Radio Waves Podcast #337

 Radio Waves: April 22, 2022

Gunslingers on the air

A radio show about guns? In Southern California? And Los Angeles, no less?

Absolutely. It’s the Gunslingers hour and has been heard on KABC (790 AM) Saturdays at 8 a.m. Effective immediately, the show is transitioning to KRLA (870 AM) Sundays at 8 p.m.. Currently the program is airing separate editions for both stations, but the final KABC show will air July 30 … after that it will be exclusively heard on KRLA

The program is hosted by Jeff Taverner, owner of Gunslingers Gun Shop and Gunslinger Auctions in Glendora; co-host Mark Romano is a political science college professor. Both are expert shooters and in fact, both are Cowboy Action Shooting Champions.

The shop opened almost 25 years ago as a way for Taverner to make some money selling part of his own personal collection. He is very proud of the fact that he made a sale on his very first day open, back on June 1st, 1998 … “unfortunately the sale was denied” from the background checks, he says, “but it was a sale!”

The program evolved out of his own advertising. He created an ad to air on KEIB (1150 AM) that he purposely made a bit quirky and different to stand out, voiced by himself. It worked, both as an advertisement and a side career as a talk host: the ad was heard by someone at KABC, who suggested he start his own show.

For the first month they made him pre-record the program, but he wanted to go live and convinced KABC to let him do so. Since that time he has been able to take listener phone calls along with presenting information and interviews in order to help people learn about such things as firearms history, safety, collecting, purchasing, and the paperwork involved.

“I try to make the show as lively and fun as I can,” says Taverner. “I hope to reach people on the fence and help them realize that they don’t need to be scared, that it’s actually fun to go shooting at ranges and competitions.”

No politics allowed, though. “This is not a political show by any means,” he insists. “That would take the fun out of it.”

Taverner is more than firearms. In addition to being what Brian Tominaga — one of his listeners who told me of the show — described as “a walking encyclopedia of guns and firearms history,” he is also a collector or cars, a collector of guitars, and a musician who toured with his band around the world, later booking acts for some of the clubs in Hollywood.

It’s only an hour, but it is a fun little show. Past recording of it are on the KRLA and KABC websites (870theanswer.com and abc.com, respectively), as well as https://gunslingerradio.com.

High Fidelity Broadcasting

Ask almost anyone under the age of 50 if AM radio sounds good, and — if they even know what AM is — the likely answer will be “no.” Indeed, even one of the inventors of AM — Amplitude Modulation — radio, Edwin Howard Armstrong, so hated the sound of AM that he went out and invented an entirely new broadcasting method: Frequency Modulation, or FM.

But what most people don’t understand is that it is not the fidelity, per se, that caused Armstrong to head back to the lab. It was interference. Lightening, for example, makes AM broadcasts crackle. The problem with fidelity is entirely different, though very much related: in an effort to reduce interference from the atmosphere, man-made sources and from adjacent stations, radio manufacturers long ago decided to limit the fidelity of most AM receivers by reducing he audio bandwidth, or the range of sounds heard, to little better than the sound of a telephone.

It wasn’t always that way. Back in 1959, WLW/Cincinnati  installed a new transmitter and built new studios, the combination of which allowed them to broadcast from as low as 17 Hz to as high as 21,500 Hz — better than typical adult human hearing. For comparison, analog stereo FM broadcasts from 20 to 15,000 Hz.

Station management began calling WLW “the nation’s highest-fidelity station” when the station debuted its new facilities in January 1959. R. J. Rockwell, vice president of WLW engineering at the time told Broadcasting Magazine, “There seems to be a prevailing misconception that AM stations are limited in their permissible bandwidth … (we’ve proven that) high fidelity transmission can be accomplished in the AM band.”

Unfortunately, Rockwell and his associates couldn’t do anything thing about interference, which is the AM band’s kryptonite. Modern technology can fix some of it, but crackles and static will always be a problem. So what is the the future of AM? Opinions vary, and I have my own ideas. Stay tuned …

Radio: April 29, 2022

A slightly more normal ratings period, to a point — no major holidays or locally big events … though the Ukraine invasion is certainly having an effect — led to a March ratings period with few surprises. Nielsen released the results last week.

Of note, however, is the Ukraine effect: with KFI (640 AM) and KNX (1070 AM, 97.1 FM) both up substantially. In KFI’s case, it was a jump of more than half a point from February,, a full point since January, and almost 2 points from the holiday season making for a 57 percent increase in the ratings so far this year and a solid 5th place finish. KNX was not as dramatic, but rose substantially as well - up 39 percent so far this year, seventh place overall in March.

Was some of the KNX increase due to the new FM simulcast? Possibly, but in my opinion unlikely. As the ratings are released as a combination, only insiders know and they aren’t saying. Interestingly, however, outside of KFI and KNX, the other talk or information stations were essentially unchanged.

The overall winner for the month, of course, was adult contemporary juggernaut KOST (103.5 FM), which settled down to a post-holiday 5.5 share of the audience, more than half a point above second-place KRTH’s (101.1 FM) 4.9. Third place was a tie between KTWV The Wave (94.7 FM) and My FM KBIG (104.3 FM) at 4.8, showing just how close those stations are. In fact, statistically speaking, I’d consider places two through five as a tie.

KLOS (95.5 FM) is on fire … earning the highest rating the station has seen in quite some time: 3.0, and 11th place overall. Go Country KKGO (105.1 FM) did very well, too, tying Spanish adult hits station Jose-FM KLYY (97.5) at 14th with a 2.7. Right above that? Real (KRRL, 92.3 FM) and another Spanish adult hits station Recuerdo KRCD (simulcast on 98.3 and 103.9 FM) tied for 12th at 2.8. Can you say close?

Alt (KYSR, 98.7 FM) — still calling itself  “LA’s New Alternative” more than a decade after it actually was “new” — once again beat format originator KROQ (106.7 FM),  but the two were closer than they’ve been in a while: 2.2 vs 1.4 overall, respectively. I still think changes are coming to KROQ, sometime sooner than later.

The highest-rated public station? 16th place KPCC (89.3 FM) with a 2.4 share of the audience.

You may wonder why the station streams toward the end of the list are not included in the main station ratings. This is due to the streams not being 100% duplicative. For example, some commercials may be changed or removed. The m Ian programming is the same, however, so I’d personally count them together if I had the choice. This would move Jack, KRTH and The Wave all up by 0.2 shares. 

Each rating is an estimate the percentage of listeners aged six and older, tuned to a station between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 midnight. © 2022 Nielsen. May not be quoted or reproduced without prior written permission from Nielsen.

1. KOST (5.5) 2. KRTH (4.9) 3. KBIG, KTWV (4.8) 5. KFI (4.7) 6. KLVE (4.4) 7. KNX (3.9) 8. KCBS-FM (Jack), KIIS-FM (3.7) 10. KLAX (3.2)

11. KLOS (3.0) 12. KRCD, KRRL (2.8) 14. KKGO, KLYY (2.7) 16. KPCC (2.4) 17. KSCA (2.3) 18. KJLH, KXOL, KYSR (2.2)

21. KBUE, KCRW, KPWR (2.1) 24. KLLI (2.0) 25. KUSC (1.8) 26. KDAY, KLAC, KROQ (1.4) 29. KKJZ (1.0) 30. KABC, KEIB, KFWB, KRLA (0.9)

34. KDLD (0.8) 35. KCSN, KFSH, KSPN, KWIZ (0.7) 39. KKLA (0.3) 40. KCBS-FM Stream, KPFK, KRTH Stream, KTWV Stream (0.2) 44. KHJ, KMZT, KROQ HD-2, KTNQ, KWKW (0.1)

Tribute

Shana — aka Shana LiVigni, though she never used her last name on the air, was a pioneering woman on local radio. Making her big-city debut on San Francisco’s KFRC, moving South to KHJ (930 AM) and later to FM via KLOS and many more, she was equally at home playing the hits on legendary top-40 powerhouses as she was introducing album cuts on the album rock leaders.

Always a fan favorite, she passed away far too young at the age of 62 back in 2015 (https://www.dailynews.com/2015/07/22/female-radio-pioneer-shana-livigni-dies/).

Retro Radio Joe just posted a tribute to Shana, where you can hear her evolution through time and formats from 1975 to 2001 It’s a real treat! Check it out at https://bit.ly/3v56jrJ

Radio Waves Podcast #336

 Radio Waves: April 15, 2022

The Radio Return of Bryan Suits

One of the more popular specialty hosts on KFI (640 AM) was Bryan Suits, especially when he hosted The Dark Secret Place on weekends in which he spoke of military operations and related subjects. Suits left the station in 2021 to focus on a paid podcast program.

Suits was an Army medic during Operation Desert Storm, served in the National Guard, and was deployed as part of a NATO mission to Bosnia and as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and more. He was awarded a Bronze Star Medal and was wounded in action several times, eventually being awarded a Purple Heart. 

His experience combined with superb storytelling made for a must-listen program; my email was filled for weeks when he left the local airwaves.

Reader Nancy J. recently brought it to my attention that Suits is back on the air. “Don’t know if you’ve covered the most recent whereabouts of Bryan Suits but he has moved back to the Seattle area and, since early February, has a regular drive-time gig on conservative talk radio KTTH,” she wrote.

“From the sounds of it, many SoCal fans are listening via livestream because he reads texts on the air and notes the area codes – 714, 949, 909, 562, etc. including a recent 661 from Bakersfield. The podcasts are available on all platforms. 

“The nice thing is to be able to hear salient, intelligent information about the war in Ukraine. He also throws in current references to CA politics as a cautionary tale to the local Washingtonians,” she concluded.

Suits’ new show is live and local for the Seattle area, airing over KTTH from 6-9 a.m. locally. Beginning on February 7th, the program is part of a total revamp of the station’s programming day, though he is among the few local programs. Others include Dan Bongino, Michael Medved, Jason Rantz, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles and Mark Levin … outside of Suits, only afternoon driver Rantz is local to the area.

“When we moved back to Western Washington, the last thing on my mind was radio,” Suits told Radio-Online.com at the launch of the daily show. “After filling in on KTTH mornings, I realized that I was born to do this. This is where I started and found my voice. Someone has to reflect what the sensible people are thinking and thankfully, KTTH is doing that. I’m humbled and grateful to be part of the team that tells the truth every day.”

Suits was previously heard in Seattle on sister station KIRO; in 2002 he left the area to work at KOGO/San Diego (600 AM) and later, KFI.

KTTH programming is available on various apps or through their own podcasting network, but like many stations across the country, the station streams its programming. Access it on the website at https://mynorthwest.com/category/ktth/. 

Best April Fool’s “News” Story

“ Audacy Surrenders KNX-AM license, keeps KNX-FM,” screams the headline of an April 1st posting on Facebook’s I Love AM Radio group. The story goes on to say that the city of Torrance has sold the land on which the transmitters are located to developers, so it made sense to just turn in the license. 

The tremendously well-done story  — good enough to fool a few people — was written by Steve Mittman, who posted a story last year that KHJ (930 AM) was going back to playing music of its Boss Radio days.

Alas … the KHJ story would be great, if it were true.

How’s School?

KCRW (89.9 FM) wants to hear from students by asking the question: How has this school year treated you? The followup? What does “normal” now link like?

KCRW has always been active in reporting on local education issues. If you want to give your perspective on the study, head over to https://kcrw.co/3uoY5uu.

Quick Takes

According to one study, more than one-third of regular radio listeners own a turntable. I do myself, though it is rarely used. Are these listeners/owners hip, or just old? … 

The FM simulcast of KNX (1070 AM), heard on 97.1, is no longer in stereo. Is owner Audacy doing this to try to extend the usable range of the signal? With rare exception, monaural signals have a larger clean reception area than do multiplex stereo signals, and without the ability to manually select mono on most receivers, it is a plausible reason. I don’t believe the station has broadcast in mono in my radio listening lifetime … 

Radio Waves Podcast #335

 Radio Waves: April 8, 2022

Your Favorite App Stations

Two weeks ago I asked for some suggestions regarding what online streams and/or podcasts you liked. Here are some musically tasty treats:

“Love your column in the Press Enterprise.

“We use StreamS to listen to martiniinthemorning.com. Brad “Martini” Chambers and Miriam give us some fun in our mornings. Since it’s a subscription station it’s sort of a family. He usually comes to LA once a week every month and does some great studio interviews like Steve Tyrell, Dave Damiani, Jonny Blu, etc. 

“Thanks to Brad we have become friends with many of the artists who carry on the American Songbook today. They are called The Wolfpack (the new Rat Pack), led by Dave Damiani with Landau Eugene Murphy, Sal Valentinetti, Jonny Blu, James Torme, Haley Reinhart, and Renee Olstead. It’s great fun to listen in and hear the classics and the new artists carry on the music.”  — Joe B 

Chambers should be programming an on-air station, and the fact that he isn’t is an indictment of radio. While at KLAC (570 AM) and XETRA (690 AM), he not only got ratings and brought new listeners to the AM band, he was successful at bringing younger people to the format via playing standards from contemporary artists.

“I don’t remember how I found this site, but they are 3 stations in 1 from the University of Pennsylvania that is such an eclectic mix! I’m an elder, but get so tired of ‘classic rock’ stations, and this has opened up such new stuff to me! PLEASE give it a long listen! bit.ly/38n7b2b. Thanks!” — Sonni Hopkins

I feel the same way … I get tired of the same songs over and over. Frankly, I actually like new music and there is some research I’ll share at a later date claiming that listening to new music is actually good for your brain.

“Oldies – Big 8 Radio.com (programmed by radio vet Charlie O’Brien)

“Indie rock-  BAGeL Radio (live-hosted 480 Minutes show, originating on Fridays, is ‘The Place’ to go for breaking new music mixed with deep-cuts classic alternative) Both are available via several streaming aggregators as well as directly at the own websites. Cheers! —Mark, London, UK

Wow … a true long distance listener!

“Some time back you wrote about Accuradio. Another very similar service is SomaFM (https://somafm.com/). Like Accuradio they offer a variety of stations, and like Accuradio they claim that their music is hand-selected and not generated by algorithm. I have listened to some of their stations and haven’t like many of them much, but one I really do enjoy is Left Coast 70s. It’s roughly similar to Yacht Rock in SiriusFM. Left Coast 70s is available via TuneIn, so it makes it easy to listen to on my Amazon Echo.

“By the way, I have The Mellow Sound set up as an Alexa routine, so I just say ‘Alexa, play the Tribute Station.’ That works much better as Alexa easily gets confused about stations on myTunerRadio.” — Mike Christie, Hemet

It’s an art sometimes getting some stations to play on smart speakers, but well worth the time. The shortcut you mention (and a similar one with the others) is a great way to make it work better.

“We found Q102.3 Palm Springs when we were there a few years ago. It is a locally owned radio station that plays classic rock and we LOVE it. Hope you like it as well.” — Tish Husak

KRHQ is available on TuneIn and the station website at https://q102classicrock.com

“I watched a movie, ‘Music In Exile’ about the effects of Hurricane Katrina at the end of November 2021. Two public radio stations were mentioned, WWOZ (90.7 FM)  in New Orleans and KRVS (88.7 FM) in Lafayette.  Both play all the types of music I love. I was able to find them on the Radio Garden app and stream them frequently via my phone and JBL Bluetooth speaker. I also listen to Xpression3.16 and Radio Panamericana from Peru as my wife is from there and we both enjoy the music.” — Bob Beberfall, Ontario, CA

I have to try the Radio Garden app … you are not the first to suggest it.

“Enjoy your column immensely. Here are my favorite streaming radio stations: https://www.psychedelicjukebox.com; WWOZ for New Orleans music; and WPKN and WKZE  for eclectic” — Bob Andrews, Huntington Beach

WWOZ, WPKN and WKZE are all found on the various tuner apps.

“One of my favorite online stations is KFXM 98.3 Lancaster. An oldies that is similar to K-Earth of days past. Not being able to get 91X here on LA radio it is another fav …  Both are on MyTunerRadio and other apps. — Bill “telephonebill” Lodge, Redondo Beach 

“My wife and I have close ancestral ties to England which may explain why our musical tastes are somewhat reserved.

“1.  Smooth Radio London (FM 102.2).

“2.  Exclusive Radio, from Dubai. Over 500 “stations” of a wide variety of music. No commercials, just a brief station ID between songs. Our favorite station is the Moody Blues.

“3.  Classic FM, London. Perfect for a quiet Sunday morning.  Includes interesting background about the classical music they play

“We enjoy your weekly columns in the Riverside Press Enterprise.” — R/John, Riverside.

“I saw you asking for people’s favorite online station and thought I’d offer mine. It’s laoldies.com. I used to listed to it on AM when there and then on HD radio, but now listen via app or online at home. The songs of my life are always good to hear again.”  — Susan B

“I have been listening to the ACCU Radio app quite frequently since you had it in your column. They have quite a range, and I listen to new music, to me anyway, almost every day.

“There is a great radio station that I listen to out of Auckland, New Zealand. It is ‘The Sound.’ I like to listen to it over the website at https://www.thesound.co.nz/home.html, but it can also be found on myTuner and TuneIn Radio. — Jere Seitz

All great suggestions … keep them coming; I’ll check all of them out.

Radio Waves Podcast #334

Radio Waves: April 1, 2022

Cold Cases with Steve Gregory

Saturday, April 2 marks the start of the second season for KFI’s (640 AM) Unsolved series hosted by Steve Gregory. The program runs every Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m.

Unsolved tells the story of major crimes that went cold, ran out of leads, or just lacked evidence. They remain on the books of local and federal police agencies  — LA County Sheriffs, Los Angeles Police, Riverside Sheriffs, the FBI and more — waiting for that last bit of evidence or a new witness to finally be solved … and the exposure of someone like Gregory.

The show also covers crimes that Gregory calls “challenging,” giving behind-the-scenes looks at how they were solved and what techniques detectives used to gain information and insight.

It was actually an accidental show, or perhaps the better word would be unintentional. “I had done a segment on the Gary and Shannon Show (heard 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.),” explained Gregory, “and listeners responded very positively. (KFI Programmer) Robin Bertolucci liked it as well, and when I passed her in the hallway I joked about doing a weekly show. She stopped and thought about it… we talked over the next few weeks … and eventually, it happened.”

After figuring a way to work it into his already busy schedule, that is. He’s still a prime reporter for the KFI news team. This explains a bit about why there were only eleven episodes in season one – ten shows involving cases and one show with a recap of the ten recorded live in front of a studio audience and featuring detectives and investigators involved in the cases. Hopefully there will be more in season two. 

“There are more than 10,000 unsolved homicides in Southern California,” says Gregory … so he has a lot of material to work with. “At first some of the agencies were reluctant to talk openly about many of the cases; now they contact me regarding cases they want to expose more!”

If you can’t already tell, I love shows like this … think of Cable TV’s former Homicide Hunter and you can see my TV binge viewing habits. Gregory — seven-time recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Award for journalism as well as awards from the Associated Press and more —  is a fantastic host. His background in news includes investigative reporting; that, along with his interest in mysteries and police work makes him the perfect host for this show.

You can hear the entire first season at https://kfiam640.iheart.com/featured/unsolved-with-steve-gregory/.

Coming Home

Raph (Raphael) Opida, once heard on KIIS-FM (102.7) until he left Los Angeles in 2021 to serve in the New York Army National Guard, has come home to take on the assistant programmer/afternoon-drive personality positions at sister My FM (KBIG, 104.3 FM). He can be heard on the air from 3 to 7 p.m starting March 28.

Sounds Good

Is it my imagination, or is KIIS-FM sounding a bit better as of late? Musically more balanced, a bit less clutter in presentation. Ratings edging back up. Could top-40 radio be on an upward swing as of late?

Realignment

Just in time for April Fool’s Day, and due to mobile phone popularity and a shortage of available frequencies for mobile service, the FCC has decided to just shut down the AM band as of April 1st. The entire AM band will soon be used by mobile services, which need the extra bandwidth due to the popularity of hard-hitting internet news and information services such as TikTok and Instagram.

Nothing as drastic is expected for now on the FM band, though current stations will move to the old Armstrong band between 42 and 50 MHz on the FM dial and cease broadcasting in stereo. Asked for comment, the FCC could not be found. Weird.

Happy April fools Day! …

Radio Waves Podcast #333

Radio Waves: March 25, 2022

Changes Coming to KROQ?

Kaplan leaves the PD post

Are the winds of change circling around KROQ (106.7 FM) once more? Perhaps. Mike Kaplan has stepped down as programmer of the once-popular station, deciding to focus on his duties in New York where he will remain Audacy’s “Brand Manager” for their alternative Alt 92.3 and vice-president of national programming for all of Audacy’s alternative stations, including KROQ.

Prior to joining Audacy, Kaplan was programmer of our own Alt 98.7 (KYSR, 98.7 FM) which is owned by iHeart.

According to RAMP – Radio and Music Professionals (ramp247.com) – which broke the story, “Mike has come to the conclusion, personally and professionally, that this is best for him. He also believes KROQ deserves a Brand Manager solely dedicated to the brand and one that lives in Los Angeles 24/7.” This, apparently, made in a statement to RAMP by an Audacy spokesperson.

Reading between the lines is important here. KROQ was being programmed from out of town, as are many of Audacy’s stations, in this case New York. The very idea that the company that owns KROQ thought it could be programmed from New York shows that few in Audacy understand KROQ … or radio, for that matter. No wonder KROQ is faring so poorly as of late in the ratings.

That’s the Audacy way, of course, as determined by leader David Field. Run it on the cheap. Time and time again, Audacy proves you get what you pay for. But I digress.

“Audacy Los Angeles has a once in a lifetime opening for a creative genius to lead the World Famous KROQ” reads the announcement for Kaplan’s replacement. “This person has a passion for music, entertainment and culture. They are immersed in the latest social media trends and marketing shifts. Most importantly, this person is a big thinker, highly detail oriented and a dynamic leader.”

Supposedly the duties include overseeing day to day music, which would be nice. With the reboot of 91X in San Diego causing such a buzz, will KROQ follow suit? More importantly, Will the new programmer, er, Brand Manager be allowed to truly control the sound of KROQ? 

That’s the critical question, and in my mind more important than anything else. Los Angeles is not New York. KROQ is not like anything else, or at least should not be. KROQ has a long history of setting trends, not following them, and the new PD must be given the ability to control it. Fully. If that happens, the future of KROQ is bright. Hopefully Field understands this now. 

That the resignation announcement made the point that KROQ deserves its own says a lot about Kaplan. Count me impressed. I look forward to seeing where KROQ ends up.

Cart Narcs

One of the great bits on Alt 98.7’s 5-10 a.m. morning Woody Show is Cart Narcs, in which people who don’t put their shopping carts back in the collection stall are publicly shamed in an attempt to get them to better behave.

It’s been a part of the Woody Show as long as I can remember; the audio of encounters of the Cart Narcs with the cart violators being quite entertaining. What I did not realize until I accidentally stumbled upon them while watching my latest online video vice – car repairs from Rainman Ray (https://www.youtube.com/c/RainmanRaysRepairs)  – was that Cart Narc videos are on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/CartNarcs). And as it turns out, Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/cartnarcs/?hl=en), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@.cart_narcs?lang=en) and the Woody Show website (thewoodyshow.com) itself as well.

If you’ve never heard it, the Narcs will directly confront people who put their carts around parking lots, risking damage to other cars as well as taking up parking spaces. Normally, the encounters are fairly benign, but there are times when the violators get a bit, well, angry. On Woody’s show, the content is cleaned up… I never knew how dangerous some of the encounters can be until I watched the videos.

And if you haven’t heard the Woody Show on Alt … what are you waiting for?

App Radio

I listen a lot to radio via my iPhone apps, myTunerRadio and StreamS HiFi Radio, and my plan over the next few months is to highlight great stations you can hear over these apps and others.

But it occurred to me that I am just one person … combined with your knowledge and your experience, perhaps I can compile a list of great stations from all across the world that I can let everyone know about.

So send me your favorite online stations, whether they be online only or a stream of an existing AM or FM signal. Podcasts too, for a separate edition … if you like it, let me know what it is and preferably how to receive it.

Radio Waves Podcast #332

Radio: March 18, 2022

I recently bought a tuner off of an online marketplace - a Denon TU680NAB, arguably one of the best tuners of the modern age. It was developed by Denon in cooperation with the National Association of Broadcasters to showcase the best of what AM and FM radio offered back in 1993, the year it was released to the public, and included improved AM and FM reception and fidelity.

I wrote about it soon after it was released, though I returned the unit I had bought in favor of keeping the competing Carver TX11b. Both the Denon and the Carver featured AM stereo reception utilizing the Motorola C-Quam standard, one of four competing stereo broadcasting standards available for AM, and the most-widely adopted in the United States. 

I probably kept the Carver more from snobbery than anything else, though like the Denon it offered amazing reception on both bands, great sound, and great looks. I still own it today.

But the Denon was always something special, so when I saw a great deal online, I decided to grab it. The funny thing is that I almost didn’t … shipping was more than I had hoped, though in total it was still a very fair price. I actually tried to cancel the order but felt guilty when the seller said they had already sent it even though I had not paid them yet. So I bit the bullet, sent the money, and like my Dad used to do when he bought collectables …  didn’t tell my wife what I did.

I have yet to do a side-by-side comparison of the new model with the Carver, or even the JC Penny MCS tuner that also receives AM stereo. Of course no local AM stations even broadcast in stereo, so that can’t be compared. But listening to AM on the Denon so far is pure joy.

Even without stereo, and even though there is more interference on the band than there was in 1992, the sound is stunning. Special noise blanking circuitry minimizes much of the local interference from sources that “buzz,” like fluorescent lights and electric motors. The frequency response on AM is tremendous, extending past 9 kHz, according to tests run in 1993, far past the typical 3 kHz most AM tuners since the 1980s allow. And it shows. AM sounds great.

FM reception is similarly impressive. Even with just a standard wire antenna — I have yet to connect it to my house antenna — the stations it receives are clear and easy to tune, even when short-spaced and coming from as far away as San Diego … on a clear day, of course.

This tuner is theoretically obsolete. HD tuners and radios have theoretically replaced traditional analog tuners, especially in cars. In reality, all tuners are obsolete … so much listening is done online using smart speakers, smartphone apps, and online computer listening to either traditional AM and FM stations that stream their signals, or services such as Spotify and Apple Music that are online exclusives. 

But I can’t help but wonder - if the NAB could convince radio manufacturers to make tuners with specifications like those found in the Denon — whether or not they also feature HD — perhaps analog broadcasting could have a couple more decades to compete. Especially if AM stations that mostly dropped HD broadcasts turn on analog stereo again. Certainly seems to be worth a shot.

Back on the Air

KRDC (1110 AM) was off the air for about two weeks due to transmitter work apparently related to upgrades that will allow KSPN (710 AM) to share the transmitter site. Increased land values are causing AM station owners to rethink and repurpose their vast landholdings used for transmitter sites; KSPN is expected to begin sharing the 1110 transmitter site in the near future, though an exact date has not been officially announced.

New Voices on 88.5

Julie Slater will take over the 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. mid-day slot on Adult Alternative 88.5 (KCSN, 88.5 FM). She replaces Marc Kaczor, who will remain at the station and focus on his duties as program director. Slater started her shift on March 14.

New to the Saturday lineup on 88.5 is Lesley James, who will anchor the Saturday lineup from 12 noon to 4 p.m. starting March 19. James replaces no-one, as the station ran jockless during most of her new show hours; Don James will now start his show at 4 p.m. rather than 3:00.

Auction

By the time the print edition arrives, the auction will be over. But if you catch this online, you can try to bid on a piece of broadcast history when Casey Kasem’s estate goes on the auction block at 1 p.m. Pacific time March 17th.

Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions (juliensauctions.com) will be handling the sale, which will include his Neumann microphone, his collection of vinyl records, a Fender guitar signed by the Beach Boys, and much more.

It is doubtful that Kasem’s children are too happy about the sale. But that’s just a hunch …

Radio Waves Podcast #331

 The Great 91 X-periment

The Great 91X Experiment, in which San Diego’s XETRA (91.1 FM) has become what the program director calls a format of one is quite intriguing. Many observers are trying to pigeonhole the format by calling it “classic alternative,” but that misses the point … and honestly proves that many supposed insiders really don’t understand the format.

91X, like KROQ (106.7 FM) here, didn’t start as “alternative.” That description is more recent, and reflected a tightening of the playlist that came long after the initial success. The stations began as a “rock” or rock and new wave, playing music that was really meant to be cutting edge, heard first here and later on other stations. Rick Carroll, who was the programmer that brought KROQ to its heights in the 1980s and was an early consultant when 91X adopted the format, actually considered it a form of top-40, but both stations were definitely close to mainstream.

To borrow the slogan from UCLA’s student station, the idea what they were playing “tomorrow’s sound today,” i.e. the songs that you’ll hear on other stations later. And it was true. KROQ and 91X were both early players of Prince, Pet Shop Boys, The Clash, English Beat, Duran Duran, The Cars, Sparks, The Police and Devo, all the while still playing mainstream artists such as the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys.

Something happened along the way, and I don’t know why. The playlist got tighter and tighter. Eventually, rather than being the station where you’d hear music months before it was played on other stations, it was the music you’d hear only there.

So while the observers have a point - there is more “gold” in the 91X format now than before the switch, the reason has a very positive potential. The songs being added — primarily from the early 1980s, in place of more recent alternative hits — are being added in part because the audience loved them during an A-XYZ special the station ran, playing songs that had not been played win the air in years.

And there’s the rub. Many listeners are so young, they never heard the songs in the first place. Talking Heads. Adam Ant. Ramones. Red Hot Chili Peppers. And if listeners respond positively to songs they never heard before — new to them — that means there is the potential to add new songs without, as programmers always fear, scaring them off. New music is new music.

91X has the potential of becoming a radio station that actually attracts younger people back to radio. That would be a good thing. I’ll be watching this closely … stations around the country will be as well.

Slightly off topic but still related … the 91X website is well-designed and fun to visit, easy to navigate and informative. Check it out at 91x.com.

Boss Radio Request Line

“I recently read your tribute article to Sam Riddle.  I was hoping you might be able to help me with a riddle of my own. I am the owner of the KHJ Boss Radio's Surfin'Bird, a 1956 Thunderbird built by legendary customizer Bill Cushenbery, given away by the Boss Jocks in August of 1966.

“In combing through known radio broadcasts, etc I have been unable to find out who originally won the car. The promotion ended August 8th with the winner being announced on the Dick Curtis 18 to 34 Show. 

“I am unable to find any radio spots that mentioned the winner, which is odd, as most contest winners were mentioned on air.  I was hoping you might have have some insight as to how to contact Gary Mack or Johnny Williams. There are many great stories surrounding this great promotion, and unfortunately all the people that know are leaving us. 

“Here is a links to information I have compiled to date around this great moment in radio history.  And help or ideas are greatly appreciated.” — Kevin Bennett

The links Kevin provided are: https://kustomrama.com/wiki/The_KHJ_Surfin%27_Bird\ and http://thesurfinbird.weebly.com/history.html … if you or someone you know has the answer, please let me know!