights of “free speech.”

 

But as a longtime observer of radio -- and business -- this is most certainly not a free speech issue. Companies have a right to have their employees project an image of the company, and a code of conduct that enforces that image. Disneyland has one for appearance of employees. Others are similar. If I bash newspapers (which I would never do, by the way, I am old school and love reading newspapers), do you think I‘d work here long? 

 

Howard Stern himself was fired numerous times in spite of high ratings due to things he said. Until he found a company that basically protected him. Companies have that right too ... to allow in-your-face on air personalities unafraid to offend.

 

But does anyone really have free speech when it comes to representing the company you work for? No. And no one ever really has.

Radio Waves Podcast #34

Liz Fulton, former newscaster, news director and sidekick to Rick Dees on KIIS-FM (102.7) passed away May 7 at the age of 61 from what is described as natural causes, though I have trouble understanding what is natural about passing away at such an early age.

 

She predated Dees on KIIS by two years. In 1979 while Dees was just beginning his time at KHJ (930 AM), Fulton started at KIIS-FM as a news reporter, and was later made the station’s news director. She was the consummate professional, and brought respect to the station which had been suffering an identity crisis after a series of failed formats.

 

In 1981, under new management, Fulton was paired up with Dees, who was pushed out of KHJ when that station changed to country music in November, 1980. And it may have been Fulton who helped Dees make his mark in Los Angeles at KIIS after a lackluster debut on KHJ. Within months on KIIS-FM, Dees -- along with Fulton and the rest of the staff -- were setting ratings records not seen on an FM station ever before.

 

Fulton was the George Burns to Gracie Allen. The Dickie Smothers to his brother Tom. More importantly, the Joni Caryl to Robert W. Morgan, who was earning his own huge ratings on KMPC (now KSPN, 710 AM) at the time and would eventually go directly against Dees from the studios of Magic 106 (now KPWR, 105.9 FM).

 

She also kept her job as news director, and was the voice of the station’s hourly public affairs segments when stations ran such programming.

 

But not everything was as rosy as it seems. In late 1990, after being fired from the station for reasons some say have more to do with how she looked than with her skills, Fulton filed a lawsuit against the station and owner Gannett alleging that she was let go because she was not ”sexy enough” for Dees and his live appearances, though on-air she was acceptable enough to earn the nickname “Rugburns” ... and while she used that as part of the suit, it seemed at the time she went along with the joke.

 

Indeed, the sidekicks for Dees after Fulton, as well as during her absence from 1984 to 1987 when she left to have a family, were never as professional news-wise as was Fulton, and one could argue that they did have that young sexy look that Fulton said Dees desired. I personally think Dees never had a better sidekick than Fulton, and had she stayed perhaps Ryan Seacrest wouldn’t have been able to take over the show. But that’s another column.

 

Regardless, Dees told Don Barrett of LARadio.Com that he had connected with Fulton again after many years and they had a good time together. Dees is expected to be part of a tribute to be broadcast live in the near future from the LA Radio Studios at Ports O Call in San Pedro. I’ll have details when that comes together; In the meantime, I’m getting tired of writing obituaries for my radio friends.

 

Andy Rush

 

I did not know Andy Rush, though he is a veteran of KNX-FM (now Jack FM, 93.1), KMPC-FM (now KSCA, 101.9 FM) and until he died, he was in the production room at The Sound (KSWD, 100.3 FM). He passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack; he was only 60.

 

The columns of the last few weeks should be a reminder to everyone: life is too short as it is, and your friends and loved ones can be gone before you expect it. Take the time to call someone you have not spoken with lately. Like Dees and Fulton, get together and bury the hatchet. “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” as my friend Lisa White always says, “and it’s all small stuff.”

 

It truly is.

Radio Waves Podcast #33

It seems I am writing too many obituaries lately. Just after the news of the loss of veteran newsman Lee Marshall (and voice of Tony the Tiger) along with the man who brought talk radio to Los Angeles via KABC, Ben Hoberman, word comes of two more deaths.

One of the few remaining Boss Jocks from KHJ’s (930 AM) top-40 days passed away last week ... just a week after Boss Radio’s 49th anniversary date of April 27, 1965. Dave Diamond was the second jock to take to the KHJ airwaves at 6 PM that day, following the Real Don Steele; he passed away on May 6 after being hospitalized for pneumonia.

He didn’t last long at KHJ, as he decided to move over to then-new KBLA (later KROQ (AM), at 1500 AM but now off the air) where the format was a little looser and he could play some album cuts. His other local radio gigs included shifts on KFWB (980 AM), the original KRLA (now KDIS, 1110 AM), KIIS (1150 AM) and KFI (640 AM).

His musical roots are strong ... Don Barrett of LARadio.Com tells that among other things, he published Strawberry Alarm Clock’s Incense and Peppermint, a #1 hit in 1967. Even bigger, he is credited in the book Can’t Get Out of Here Alive as the founder of The Doors. His work on KRLA was during the station’s attempt at playing more album cuts ... music was obviously a big part of Diamond’s life, and The Diamond Mine, as heard on some of his stations, showcased that love.

Metal Programmer

Wild Bill Scott was a DJ and programmer who was part of KROQ (106.7 FM) in 1984, leaving in 1985 to be part of the new Pure Rock format on KNAC (now KBUE, 105.5 FM). Most recently he had been a consultant for DSN Radio, founded in 2005 and based in Arizona as part of the Digital Syndicate Network (www.facebook.com/DsnRadio).

Scott became known in radio circles nationally when he launched the Z-Rock format for the ABC Radio Networks in 1986. The syndicated format was nominated for a Billboard Award in 1990, the first and only time for a full-time heavy metal format. It lasted until 1996 after changes in direction spelled its demise.

Scott’s death is related to a stroke he had recently, and he passed away May 2nd in Auburn, California.

The Search ...

The search is on for a new programmer over at KRTH (101.1 FM) and KTWV (94.7 FM). One name that came up and that I personally think would be a good choice: Mike Wagner, former programmer of the original KRLA.

What makes Wagner such a good choice? He knows radio better than most, he knows LA and Orange County better than most, he actually beat KRTH when he programmed KRLA and they were in direct competition (especially remarkable considering that KRLA was on the AM band), and he knows how to bring out the best of his on-air staff. He’s also a darn good on-air jock.

The only problem? He moved out of state, retired from radio, and most likely wouldn’t do it.

It would be nice to see another local boy get the job, though. Someone who grew up here and knows radio. I’ll still lobby Wagner, but if he refuses, who would you suggest? Is Chuck Martin -- the last successful programmer of KHJ, formerly sister to KRTH and the station KRTH’s format is based on -- interested? He, too knows Southern California radio better than most.