Radio: July 3, 2020
You know them as John and Ken, aka John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou, the hugely popular afternoon drive team that helped build KFI (640 AM) into the tale radio juggernaut that it is.
They arrived in los Angeles in 1992, and except for a small stint doing mornings at KABC (790 AM), they have held been KFI’s afternoon stars, maintaining dominance in their time slot for most of their almost three decades here.
They are the guys that can drive you nuts. John is actually much like me, often taking the absurd position either for fun or just being too lazy to research it out fully. Ken is usually the more subdued, slightly more thoughtful of the pair. But they are always entertaining, and they are one of the consistent bright spots in local programming, whether you agree with their oppositions or not.
You may know a little of their history: they arrived at KFI after a stint at Live 101.5 in Trenton, New Jersey, where they became locally famous for helping organize a protest against a huge tax hike made by then-Governor Jim Florio after he took office. 65,000 people attended the rally in front of the Trenton State House, with 100,000 turned away due to crowded conditions and lack of parking. It is said to be the largest rally ever held in New Jersey.
John and Ken kept the pressure on Florio and covered numerous other tax and political local issues; eventually Florio lost his reelection bid … and John and Ken’s ratings went through the roof, helping establish Live 101.5’s presence in the local radio scene.
The pair was hired to replace former police chief Darryl Gates on KFI in late 1992.
But there is another side of John and Ken, one which I just recently learned. Did you know that John and Ken once played music together on small stations in Atlantic City? I certainly didn’t. But I found proof, courtesy of Ellis B Feaster’s Radio Channel and Travel Corner. Feaster is, himself, a great radio guy, and he posted some recordings of Jiohn and Ken in their earliest days together.
The first, at tinyurl.com/radiowaves0703 is the first break on the first show for WOND, Solid Gold 14. John and Ken actually replaced Feaster in the mornings, with Feaster staying on in the afternoon. He says he holds no grudges …
Kobylt said that the duo were only on the station for a short time. “Even though we were on the station only eight months,” he said, “I could write a whole chapter on the WOND experience.” I plan to follow up on that soon.
The second posting by Feaster, at tinyurl.com/radiowaves0703b, is their next station, 104-MGM, WMGM also in Atlantic City. Here they play South Jersey’s hottest hits as “radio’s odd couple.”
As I said, I never realized that the duo had a history together playing music. But it makes sense … KFI has been considered a top-40 station that happens to play talk programming, and it is that excitement and attitude that helped push it past the former talk leader and original Los Angeles talk station, KABC.
Give those recordings a listen - I think you’ll find them interesting, and you’ll hear John and Ken’s style in use today even back then. Interestingly, another popular talk host — Rush Limbaugh, now heard 9 am - noon on KEIB (1150 AM) — started as a music jock as well. It seems top-40 prepares one well form talk radio.
While you’re there, look around and listen to Feaster’s other recordings - he has a lot of good material available.
Stereo Stories
I love reading your letters and emails. I try to include as many as I can in the column, and I do try to respond to all of them, even though sometimes it takes me too long Regardless, this is among my favorite memory letters of the week.
“Way back in the1950s, I lived in California's San Joaquin Valley where I remained until 1976 when I moved to the Bay Area (San Francisco East Bay). Radio station KBEE was an FM only station in Modesto until around 1956 when it began to also broadcast in AM (I think it was called "Simulcast"). It began to broadcast certain musical programs in stereo around 1959 or 1960, with one channel in FM and the other in AM. An odd combination but to my teenage ears it was new so it sounded great, especially since my folks never owned an FM radio until then.
“As you can see, I'm an old-timer. The station I really miss is KSFO with its adult level talk and music as it was in the 1960s - 1980s era. I'm an XM subscriber now, but just in my car, finding only a handful of XM satisfactory. I'm new to Amazon's Prime Music / Echo system, but find you really need to know the name of any music before you can listen to it - a problem in itself.
“As you can see, I'm an old guy, still looking for radio that was.” — Gary Jones
You are so right on the needing to know. I was trying to see how well my HomePod worked with some of the iHeart stations, since I refuse to use the awful iHeartRadio app. I tried “play KEIB.” “Play KEIB 1150 AM.” “Play The Patriot 1150 AM.” None of those worked. What finally worked? “Play The Patriot 1150” without the “AM.” You’d think the commands would be a little more versatile.
The stereo system you speak of was one method used before FM’s stereo Multiplex system was approved. It was not only “odd,” but led to some of the best-sounding AM radios ever made. They had to be, or the sound would be unbalanced. I swear the AM on my old Fisher tube receiver sounded every bit as good as FM on a strong station.
Thank you for the memories!
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #254
Radio: June 26, 2020
Last week I wrote a little about streaming audio and how, with the use of smart speakers, smart phones, and plain old computer streaming, the possibility of internet radio essentially replacing traditional broadcast radio.
This week I want to travel to both the past and one of broadcast radio’s possible futures, spurred on by the ideas presented last week, my absolutely illogical love of AM radio, and a letter to the editor of industry newspaper Radio World that I read online at radioworld.com.
AM radio broadcasting is almost a century old in the United States - numerous stations in Los Angeles, including KHJ (930 AM), KFI (640 AM) and KNX (1070 AM) will celebrate 100 years of broadcasting in two years. That’s an impressive feat, especially considering the technology is essentially the same as it was in 1922.
As I mentioned last week, digital HD Radio, considered for a time as the savior of both AM — due to higher fidelity — and FM — due to potential higher fidelity and extra stations — just hasn’t made the impact many had hoped. For various reasons, many AM stations have turned off the HD signal, even while FMs continue to use it, and consumers don’t seem all that interested in either. But as I said last week, with smart speakers, what’s the point? And a related question comes up: is broadcast AM radio just a dead technology?
Christopher Boone thinks he has the answers. No, AM is not dead. But if you really want to improve it, bring back a technology that already “failed” … AM stereo. In a letter sub-headlined “Want revitalization? Mandate AM stereo in any FM stereo radio,” Boone makes the point that analog AM stereo is still an option for broadcasters, and that it would be an easy technology to re-implement.
“One-hundred stations in the United States still broadcast in C-QUAM AM stereo, and there are more returning. A station in the New Orleans market will be starting C-QUAM as I write. There is one in Texas and more thinking about it. Australia has announced four stations there will be begin C-QUAM stereo transmissions in the next month or two.”
AM stereo was a technology tried in the 1980s, but it didn’t pan put for two primary reasons: The FCC didn’t set a single standard until years after interest waned, confusing both manufacturers and consumers having to deal with four incompatible standards. And stereo means nothing if the audio still sounds muddy, as many AM stereo receivers did.
But AM stereo has the potential to sound absolutely amazing. I own a Carver tuner that was made with an AM tuner capable of reproducing AM audio quality all the way to 20 kHz … higher than most humans can hear, higher than the standard for FM stereo, and much greater than the 3 kHz that the typical AM radio can produce.
The problem is that there are no currently-available radios that can decode AM stereo, right? Wrong. HD Radio is similar enough to the AM stereo standard C-QUAM that a station can’t broadcast AM HD and traditional stereo at the same time … which also means that many HD radios in use can already decode it. “The HD Radios (that can decode analog stereo) only need some code written to decode it and open up the bandwidth for full analog fidelity,” Boone says, adding that modern receiver designs can reduce or eliminate static and other noise inherent to AM broadcasting, making for an impressive listening experience.
The solution for AM improvement, according to Boone: Mandate stereo on AM for any radio that receives stereo on FM, and include receiver standards that make the audio sound better. My additional suggestion: program something worth hearing.
Want to hear some samples of AM stereo? www.i1430.com sends their online live stream through a Carver AM stereo tuner, and a member of a Facebook group dedicated to AM stereo uploaded a recording of WDGY/Minneapolis-St.Paul recorded on a Sony Walkman that receives AM stereo; for educational purposes head over to tinyurl.com/RadioWaves0626.
Going full circle, though … what’s the point? Well, broadcasting is still more efficient than what might be called netcasting, and there is a limit to the number of listeners who can stream a station at the same time. Additionally, using a radio is easy and reliable. Perhaps it’s time to make it work again.
Real Update
It is long in coming, but the volunteers behind ReelRadio.Com — an online museum of classic top-40 radio airchecks — recordings of stations from the top-40 heydays — were able to finally break free of the RealAudio player that was needed to hear the recordings … but which hadn’t been compatible with the encoding used by the site in years, forcing users to keep old versions of the Real Player program and operating systems that allowed them to run on their computers.
Effective as of June 1st, the recordings were all re-encoded into what is known as M4A/AAC, and you can use the VLC Media Player and play every recording on the site, including older files that have not been heard by some users in years.
The site focusses primarily on top-40 stations and personalities of the past from all across the United States. But there are some hidden gems outside of the norm … such as a recording with Bing Crosby on KHJ … from 1931!
This is the site that made me love the internet, in the days when dial-up modems were needed to access the world-wide web. Back in the early days you needed a 2400 baud modem … super fast at the time … to hear the files.
Last week I wrote a little about streaming audio and how, with the use of smart speakers, smart phones, and plain old computer streaming, the possibility of internet radio essentially replacing traditional broadcast radio.
This week I want to travel to both the past and one of broadcast radio’s possible futures, spurred on by the ideas presented last week, my absolutely illogical love of AM radio, and a letter to the editor of industry newspaper Radio World that I read online at radioworld.com.
AM radio broadcasting is almost a century old in the United States - numerous stations in Los Angeles, including KHJ (930 AM), KFI (640 AM) and KNX (1070 AM) will celebrate 100 years of broadcasting in two years. That’s an impressive feat, especially considering the technology is essentially the same as it was in 1922.
As I mentioned last week, digital HD Radio, considered for a time as the savior of both AM — due to higher fidelity — and FM — due to potential higher fidelity and extra stations — just hasn’t made the impact many had hoped. For various reasons, many AM stations have turned off the HD signal, even while FMs continue to use it, and consumers don’t seem all that interested in either. But as I said last week, with smart speakers, what’s the point? And a related question comes up: is broadcast AM radio just a dead technology?
Christopher Boone thinks he has the answers. No, AM is not dead. But if you really want to improve it, bring back a technology that already “failed” … AM stereo. In a letter sub-headlined “Want revitalization? Mandate AM stereo in any FM stereo radio,” Boone makes the point that analog AM stereo is still an option for broadcasters, and that it would be an easy technology to re-implement.
“One-hundred stations in the United States still broadcast in C-QUAM AM stereo, and there are more returning. A station in the New Orleans market will be starting C-QUAM as I write. There is one in Texas and more thinking about it. Australia has announced four stations there will be begin C-QUAM stereo transmissions in the next month or two.”
AM stereo was a technology tried in the 1980s, but it didn’t pan put for two primary reasons: The FCC didn’t set a single standard until years after interest waned, confusing both manufacturers and consumers having to deal with four incompatible standards. And stereo means nothing if the audio still sounds muddy, as many AM stereo receivers did.
But AM stereo has the potential to sound absolutely amazing. I own a Carver tuner that was made with an AM tuner capable of reproducing AM audio quality all the way to 20 kHz … higher than most humans can hear, higher than the standard for FM stereo, and much greater than the 3 kHz that the typical AM radio can produce.
The problem is that there are no currently-available radios that can decode AM stereo, right? Wrong. HD Radio is similar enough to the AM stereo standard C-QUAM that a station can’t broadcast AM HD and traditional stereo at the same time … which also means that many HD radios in use can already decode it. “The HD Radios (that can decode analog stereo) only need some code written to decode it and open up the bandwidth for full analog fidelity,” Boone says, adding that modern receiver designs can reduce or eliminate static and other noise inherent to AM broadcasting, making for an impressive listening experience.
The solution for AM improvement, according to Boone: Mandate stereo on AM for any radio that receives stereo on FM, and include receiver standards that make the audio sound better. My additional suggestion: program something worth hearing.
Want to hear some samples of AM stereo? www.i1430.com sends their online live stream through a Carver AM stereo tuner, and a member of a Facebook group dedicated to AM stereo uploaded a recording of WDGY/Minneapolis-St.Paul recorded on a Sony Walkman that receives AM stereo; for educational purposes head over to tinyurl.com/RadioWaves0626.
Going full circle, though … what’s the point? Well, broadcasting is still more efficient than what might be called netcasting, and there is a limit to the number of listeners who can stream a station at the same time. Additionally, using a radio is easy and reliable. Perhaps it’s time to make it work again.
Real Update
It is long in coming, but the volunteers behind ReelRadio.Com — an online museum of classic top-40 radio airchecks — recordings of stations from the top-40 heydays — were able to finally break free of the RealAudio player that was needed to hear the recordings … but which hadn’t been compatible with the encoding used by the site in years, forcing users to keep old versions of the Real Player program and operating systems that allowed them to run on their computers.
Effective as of June 1st, the recordings were all re-encoded into what is known as M4A/AAC, and you can use the VLC Media Player and play every recording on the site, including older files that have not been heard by some users in years.
The site focusses primarily on top-40 stations and personalities of the past from all across the United States. But there are some hidden gems outside of the norm … such as a recording with Bing Crosby on KHJ … from 1931!
This is the site that made me love the internet, in the days when dial-up modems were needed to access the world-wide web. Back in the early days you needed a 2400 baud modem … super fast at the time … to hear the files.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #253
Radio: June 19, 2020
The timing of the email was perfect …
“I read your column each week and many thanks for the radio stations you have turned me on to, most recently KHUG (www.KHUG.rocks). I’ve been looking into replacing my home stereo with one that has HD digital reception. Do you have any recommendations?” — Rick Adams
I do have some recommendations, which I will get to in a minute. But I was already planning about talking about HD radios and tuners this week anyway … the planets much be aligning in some way.
What brought on my thinking is actually opposite of what Rick is thinking. I have had a stereo in my back yard for many years; the other day I was doing some work outside and thought I’d simplify a few thing … get rid of the broken cassette deck, for example. As I did it, I looked at my HD tuner, and wondered why I have it.
Don’t get me wrong … I am not against HD radio per se. I actually think it has the potential to be a good platform. Interference between stations aside, I think AM via HD sounds tremendously better than typical analog, and the extra channels on FM — when done right as with Saul Levine’s HD stations at 105.1 — add a great entertainment source.
But over the past few years, various smart phone apps and smart speakers have come on the scene, and many stations stream their programming there, making HD tuners duplicative and perhaps unnecessary. Of course if you have an HD tuner in your car or home it would be technically easier to use than having to make sure you’re connected to the internet and knowing how to run the app. Additionally, due to greed on the part of station owners who want to monetize their own apps, not all stations are available on any of the apps. I handle it by just not listening to those stations at home, but I digress.
But HD has a major problem … relatively few listeners still know about it, understand it, or know how to use it. Some don’t even know they have it. Add in that stations on the AM band are essentially abandoning it — even KNX (1070 AM) turned it off (supposedly temporarily) due to a corporate decree in April. And HD on FM has no buffer on the extra (not main) channels, making the HD FM versions of KFI (at 103.5 HD2) or KNX (at 101.1 HD2) unlistenable in most areas.
So the apps have an advantage. They work as long as you have good internet. They can tune in more than the local stations, and they sound great. In some cases, such as with the myTuner Radio app or smart speakers, turning a station is as easy as pushing a preset button or saying “hey Siri, play KNX-FM 93.”
So I took out the HD tuner. I can still hear radio outside, but rarely use the tuner. Instead I use an app. Inside the house I usually use the smart speaker. That is one of six HD tuners I own and rarely use for HD — the two in the cars being an exception; I am still in the process of deciding whether to just sell them or put them in storage for the time when all digital AM becomes common … if ever.
And that creates a problem. If I, a total radio geek who loves radio and just tuning around to find interesting stations, is doubting the use of HD radio, what is the typical consumer doing? I imagine not even thinking about it. That doesn’t bode well for the future of HD.
Recommendations
All that being said, if you want to try HD radio, for the car just look for a radio that has it. The cost is the same as all but the cheapest radios, and you really don’t want the cheapest radios. It was built in to the Alpine and Kenwood aftermarket radios I put in two of our cars, and the cost was basically the same as I expected to pay for non-HD units. Many factory systems have it, but you do need to confirm, as they are usually an upgrade.
For the home, it is more difficult, primarily because the old standard idea of a home stereo is outdated. People now buy small systems, if they buy one at all. Indeed, smart speakers and streaming services have become the new norm for audio listening in the home. So regular tuners and radios with HD are rare. Heck, it’s hard to buy a regular radio locally.
For currently-available models, I recommend Sangean. They have always been among the best available and the current crop are better than ever. Available models include the HDR-18 table/clock radio, the HDT-20 component tuner, and the HDR-16 portable radio. Older models can be found on eBay and similar sites, including the original HDT-1 and HDT-1X component tuners, both available at very reasonable prices.
There are other brands around including Sparc, but I have no experience with them.
If you are willing to search deeper into the auction sites, a few other models are definitely worth looking for. Sony once and one of the best HD tuners ever - the XDR-F1HD. Great sound, great reception. But it had issues … it tends to run hot, and doesn’t retain station presets or the clock when it loses power. In response there are plans and companies who will add components such as internal fans and backup capacitors to make up for the original design’s shortcomings. The problem is the tuner sells for $100+ used and the service to upgrade is about $150.
Radio Shack once sold a decent table radio under the Accurian house brand, and it is around the auction sites as well. Their Accurian component tuner, though, is awful on AM … decent for FM. And while HD on AM may not be anything right now, the problem with the component tuner is that it barely gets AM at all.
The timing of the email was perfect …
“I read your column each week and many thanks for the radio stations you have turned me on to, most recently KHUG (www.KHUG.rocks). I’ve been looking into replacing my home stereo with one that has HD digital reception. Do you have any recommendations?” — Rick Adams
I do have some recommendations, which I will get to in a minute. But I was already planning about talking about HD radios and tuners this week anyway … the planets much be aligning in some way.
What brought on my thinking is actually opposite of what Rick is thinking. I have had a stereo in my back yard for many years; the other day I was doing some work outside and thought I’d simplify a few thing … get rid of the broken cassette deck, for example. As I did it, I looked at my HD tuner, and wondered why I have it.
Don’t get me wrong … I am not against HD radio per se. I actually think it has the potential to be a good platform. Interference between stations aside, I think AM via HD sounds tremendously better than typical analog, and the extra channels on FM — when done right as with Saul Levine’s HD stations at 105.1 — add a great entertainment source.
But over the past few years, various smart phone apps and smart speakers have come on the scene, and many stations stream their programming there, making HD tuners duplicative and perhaps unnecessary. Of course if you have an HD tuner in your car or home it would be technically easier to use than having to make sure you’re connected to the internet and knowing how to run the app. Additionally, due to greed on the part of station owners who want to monetize their own apps, not all stations are available on any of the apps. I handle it by just not listening to those stations at home, but I digress.
But HD has a major problem … relatively few listeners still know about it, understand it, or know how to use it. Some don’t even know they have it. Add in that stations on the AM band are essentially abandoning it — even KNX (1070 AM) turned it off (supposedly temporarily) due to a corporate decree in April. And HD on FM has no buffer on the extra (not main) channels, making the HD FM versions of KFI (at 103.5 HD2) or KNX (at 101.1 HD2) unlistenable in most areas.
So the apps have an advantage. They work as long as you have good internet. They can tune in more than the local stations, and they sound great. In some cases, such as with the myTuner Radio app or smart speakers, turning a station is as easy as pushing a preset button or saying “hey Siri, play KNX-FM 93.”
So I took out the HD tuner. I can still hear radio outside, but rarely use the tuner. Instead I use an app. Inside the house I usually use the smart speaker. That is one of six HD tuners I own and rarely use for HD — the two in the cars being an exception; I am still in the process of deciding whether to just sell them or put them in storage for the time when all digital AM becomes common … if ever.
And that creates a problem. If I, a total radio geek who loves radio and just tuning around to find interesting stations, is doubting the use of HD radio, what is the typical consumer doing? I imagine not even thinking about it. That doesn’t bode well for the future of HD.
Recommendations
All that being said, if you want to try HD radio, for the car just look for a radio that has it. The cost is the same as all but the cheapest radios, and you really don’t want the cheapest radios. It was built in to the Alpine and Kenwood aftermarket radios I put in two of our cars, and the cost was basically the same as I expected to pay for non-HD units. Many factory systems have it, but you do need to confirm, as they are usually an upgrade.
For the home, it is more difficult, primarily because the old standard idea of a home stereo is outdated. People now buy small systems, if they buy one at all. Indeed, smart speakers and streaming services have become the new norm for audio listening in the home. So regular tuners and radios with HD are rare. Heck, it’s hard to buy a regular radio locally.
For currently-available models, I recommend Sangean. They have always been among the best available and the current crop are better than ever. Available models include the HDR-18 table/clock radio, the HDT-20 component tuner, and the HDR-16 portable radio. Older models can be found on eBay and similar sites, including the original HDT-1 and HDT-1X component tuners, both available at very reasonable prices.
There are other brands around including Sparc, but I have no experience with them.
If you are willing to search deeper into the auction sites, a few other models are definitely worth looking for. Sony once and one of the best HD tuners ever - the XDR-F1HD. Great sound, great reception. But it had issues … it tends to run hot, and doesn’t retain station presets or the clock when it loses power. In response there are plans and companies who will add components such as internal fans and backup capacitors to make up for the original design’s shortcomings. The problem is the tuner sells for $100+ used and the service to upgrade is about $150.
Radio Shack once sold a decent table radio under the Accurian house brand, and it is around the auction sites as well. Their Accurian component tuner, though, is awful on AM … decent for FM. And while HD on AM may not be anything right now, the problem with the component tuner is that it barely gets AM at all.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #252
Radio: June 12, 2020
One of my favorite public service shows when I was in high school and college was Ask the Professor, which ran locally on KHJ (930 AM) and KRTH (101.1 FM) . The idea is simple: listeners send in questions to try to stump a panel of professors from the University of Detroit, Mercy; you win an Ask the Professor coffee mug if you manage to stump them.
Currently hosted by Matthew J. Mio, Ph.D, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, I was happy to find last year that it is still on the air — unfortunately on a limited number of stations. It is, however, the longest-running radio show in the United States, on the air since the 1950s. And while the small station list — WHO/Des Moines, IA, WTBR-FM/ Pittsfield, MA, and KLAV/Las Vegas, NV — is unfortunate, there is a good side: through the magic of the internet you can still hear it on your computer, smart phone or smart speaker.
The link for the show is at https://sites.udmercy.edu/atp/
And while I am pleased the show is still being produced, imagine my surprise when I got a call from Professor Mio to be a guest in the show! It took a while to set up, but we recorded the shows about two weeks ago. The first episode is already posted as I write this — number 2040; the second episode with me as a guest on the panel is number 2041 and should be posted this weekend.
Now keep in mind I am eminently unqualified to be on the panel. I am not a professor, though I do hold a PHD … a Pedro High diploma from San Pedro High, class of 1981. But the panel has to include the most down-to-earth people I have ever met — via a Zoom meeting, since the COVID-19 lockdown prevents the ability to meet in person. They made me feel comfortable right away, and acted like I actually knew something, giving me credit for being “close.”
We were not stumped, as the questions themselves were not horrendously hard. Many were basically multiple choice. But what I found interesting is that the panel most definitely does not receive the questions ahead of time, with the obvious exception of Professor Mio; he needs them to act as the program moderator. Overall, though the show is as I remember from years ago … informative and fun. Give it a listen!
Distance Listening
I received so many stories form you regarding distance listening on the radio that I wanted to share a few more emails and letters.
“Just found you in the Daily News in the last few months and have enjoyed your ‘Radio’ column. Here is my story of hearing AM long distance.
“Graduated from high school in 1971 and took a month-long road trip in my 66 VW bug with a sleeping bag, Coleman stove and ice chest. In a campground in Colorado, I picked up KFI (640 AM) on my little car radio and heard Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett announcing the Dodger game. Never forgot that - I was home though very far away.” — Tom Lusby
“In the late 1950s, I was a teenager in a very small town (Riverton) in Wyoming. We did not have any local top 40 radio; in fact, we barely had radio at all. But when the sun went down, we could pick up top 40 powerhouse KOMA from Oklahoma City, OK. It came in very loud and clear all night long, until the sun came up the next morning … it sounded as though they were broadcasting right from our town. I couldn’t wait for sunset so I could hear my favorite music.” — Joseph Tripp
“I grew up in central Iowa in mid-fifties and my dad was a St. Louis Cardinal fan. At night we would listen to the Cardinal games on KMOX in St. Louis. Harry Carey was the announcer and on a home run call he would say "it looks like it might be, it could be, it is a home run". We also listened to the Chicago Cub games in the daytime on WGN from Chicago. Their announcer was Bob Wilson and he always said "I don't care who wins, as long as it is the Cubs". A Des Moines radio station broadcast the "game of the day". The announcer took the information off the ticker tape and made it sound like he was at the game. If something happened to the feed, there would be a lot of foul balls or there was a sudden rain delay.
“We could also pick up the Grand Ole Opry on WSN/Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night, and a station from Del Rio, Texas at night. I believe their broadcast power was something like 250,000 watts and the US stations were limited to 50,000 watts. “ — Larry Harsha
History
David Schwartz, author of the Encyclopedia of Game Shows who I’ve known since his days at the original KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) and who now works at cable televisions Game Show Network, still has the radio bug in him. He sent along a link to a website that is dedicated to preserving periodicals that covered radio, and the list is extensive.
Radio Daily (1938- early 1960s); US Radio (1957-61); Radio and Records (1973 - 2009) and many more can be found at https://worldradiohistory.com.
One of my favorite public service shows when I was in high school and college was Ask the Professor, which ran locally on KHJ (930 AM) and KRTH (101.1 FM) . The idea is simple: listeners send in questions to try to stump a panel of professors from the University of Detroit, Mercy; you win an Ask the Professor coffee mug if you manage to stump them.
Currently hosted by Matthew J. Mio, Ph.D, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, I was happy to find last year that it is still on the air — unfortunately on a limited number of stations. It is, however, the longest-running radio show in the United States, on the air since the 1950s. And while the small station list — WHO/Des Moines, IA, WTBR-FM/ Pittsfield, MA, and KLAV/Las Vegas, NV — is unfortunate, there is a good side: through the magic of the internet you can still hear it on your computer, smart phone or smart speaker.
The link for the show is at https://sites.udmercy.edu/atp/
And while I am pleased the show is still being produced, imagine my surprise when I got a call from Professor Mio to be a guest in the show! It took a while to set up, but we recorded the shows about two weeks ago. The first episode is already posted as I write this — number 2040; the second episode with me as a guest on the panel is number 2041 and should be posted this weekend.
Now keep in mind I am eminently unqualified to be on the panel. I am not a professor, though I do hold a PHD … a Pedro High diploma from San Pedro High, class of 1981. But the panel has to include the most down-to-earth people I have ever met — via a Zoom meeting, since the COVID-19 lockdown prevents the ability to meet in person. They made me feel comfortable right away, and acted like I actually knew something, giving me credit for being “close.”
We were not stumped, as the questions themselves were not horrendously hard. Many were basically multiple choice. But what I found interesting is that the panel most definitely does not receive the questions ahead of time, with the obvious exception of Professor Mio; he needs them to act as the program moderator. Overall, though the show is as I remember from years ago … informative and fun. Give it a listen!
Distance Listening
I received so many stories form you regarding distance listening on the radio that I wanted to share a few more emails and letters.
“Just found you in the Daily News in the last few months and have enjoyed your ‘Radio’ column. Here is my story of hearing AM long distance.
“Graduated from high school in 1971 and took a month-long road trip in my 66 VW bug with a sleeping bag, Coleman stove and ice chest. In a campground in Colorado, I picked up KFI (640 AM) on my little car radio and heard Vin Scully and Jerry Doggett announcing the Dodger game. Never forgot that - I was home though very far away.” — Tom Lusby
“In the late 1950s, I was a teenager in a very small town (Riverton) in Wyoming. We did not have any local top 40 radio; in fact, we barely had radio at all. But when the sun went down, we could pick up top 40 powerhouse KOMA from Oklahoma City, OK. It came in very loud and clear all night long, until the sun came up the next morning … it sounded as though they were broadcasting right from our town. I couldn’t wait for sunset so I could hear my favorite music.” — Joseph Tripp
“I grew up in central Iowa in mid-fifties and my dad was a St. Louis Cardinal fan. At night we would listen to the Cardinal games on KMOX in St. Louis. Harry Carey was the announcer and on a home run call he would say "it looks like it might be, it could be, it is a home run". We also listened to the Chicago Cub games in the daytime on WGN from Chicago. Their announcer was Bob Wilson and he always said "I don't care who wins, as long as it is the Cubs". A Des Moines radio station broadcast the "game of the day". The announcer took the information off the ticker tape and made it sound like he was at the game. If something happened to the feed, there would be a lot of foul balls or there was a sudden rain delay.
“We could also pick up the Grand Ole Opry on WSN/Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday night, and a station from Del Rio, Texas at night. I believe their broadcast power was something like 250,000 watts and the US stations were limited to 50,000 watts. “ — Larry Harsha
History
David Schwartz, author of the Encyclopedia of Game Shows who I’ve known since his days at the original KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) and who now works at cable televisions Game Show Network, still has the radio bug in him. He sent along a link to a website that is dedicated to preserving periodicals that covered radio, and the list is extensive.
Radio Daily (1938- early 1960s); US Radio (1957-61); Radio and Records (1973 - 2009) and many more can be found at https://worldradiohistory.com.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #251
There was some good news for the radio industry recently: According to one survey, radio listening during the pandemic-related lockdown has rebounded somewhat, and it was the only mass media to show an increase outside of video streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu.
In some ways it makes sense. After an initial bout of watching television programs and cable news, I tired of the repetition (and let’s face it, depressing news abounds) of so many programs and news channels. So moving to other sources is logical. Considering that radio was among the hardest hit, it would follow that people would re-discover their favorite stations and escape from bad news. Music in particular has always been my great escape.
Additionally, with cities and states opening up — and some people just ignoring the stay at home orders — in-car listening was bound to recover.
According to an online survey of roughly 16,000 radio listeners in the United States and Canada taken by Jacobs Media and sponsored by the Radio Advertising Bureau, during the time period of May 14-16, fully 26 percent of those surveyed stated that they are listening more to their “home station” — the station that sent them the survey — while only 15 percent said they listen less. In April, only 18 percent said they listened more.
In addition, in every measure, including in-car, at home, streaming, or regular listening outside the home, respondents said that they were listening more than they were in April. Highlighting how listening is changing with new technology, fully 14 percent said that they now listen on a smart speaker such as a HomePod, Alexa or Google system.
The survey is not perfect. The fact that the respondents came from listeners who are already considered “loyal,” meaning those who are already in a station’s listener database, most likely registered via a station’s own website. That means the survey is not representative of the population in general. Even non-AP stats students know the survey thus is flawed.
Indeed, ratings company Nielsen continues to show the total number of listeners to radio is down. But, and this is big, Nielsen only releases general reports monthly, and the last report was May 11. The next release won’t be until mid-June. Said one local programmer, though, in addition to already being an unrepresentative sample, there are two other issues that could affect the results: “listeners are not putting a stopwatch to their listening, and they may just be nice.”
But it’s still a glimpse of good news in an industry desperately needing good news.
KLOS changes
KLOS (95.5 FM) appears to be headed in the same direction as KROQ (106.7 FM): total meltdown, as I see it.To absolutely no one’s surprise, Frosty Stilwell is gone, not just furloughed, as he wrote on his Facebook page. I predicted such when he left the show in March. This means the morning show is back to being just “Heidi and Frank.”
News this week comes that afternoon personality Gary Moore, and weekenders Frazier Smith and Jim “JD” Daniels have been permanently let go as well.
What’s going on? It appears that KLOS wants to break ties with the past, similar to what is happening with KROQ. Will this mean a new direction for the station? I see two ways it could go. 1) Continue playing the same music I heard in high school but with either no personalities or young DJs who work cheap, or 2) Actually actively program to attract new listeners, and in that case assemble an air staff that reflects the new direction you hope to go.
There is a third option, and that is a totally new format. Right now, I don’t see that happening, but it is a possibility. Knowing the direction radio is going, my hunch is it will be option one above. Why? Because in today’s atmosphere, cheapness rules. The good side of that? Another station can come in and do something creative even easier. The best stations of the past always came from earlier failures … it can happen again.
Spotted
I just saw some KNXFM.93.com T-shirts …. What’s up with that? Hmm …
In some ways it makes sense. After an initial bout of watching television programs and cable news, I tired of the repetition (and let’s face it, depressing news abounds) of so many programs and news channels. So moving to other sources is logical. Considering that radio was among the hardest hit, it would follow that people would re-discover their favorite stations and escape from bad news. Music in particular has always been my great escape.
Additionally, with cities and states opening up — and some people just ignoring the stay at home orders — in-car listening was bound to recover.
According to an online survey of roughly 16,000 radio listeners in the United States and Canada taken by Jacobs Media and sponsored by the Radio Advertising Bureau, during the time period of May 14-16, fully 26 percent of those surveyed stated that they are listening more to their “home station” — the station that sent them the survey — while only 15 percent said they listen less. In April, only 18 percent said they listened more.
In addition, in every measure, including in-car, at home, streaming, or regular listening outside the home, respondents said that they were listening more than they were in April. Highlighting how listening is changing with new technology, fully 14 percent said that they now listen on a smart speaker such as a HomePod, Alexa or Google system.
The survey is not perfect. The fact that the respondents came from listeners who are already considered “loyal,” meaning those who are already in a station’s listener database, most likely registered via a station’s own website. That means the survey is not representative of the population in general. Even non-AP stats students know the survey thus is flawed.
Indeed, ratings company Nielsen continues to show the total number of listeners to radio is down. But, and this is big, Nielsen only releases general reports monthly, and the last report was May 11. The next release won’t be until mid-June. Said one local programmer, though, in addition to already being an unrepresentative sample, there are two other issues that could affect the results: “listeners are not putting a stopwatch to their listening, and they may just be nice.”
But it’s still a glimpse of good news in an industry desperately needing good news.
KLOS changes
KLOS (95.5 FM) appears to be headed in the same direction as KROQ (106.7 FM): total meltdown, as I see it.To absolutely no one’s surprise, Frosty Stilwell is gone, not just furloughed, as he wrote on his Facebook page. I predicted such when he left the show in March. This means the morning show is back to being just “Heidi and Frank.”
News this week comes that afternoon personality Gary Moore, and weekenders Frazier Smith and Jim “JD” Daniels have been permanently let go as well.
What’s going on? It appears that KLOS wants to break ties with the past, similar to what is happening with KROQ. Will this mean a new direction for the station? I see two ways it could go. 1) Continue playing the same music I heard in high school but with either no personalities or young DJs who work cheap, or 2) Actually actively program to attract new listeners, and in that case assemble an air staff that reflects the new direction you hope to go.
There is a third option, and that is a totally new format. Right now, I don’t see that happening, but it is a possibility. Knowing the direction radio is going, my hunch is it will be option one above. Why? Because in today’s atmosphere, cheapness rules. The good side of that? Another station can come in and do something creative even easier. The best stations of the past always came from earlier failures … it can happen again.
Spotted
I just saw some KNXFM.93.com T-shirts …. What’s up with that? Hmm …
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #250
Radio: KROQ has a problem, and here’s how to fix it
KROQ (106.7 FM) has been a big thing in Los Angeles for many years, longer than many fans even realize.
The station actually had its genesis in 1972 as an AM station at 1500 AM, home of the former KBLA. The new KROQ played top-40 music and included personalities such as Charlie Tuna, Sam Riddle, Shadoe Stevens, and Jimmy Rabbitt, among others. As with KBLA, in spite of big-name talent, the station was never able to compete against the big boys in town, primarily KHJ (930 AM). A limited signal didn’t help.
In 1973, KPPC-FM was purchased and became KROQ-FM, simulcasting the AM programming. But money was tight, and soon the staff was not being paid. By mid-1974, some of the personalities had resigned, the others went on strike, and the stations went off the air for about two years.
The KROQ most of us know picks ups from there. Back on the air in late 1975, the stations — under the direction of Stevens — were playing a format of rock music with an emphasis on some of the new music hitting the local scene … primarily punk and new wave.
Top articles
1/5
In 1980, the stations stopped simulcasting; the AM went Spanish and eventually off the air. The FM, though, was building momentum. Rick Carroll arrived to program the station and tweaked the format … still focusing on new music, but with a top-40 approach. Essentially, Carroll saw the station not as “alternative,” but as the place to hear new music and new bands first — no matter the genre.
Artists included The Ramones, The Police, The Cars, Duran Duran, Blondie, Sparks, The Runaways, Devo … and Prince, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.
I bring up this history in order to maintain perspective. A recent story in Variety (tinyurl.com/RadioWaves0529) makes the claim that recent changes at the station mean the end of KROQ “as we know it.”
What recent changes? Several months after half of Kevin and Bean left for England at the end of 2019, the station got a new programmer, management fired Kevin Ryder and the rest of the morning show and started switching up the music. Ratings, for their part, tanked … to the point where the station now finds itself with fewer listeners than any time since the early 1980s.
But therein lies the problem. The KROQ that we “know” is not the station that we think we know. It has been over a decade, maybe two, since KROQ was actually a place to find new music and discover new bands. Over the years the station has gotten as predictable and stale as the stations it once beat.
The same thing that killed KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) — complacency and an aversion to risk — was killing KROQ as well. The only reason it wasn’t noticed was the boost Kevin and Bean gave to the station’s ratings; it became painfully obvious this past month when KROQ earned a mere 1.4 share of the audience. KMET, by the way, had a 1.6 share when the decision was made to end its format.
Over the years, KROQ essentially painted itself into a corner. Yes, it did play music that was different than some of the music played on other stations. But it was predictable. Songs were slow to be added. New bands were missed. The focus was on “alternative,” limiting the sound unlike the early days when the focus was being the first to play what would later be heard elsewhere. Instead of excitement coming over the airwaves, it was boredom.
I have wondered for years why a station that still sold itself on being the place for new music was playing mostly “recurrents,” industry jargon for songs that have been around a while. I like Blink-182, for example, but I should not hear songs in regular rotation from an album now ten years old.
So in my opinion, KROQ has to die so that KROQ can live. I don’t know if new programmer Mike Kaplan has the ability — or the authority — to do what needs to be done, but KROQ absolutely needs to bring back the focus on finding new music, breaking new bands, and opening up the playlist. It needs to become a true alternative to Alt 98.7, which honestly suffers from many of the same problems as does KROQ, including over-reliance on the morning show and a stale playlist.
Call it “active rock” if you want, rather than “alternative.” But it needs to be done. Otherwise there really isn’t a reason for KROQ to exist at all.
COVID-19 hits Bean
Speaking of Kevin and Bean … when Gene “Bean” Baxter moved to England, it is doubtful that he ever expected to become a statistic. But he did. Earlier this month, Bean announced that he had been infected with the Coronavirus and was at a critical point in the illness.
“Well no one is more surprised than I to now have the Coronavirus,” he messaged on social media. “…locked down tight at home since 9 March, only venturing out to walk the dogs and if we needed prescriptions or the odd grocery in between food deliveries. Masks, gloves, disinfectants, hand-washing, we took it seriously. Yet somehow here I am …”
Last week came an update. He said he is doing fine, recovering, and telling friends that the worst is behind him. Spirits are good, and he has not had to go to the hospital…. “feeling stronger every day,” he writes.
KROQ (106.7 FM) has been a big thing in Los Angeles for many years, longer than many fans even realize.
The station actually had its genesis in 1972 as an AM station at 1500 AM, home of the former KBLA. The new KROQ played top-40 music and included personalities such as Charlie Tuna, Sam Riddle, Shadoe Stevens, and Jimmy Rabbitt, among others. As with KBLA, in spite of big-name talent, the station was never able to compete against the big boys in town, primarily KHJ (930 AM). A limited signal didn’t help.
In 1973, KPPC-FM was purchased and became KROQ-FM, simulcasting the AM programming. But money was tight, and soon the staff was not being paid. By mid-1974, some of the personalities had resigned, the others went on strike, and the stations went off the air for about two years.
The KROQ most of us know picks ups from there. Back on the air in late 1975, the stations — under the direction of Stevens — were playing a format of rock music with an emphasis on some of the new music hitting the local scene … primarily punk and new wave.
Top articles
1/5
In 1980, the stations stopped simulcasting; the AM went Spanish and eventually off the air. The FM, though, was building momentum. Rick Carroll arrived to program the station and tweaked the format … still focusing on new music, but with a top-40 approach. Essentially, Carroll saw the station not as “alternative,” but as the place to hear new music and new bands first — no matter the genre.
Artists included The Ramones, The Police, The Cars, Duran Duran, Blondie, Sparks, The Runaways, Devo … and Prince, The Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.
I bring up this history in order to maintain perspective. A recent story in Variety (tinyurl.com/RadioWaves0529) makes the claim that recent changes at the station mean the end of KROQ “as we know it.”
What recent changes? Several months after half of Kevin and Bean left for England at the end of 2019, the station got a new programmer, management fired Kevin Ryder and the rest of the morning show and started switching up the music. Ratings, for their part, tanked … to the point where the station now finds itself with fewer listeners than any time since the early 1980s.
But therein lies the problem. The KROQ that we “know” is not the station that we think we know. It has been over a decade, maybe two, since KROQ was actually a place to find new music and discover new bands. Over the years the station has gotten as predictable and stale as the stations it once beat.
The same thing that killed KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) — complacency and an aversion to risk — was killing KROQ as well. The only reason it wasn’t noticed was the boost Kevin and Bean gave to the station’s ratings; it became painfully obvious this past month when KROQ earned a mere 1.4 share of the audience. KMET, by the way, had a 1.6 share when the decision was made to end its format.
Over the years, KROQ essentially painted itself into a corner. Yes, it did play music that was different than some of the music played on other stations. But it was predictable. Songs were slow to be added. New bands were missed. The focus was on “alternative,” limiting the sound unlike the early days when the focus was being the first to play what would later be heard elsewhere. Instead of excitement coming over the airwaves, it was boredom.
I have wondered for years why a station that still sold itself on being the place for new music was playing mostly “recurrents,” industry jargon for songs that have been around a while. I like Blink-182, for example, but I should not hear songs in regular rotation from an album now ten years old.
So in my opinion, KROQ has to die so that KROQ can live. I don’t know if new programmer Mike Kaplan has the ability — or the authority — to do what needs to be done, but KROQ absolutely needs to bring back the focus on finding new music, breaking new bands, and opening up the playlist. It needs to become a true alternative to Alt 98.7, which honestly suffers from many of the same problems as does KROQ, including over-reliance on the morning show and a stale playlist.
Call it “active rock” if you want, rather than “alternative.” But it needs to be done. Otherwise there really isn’t a reason for KROQ to exist at all.
COVID-19 hits Bean
Speaking of Kevin and Bean … when Gene “Bean” Baxter moved to England, it is doubtful that he ever expected to become a statistic. But he did. Earlier this month, Bean announced that he had been infected with the Coronavirus and was at a critical point in the illness.
“Well no one is more surprised than I to now have the Coronavirus,” he messaged on social media. “…locked down tight at home since 9 March, only venturing out to walk the dogs and if we needed prescriptions or the odd grocery in between food deliveries. Masks, gloves, disinfectants, hand-washing, we took it seriously. Yet somehow here I am …”
Last week came an update. He said he is doing fine, recovering, and telling friends that the worst is behind him. Spirits are good, and he has not had to go to the hospital…. “feeling stronger every day,” he writes.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #249
Radio: May 22, 2020
While Nielsen now releases ratings for our local radio stations every four weeks, I normally only report on them every quarter, or roughly three months. It’s not because I find the ratings boring, but if I reported them every month, it would be as if I was constantly reporting them and you’d assume I was lazy. Which I am, but I try to keep that a secret.
These are not normal times, however. We are in the middle of a pandemic-driven economic shutdown, encouraged/persuaded to stay home as much as possible, and that’s made huge changes to the ratings in a very short time. These are the COVID-19 days after all. The April book is the first book that was fully part of the shutdown; March was only partially affected. But the trends that began in March held in April.
For the first time in years, though not the first time since I’ve been writing this column, an AM station rules the Los Angeles airwaves. KFI (640 AM) did it, with a huge jump to a 5.5 rating, up from 4.2 last month and 2.9 back in December of last year. At the same time, usual (at least in the past year) leader KOST (103.5 FM) dropped to third at 4.5, from March’s 2nd place 5.1. KRTH stayed steady at 5.2, but dropped one place into second. Tied with KOST was KTWV The Wave (94.7 FM) which was down from March’s 4.9 and the 4.6 and 4.7 the station earned in February and March, respectively.
KFI was not the only AM station to benefit from these weird times. KNX (1070 AM) was down to 3.4 from last month’s 3.8, but that’s still higher that the 3.0 share the station earned in both January and February. Conservative talker KRLA (870 AM) came in the highest rating for the frequency in decades, 1.8 compared with 1.4 in March and its usual 1.1 or so prior. Even KABC (790 AM) got some love for a change, earning a solid 1.4 — the first time it has been above 1.0 in recent memory.
Two surprises? KAMP (97.1 FM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) … Amp was down to its lowest share ever (1.3 from March’s 1.9 and February’s 2.0) and KROQ was down to its lowest rating ever (1.4 from 2.0 in March and 2.5 in February). Seems that Entercom selling The Sound wasn’t such a bright idea after all. Actually it never was.
So what’s going on? Is everyone tuning into news and information stations to get COVID-19 information rather than listening to their favorite music? In a word, no, and that is because listenership is down. Way down. Some stations ended up in April with fewer than half the number of listeners than they had in February.
Ratings company Nielsen calls it “cume,” for the cumulative number of distinct listeners tuning into a station for at least five minutes in a rated quarter hour. Just to give a few examples, KRTH had a cume of 1,605,700 listeners in April, down from 2,889,100 in February. KOST was hit even worse, with a cume of 1,475,400; less than half the 3,025,000 listeners they had in February. KIIS-FM? 1,227,800 in April, 2,534,500 back in February.
That’s because they all went to the news and talk stations, right? Nope. KFI while at the top of the ratings was actually 18th in town when comparing cume, 671,900 compared with 841,000 back in February. KNX, one of the few stations with an increase in March was still down in April … with the three month trend of February through April being 1,018,400, 1,177,900, 770,400.
What gives? Driving. We’re not doing it, so a major time for radio listening is gone for many. Listening at work or in stores? Almost totally eliminated, meaning that stations that usually get an artificial boost in the ratings due to work/store background listening lost that advantage. And while every other station with one exception — KFWB (980 AM) — was down in cume, those that have more listeners who listen by choice, say at home, tended to fare better. The “forced” listening stations — stations with listeners who “hear” a station only because it’s background music while working or shopping — are the ones that lost the most.
This could be an important selling point if we ever get the economy rolling again. Stations that lost fewer listeners as a percentage might be worth more to advertisers, as they would tend to be the stations with a more actively involved audience.
DXing
I received more letter about the fun of long distance listening than I expected! Here is a sample …
“This brought back memories of picking up WWL from New Orleans and XERS from Del Rio Texas in the early 70s from the Lennox area!” — Marvin Johnson
“In the 50’s I had a multi band radio (from my grandparents) and listened to radio Australia in the mornings. I used a long wire and attached it to the aluminum shingle roof of our home. In 1969, sailing to Hawaii (Transpac), we picked up an AM station in New Orleans. And Oo course, we often listened to the Mighty 690 out of Rosarito Beach Mexico. I have heard KFI all over the West, usually around sunset.” — Alan Armstrong
“I'm 87 now; made my first crystal set at age 9. Wow! KNX, KFI, KHJ. Was stationed at Nome, AK during the Korean war spying on the Russians. Can't let you know too much but I had the run of the base and scrounged together a ham station where I could hear and work dx stations as far as the tip of Argentina.” — John Schellenbach
“Some time in the late 40's while a teenager growing up in Norwalk, CA, I received a small 3 or 5 tube Arvin radio, which was slightly smaller than a 2 slice toaster. It had an antenna some 12-15 ft long which I attached to the crown moulding at the ceiling in my upstairs bedroom. Wonder of wonders, I could pick up KSL/Salt Lake and also KOA/Denver every once in a while. Denver had some great country western (cowboy) music.” — Frank Hilarides
“Reading your column this morning brought back memories from my service time in the Army. I was stationed for about a year at Ft. Bliss, Texas (El Paso) and worked in the Initial Receiving Point (IRP) of the Ft. Bliss Reception Station. One evening around 7 pm I was trying to find music on a newly purchased radio when much to my surprise I hit KFI for a Dodger game. Oh boy, something really good! From that point on, every time I ‘had the duty,’ I would try to find the Dodgers. El Paso was just the right distance from L.A. to have near perfect reception (sometimes) with KFI. Probably didn’t hurt that KFI was a clear channel station either.” — Dan Curran
“Back in the early 60's, when I was living in the Memphis, TN, area, and was around 11-12 years old, I would sit up late at night with my $14 Hitachi pocket transistor radio, scanning for AM radio stations. I quite often pulled in stations from east of the Rockies, including Denver and WLS in Chicago. I recall one in Idaho, also. Don't recall ever getting one from west of the Rockies. My homework rarely got finished, but I had a lot of fun! Thanks for the memories!” — Terry Cramer
You are very welcome. I love letters like these. If you don’t mind, I’d like to feature a few more over the coming weeks … might take our minds off the COVID crisis!
While Nielsen now releases ratings for our local radio stations every four weeks, I normally only report on them every quarter, or roughly three months. It’s not because I find the ratings boring, but if I reported them every month, it would be as if I was constantly reporting them and you’d assume I was lazy. Which I am, but I try to keep that a secret.
These are not normal times, however. We are in the middle of a pandemic-driven economic shutdown, encouraged/persuaded to stay home as much as possible, and that’s made huge changes to the ratings in a very short time. These are the COVID-19 days after all. The April book is the first book that was fully part of the shutdown; March was only partially affected. But the trends that began in March held in April.
For the first time in years, though not the first time since I’ve been writing this column, an AM station rules the Los Angeles airwaves. KFI (640 AM) did it, with a huge jump to a 5.5 rating, up from 4.2 last month and 2.9 back in December of last year. At the same time, usual (at least in the past year) leader KOST (103.5 FM) dropped to third at 4.5, from March’s 2nd place 5.1. KRTH stayed steady at 5.2, but dropped one place into second. Tied with KOST was KTWV The Wave (94.7 FM) which was down from March’s 4.9 and the 4.6 and 4.7 the station earned in February and March, respectively.
KFI was not the only AM station to benefit from these weird times. KNX (1070 AM) was down to 3.4 from last month’s 3.8, but that’s still higher that the 3.0 share the station earned in both January and February. Conservative talker KRLA (870 AM) came in the highest rating for the frequency in decades, 1.8 compared with 1.4 in March and its usual 1.1 or so prior. Even KABC (790 AM) got some love for a change, earning a solid 1.4 — the first time it has been above 1.0 in recent memory.
Two surprises? KAMP (97.1 FM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) … Amp was down to its lowest share ever (1.3 from March’s 1.9 and February’s 2.0) and KROQ was down to its lowest rating ever (1.4 from 2.0 in March and 2.5 in February). Seems that Entercom selling The Sound wasn’t such a bright idea after all. Actually it never was.
So what’s going on? Is everyone tuning into news and information stations to get COVID-19 information rather than listening to their favorite music? In a word, no, and that is because listenership is down. Way down. Some stations ended up in April with fewer than half the number of listeners than they had in February.
Ratings company Nielsen calls it “cume,” for the cumulative number of distinct listeners tuning into a station for at least five minutes in a rated quarter hour. Just to give a few examples, KRTH had a cume of 1,605,700 listeners in April, down from 2,889,100 in February. KOST was hit even worse, with a cume of 1,475,400; less than half the 3,025,000 listeners they had in February. KIIS-FM? 1,227,800 in April, 2,534,500 back in February.
That’s because they all went to the news and talk stations, right? Nope. KFI while at the top of the ratings was actually 18th in town when comparing cume, 671,900 compared with 841,000 back in February. KNX, one of the few stations with an increase in March was still down in April … with the three month trend of February through April being 1,018,400, 1,177,900, 770,400.
What gives? Driving. We’re not doing it, so a major time for radio listening is gone for many. Listening at work or in stores? Almost totally eliminated, meaning that stations that usually get an artificial boost in the ratings due to work/store background listening lost that advantage. And while every other station with one exception — KFWB (980 AM) — was down in cume, those that have more listeners who listen by choice, say at home, tended to fare better. The “forced” listening stations — stations with listeners who “hear” a station only because it’s background music while working or shopping — are the ones that lost the most.
This could be an important selling point if we ever get the economy rolling again. Stations that lost fewer listeners as a percentage might be worth more to advertisers, as they would tend to be the stations with a more actively involved audience.
DXing
I received more letter about the fun of long distance listening than I expected! Here is a sample …
“This brought back memories of picking up WWL from New Orleans and XERS from Del Rio Texas in the early 70s from the Lennox area!” — Marvin Johnson
“In the 50’s I had a multi band radio (from my grandparents) and listened to radio Australia in the mornings. I used a long wire and attached it to the aluminum shingle roof of our home. In 1969, sailing to Hawaii (Transpac), we picked up an AM station in New Orleans. And Oo course, we often listened to the Mighty 690 out of Rosarito Beach Mexico. I have heard KFI all over the West, usually around sunset.” — Alan Armstrong
“I'm 87 now; made my first crystal set at age 9. Wow! KNX, KFI, KHJ. Was stationed at Nome, AK during the Korean war spying on the Russians. Can't let you know too much but I had the run of the base and scrounged together a ham station where I could hear and work dx stations as far as the tip of Argentina.” — John Schellenbach
“Some time in the late 40's while a teenager growing up in Norwalk, CA, I received a small 3 or 5 tube Arvin radio, which was slightly smaller than a 2 slice toaster. It had an antenna some 12-15 ft long which I attached to the crown moulding at the ceiling in my upstairs bedroom. Wonder of wonders, I could pick up KSL/Salt Lake and also KOA/Denver every once in a while. Denver had some great country western (cowboy) music.” — Frank Hilarides
“Reading your column this morning brought back memories from my service time in the Army. I was stationed for about a year at Ft. Bliss, Texas (El Paso) and worked in the Initial Receiving Point (IRP) of the Ft. Bliss Reception Station. One evening around 7 pm I was trying to find music on a newly purchased radio when much to my surprise I hit KFI for a Dodger game. Oh boy, something really good! From that point on, every time I ‘had the duty,’ I would try to find the Dodgers. El Paso was just the right distance from L.A. to have near perfect reception (sometimes) with KFI. Probably didn’t hurt that KFI was a clear channel station either.” — Dan Curran
“Back in the early 60's, when I was living in the Memphis, TN, area, and was around 11-12 years old, I would sit up late at night with my $14 Hitachi pocket transistor radio, scanning for AM radio stations. I quite often pulled in stations from east of the Rockies, including Denver and WLS in Chicago. I recall one in Idaho, also. Don't recall ever getting one from west of the Rockies. My homework rarely got finished, but I had a lot of fun! Thanks for the memories!” — Terry Cramer
You are very welcome. I love letters like these. If you don’t mind, I’d like to feature a few more over the coming weeks … might take our minds off the COVID crisis!
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